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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 223"
COURSE NAME: "American Literature"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Jones
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 6:00 PM 7:15 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:

Students will study a variety of short stories, poetry and novel excerpts examining intersecting themes of race, gender, class, manifest destiny, self-invention, and the West. Students will theorise the relationship between American literature and American national identity and the cultural influence and cross pollination of various immigrant, ethnic and native American voices. Over the semester students will further consider the impact on the shaping of American literature from both historical events such as the American Revolution, Civil War and Reconstruction, and literary movements such as Romanticism, the Gothic, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism and Modernism.
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
An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and TheoryAndrew Bennett and Nicholas RoyleRoutledge9781032158846  Hard Copy  
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Final Paper (2,500 words) 40 %
Mid Term Exam (750 words) 30 %
Final Exam (750 words) 30%

-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 COURSE ARE AVAILABLE ON MOODLE - STUDENTS NEED TO PRINT OUT, READ AND ANNOTATE EACH READING IN PREPARATION FOR EACH CLASS.

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.

Students are required to attend all scheduled class meetings including the two library sessions. Students are allowed 3 absences during the semester.  Students arriving to class after attendance has been taken will be counted as late. Two late arrivals will count as an absence. 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. Seven absences including the 3 absences you are allowed and you fail the course.

Keep in mind that it will be difficult for you to make up missed peer reviews, small group discussions, and spoken lectures and instructions. Even if you are not able to attend, you are still responsible for making sure any assignments due that day are submitted by the deadline.

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

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. This includes both library sessions. 

Cellphones are not permitted in class.

Disruptive behaviour will result in dismissal from the class and will be counted as one absence. This includes repeatedly entering and leaving the class once the lesson has begun, doing work for other classes during class, eating during class, use of computers/smartphones (checking on your e-mail while in class, surfing the net) talking to others while someone else is talking, 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

 

Deadlines 

Midterm - 13th October - Three Study Questions (Week 7)

Essay -  28th November (Week 13)

Final - Three Study Questions TBA

 

Week 1 - Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

MON Introduction - Rip Van Winkle - Washington Irving.

WED - My Kinsman Major Molineux  - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

 

Week 2 - Nathaniel Hawthorne

MON -    Young Goodman Brown - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

WED -    The Ministers Black Veil - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

     

Week 3 - Edgar Allen Poe and Herman Melville

MON - The Fall of the House of Usher - William Wilson - Poe

WED - Bartleby - Melville

 

Week 4 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

MON - Nature

WED - The American Scholar

 

Week 5 - Henry Thoreau

MON - Walden

WED - Walden

 

Week 6 - Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, Percival Everett

MON - Incidents in the Life of an American Slave Girl - Excerpt, Uncle Tom's Cabin - Excerpt. 'The Black Man at the White House'. The Gettysburg Address - Lincoln

WED - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Excerpt, James - Excerpt Percival Everett 

 

Week 7 - Walt Whitman and Billy Collins

MON - Song of Myself (Whitman) and The Names (Collins)

WED -  Leaves of Grass and Facing West From California's Shores (Whitman)

 

Week 8 - Emily Dickinson

MON - 'My Life had Stood a Loaded Gun' 'The World is not conclusion'.

WED - 'There's a certain slant of light' 'Our lives are Swiss'

 

Week 9 -  Charlotte Gilman Perkins and William Dean Howells

MON The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Gilman Perkins

WED - Editha  - William Dean Howells

 

Week 10 - Ambrose Bierce and Stephen Crane

MON - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - Ambrose Bierce

WED - The Blue Hotel - Stephen Crane

 

Week 11 - Ernest Hemingway and Sherwood Anderson

MON - Indian Camp - Ernest Hemingway

WED - Death in the Woods - Sherwood Anderson

 

Week 12 - F. Scott Fitzgerald and T. S. Eliot

MON - The Great Gatsby - Excerpt

WED - The Waste Land - T. S. Eliot

 

Week 13 - Frederick Jackson Turner and Zitkala-Sa

MON - The Turner Thesis

WED - Why I am a Pagan

 

Week 14 - Sherman Alexie

MON - The Toughest Indian in the World - Sherman Alexie

WED - TBA