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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 223-2"
COURSE NAME: "American Literature"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2022
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Jones
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course deals with a chronological historical coverage of the development of American literature from the 17th century until modern times. Attention is given to the major historical, philosophical and literary movements that shaped American literature such as Puritanism, Transcendentalism, and American realism. Major canon American writers will be studied and analyzed. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students in 200-level literature classes are required to produce 4-5,000 words of critical writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course aims to provide the opportunity through close reading analysis and discussion to provide students with the key points of literary, cultural and historical reference that will allow them to continue to build, question and develop their understanding of American literature. 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The course deals with a chronological historical coverage of the development of American literature from the 17th century until modern times. Attention is given to the major historical, philosophical and literary movements that shaped American literature such as Puritanism, Transcendentalism, and American realism. Major canon American writers will be studied and analyzed. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students in 200-level literature classes are required to produce 4-5,000 words of critical writing.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
The Norton Anthology of American Literature Shorter Tenth EditionRobert S Levine and Sandra M Gustafson EditorsNortonISBN: 978-1-324-04622-6  Hard Copy  
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Research Paper 30 %
Mid Term Exam  20 %
Final Exam  30%
Quizzes on Selected Readings 10 %
Annotated Readings/Responses to Authors 10 %

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

READINGS FOR THE CLASS WILL REQUIRE THAT YOU BUY THE E-BOOK VERSION OF THE ASSIGNED COURSE TEXT - THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE SHORTER TENTH EDITION.  SEE LINK ON COURSE MOODLE PAGE. YOU MUST HAVE ACCESS TO THE E-BOOK VERSION OF THE TEXT AS THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL BE BOTH ANNOTATING AND TAKING QUIZZES ON THE SET READINGS.
       
If you are unable to attend a class session, you should make arrangements with one or more of your classmates to catch up on anything you missed. While illness and emergencies are often unavoidable and understandable, this does not affect how the absence policy will be applied.

You are allowed 3 absences during the semester. Any absences after this will have a detrimental effect on your final grade. Any student with more than 3 absences at mid-term will receive a mid-term warning. After 5 absences you will receive another warning informing you that your chances of passing the course are now at risk.  A student with seven absences including the 3 absences you are allowed will automatically receive and F.

Even if you are not able to attend either online or in class, you are still responsible for making sure any assignments due that day are submitted via Moodle.

You are expected to do your own work. Cheating, plagiarism and any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

Attendance also includes both library sessions. To participate you must attend class having prepared the materials for the day. All students are expected to come to class prepared and on time, and remain for the full class period.

Disruptive behaviour will result in dismissal from the class and will be counted as one absence. Two late arrivals count as one absence. Inappropriate behaviour also includes entering and leaving the class once the lesson has begun,  doing work for other classes during this class, eating during class,  repeatedly arriving late to class, sleeping, using profanity, personal or physical threats or insults, damaging property.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Week 1

MON Introduction - New World Before Columbus

WED - Columbus/De Vaca - Letters.

 

Week 2 - PURITANISM - A CITY ON A HILL

MON -   "A City on a Hill" - John Winthrop.

        "Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House" - Anne Bradstreet.

WED -   "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" - Jonathan Edwards.

     "The Wonders of the Invisible World" - Cotton Maher.

 

Week 3 - TWO NATURES

MON - "Rip van Winkle" - Washington Irving

      "My Kinsman Major Molineaux" - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

WED - "Young Goodman Brown" - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

           "The Ministers Black Veil" - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

 

Week 4 - DEISM AND THE DECLARATION

MON - "The Declaration of Independence" - Thomas Jefferson.

WED - "The Way to Wealth" - Benjamin Franklin.

 

Week 5 - AMERICAN ROMANTICISM ANF RADICAL PROTESTANTISM

MON - "The Divinity School Address" and "The American Scholar" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

WED - "Nature" and "The Snowstorm" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Week 6 - WHO OWNS AMERICA?

MON - Walden - Chapters 2 and 5, "Where I lived" and "Solitude" - Henry Thoreau.

WED - "Resistance to Civil Government" - Henry Thoreau.

 

Week 7 - FROM CONVERSION TO AUTOBIOGRAPHY

MON - Narrative in the Life of an American Slave - Frederick Douglass.

WED - Incidents in the Life of an American Slave Girl - Harriet Jacobs.

 

Week 8 - DARK ROMANTICISM

MON - "The Fall of the House of Usher" - Edgar Allan Poe.

WED -  "Bartleby - The Scrivener" - Herman Melville.

 

Week 9 - TRANSCENDENTALISM

MON - "Song of Myself" - Walt Whitman.

WED - "The World is not conclusion" - Emily Dickinson (Poems)

 

Week 10 - (IM)PERFECT UNION

MON - "The Gettysburg Address" - Abraham Lincoln.

      "Desiree's Baby" - Kate Chopin.

WED - Life on the Mississippi - Mark Twain.

 

Week 11 - VANISHING FRONTIERS

MON - "The Turner Thesis" - Frederick Jackson Turner.

WED - TBA

 

Week 12 - AMERICAN HARMONIES

MON - "America", "Africa", "If we must die" - Claude McKay.

WED - "How it feels to be Colored Me" - Zora Neale Hurston.

 

Week 13 - DREAMS INTO DREAMERS

MON - "Roman Fever" - Edith Wharton.

WED - "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" - F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 

Week 14 - OLD BEGINNINGS, NEW ENDINGS.

MON - "Barn Burning" - William Faulkner.

WED - Review