Awakenings in 19th American Literature: from Romanticism to Realism
[home]
[schedule] [focus
questions] [roundtable]
|
Course Description This class on nineteenth-century
American literature will focus on the theme of "awakenings,"
on various attempts by American writers to call on Americans to wake up and be
alert to different realities: spiritual, political, economic, social. We will begin with the "American
Renaissance" and move through the period of Realism and Naturalism.
Renaissance is really an imperfect name, since this period in American
literature was more a naissance than a re-naissance, a gaining
of maturity and identity rather than a rediscovering of one. The term is appropriate perhaps because
this period in American literary history finds its equivalent in the
Elizabethan Age, when artistic, intellectual, and political energy generated
a fresh and commanding time of expression.
The quarter century up to and including the Civil War is generally
acknowledged as the first important flowering of imaginative literature in
the Aims and Organization: Our chief business will be studying these works
individually. We will also want to examine what concerns or strategies they
have in common and how they explicitly or implicitly talk to one another.
This period is the time that, more than any other, gets claimed as the
fountainhead of a distinctively American literature, so our understanding of
it importantly shapes (and is shaped by) how we understand the whole of
American literature and culture. Likewise, these writers are the ones
subsequent generations keep looking back to for inspirations and challenge. Classroom Procedures: Most of the classes will be discussions, punctuated here and there by mini-lectures. Please come to class prepared to ask questions about both any specific matters that need explanation or comment and also about any broader issues and questions you want us to address. The real learning that occurs in this (or
any) course will emerge from our discussions. I do not intend merely to
provide information which you will dutifully copy into your notes; rather, I
hope to supply the context that will help us each to frame our own
ideas. Each of us can learn a great
many things from others, and we can ensure that our discussions are fruitful
by agreeing to come to class prepared. This does not simply mean that we have
completed the reading: taking in somebody's ideas is only a part of the
process; contemplating those ideas in light of your own experience is even
more important. We should not have to waste class time reviewing the assigned
reading that could be better spent discussing questions or issues that the
reading has Class attendance is required. If you must
miss a class, let the instructor know by phone or e-mail as long before or as
soon after as possible. Repeated or sustained absence will be grounds for
failing the course. Also, please be on time; lateness is rude. You are
expected to be in class every day, body and mind--that is, read the texts
carefully and be ready to ask questions and engage in conversation. Course
Requirements
You will do three kinds of writing:
Daily question -- Students should read the assigned works prior
to each class period. Furthermore, students should write down at least one daily question that will get the class
talking. Your question should help you (and us) examine what you believe to
be the most important ideas of the piece. Try to ask questions that get at
its purpose and its significance, assumptions and biases, evidence and
argument. Avoid simplistic questions that can be answered with a
"yes" or a "no" or with a simple objective fact. If you
wish, some of your questions may draw parallels or contrasts among the other
readings for the course. Write your question on an index card and turn it in
at the beginning of class. Asking questions is a key element to your academic
success. Many students enter the university thinking the accumulation of
information is the goal of their work, but the questions they are able to ask
help them to focus their study and discriminate between important and less
important information--whether they are preparing for an exam or writing a
senior thesis. You will only receive credit for a question if you are
yourself in class and prepared to discuss your question. Responses -- In addition to these questions, students will
write response entries.
These responses are intended to be informal contemplations that nonetheless
demonstrate an active engagement with the literature. These weekly entries
should be no longer than a page (200 -300 wrds), double-spaced (11 pt, Times
Roman font; 1 inch margins) composed in response to focus question(s) These
responses should have a title, a clear point of view or thesis, and
development that supports this thesis in a clear, ordered way. They will be
due at the beginning of the class period on the last day of the week; we may
spend some time in class exchanging and commenting on others' ideas to
generate discussion. You will write at least
6 of these short responses, along with a final take home
response/exam. Purpose: Writing a log on the readings should help to enrich
your understanding and strengthen your powers of verbal expression. The best aspect
of keeping a journal is that it supports your personal and intellectual
growth. It also verifies that you've done the reading, thought about it, and
don't need quizzes to test that knowledge. Response Questions -- The questions will pose questions about the
reading and may provide links to Library or Web resources. The questions help
provide a focus for your response (so you don't just ramble or tell
anecdotes). Entries that ignore questions may receive little or no credit. In
general, we will ask these broad study
questions when we discuss the works, though there will be more specific
ones for each week. Content of Entries -- You are expected to work toward three objectives:
(1) Respond to a particular study question. (2) Show your knowledge of the
reading, from beginning to end, both in large concepts and specific details.
(3) Provide a point of view about the reading that contributes to our class
discussion. You are working to turn a mix of facts, ideas, and opinions into
a crisp, coherent statement. Your weekly response is a series of snapshots
about what you are thinking and learning. Your entries need not be
a polished final product. The prose should be informal but clear (please
spellcheck and proofread) and could be considered the level of discourse you
might expect in a good letter or memo from a colleague at work. It should be
writing however and not "chat" (as in a chat room), because this
kind of writing/speech can be slangy, disconnected, and simplistic in
vocabulary. Please observe the conventions of American Standard Edited
English. Criteria for
assessment -- Each response will
be graded according to how successfully it: 1) exhibits a clear point of view
about the reading that opens up discussion of key issues raised by the text;
2) uses specific evidence to support that view; 3) uses clear writing to get
points across (I won't be a stickler for grammar in the responses, but please
use capital letters and other conventions of non-email English). Each log
will receive a grade of 5 (strong), 4 (good) 3 (acceptable), 2 (poor) or no
credit). Sample Student Response 1
|
