LITR 221 AMU Syllabus American Literature from Civil War to Present
Table of Contents
1.Course Description
This course examines the rapid social and technological changes that have taken place in American culture during the mid-to-late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and how these upheavals have been expressed in our nation’s literature. (Prerequisite: ENGL101)
2. Course Scope
In this course, we will explore American literature from the Civil War to the present. The literature selected is diverse and represents the vast tracts of America’s culture. Timely issues and traditions are studied in their historical, social, political, and economic context. With the passage of time, these issues and dilemmas multiplied, as did the philosophic, economic, and cultural assumptions that helped frame our country. Frank Norris, an American Naturalist author, stated, “The function of a novelist . . . is to comment upon life as he sees it.”
3.Course Objectives
After successfully completing this course, you will be able to
• LO-1: Categorize the major authors of American literature since the Civil War by both genre and movement.
• LO-2: Analyze the elements of specific literary genres, including poetry, prose, and biographical accounts.
• LO-3: Compare and contrast different periods and movements of American literature.
• LO-4: Apply knowledge of literary concepts to determine where a given piece fits into the American literary canon.
• LO-5: Distinguish the characteristics that make a literary work uniquely American.
4. Course Delivery Method
American Literature Since the Civil War is delivered via distance learning. It will enable students to complete academic work in a flexible manner, completely online. Course materials and access to an online learning management system will be made available to each student. Assignments for this class include written assignments and forum assignments. Finally, in the course project the learner will be required to relate these movements, periods, and authors together in order to assert a general conclusion about American literature. Throughout the course, the learner’s writing and documentation skills will prove essential to demonstrate comprehension of the material and his/her mastery of the art of academic analysis. The instructor will support students throughout the duration of this course.
5.Course Materials
Required Texts:
All readings are linked within each unit. A textbook is not used.
Copyright Alert Electronic Materials are provided under licensing or in keeping with Fair Use exemptions for your educational use only. You may quote and utilize this material for this, other APUS courses, and related scholarly pursuits. Unless the materials are in the Public Domain or specific written arrangements are made with the Copyright holders, you may not sell, share or otherwise distribute these documents for personal or other use without the likelihood of violating Copyright Law.
6.Evaluation Procedures
Weekly Forums (a minimum of 3 weekly posts required, over at least three separate days to be eligible for a maximum C graded. Four posts over three days to be eligible for a maximum grade of B and Five posts over three days to be eligible for a grade of A) Please see weekly lessons and forums to view a detailed rubric.
Essays:
Three essays, 100 points each
2
Your final grade will be based on the following:
Grade Instruments
Percent to
Grade
Intro Forum
Forums (8) Essays 1 & 2 Essay 3 TOTAL
5% 30% 40% 25% 100%
Table of Contents
Grading Scale
Please see the Student Handbook (click here) to reference the University’s grading scale.
Table of Contents
8 – Week Course Outline
Week | Topic | Learning | Readings | Assignments and |
Objectives | Forums | |||
Introduction to | LO-1 | |||
Reading(s) Assignment | Introduction Forum | |||
Introduction/American | Week 1 Forum | |||
the course | ||||
Literature Post Civil War | ||||
LO-2 | ||||
1. Emily Dickinson,” I’m Nobody! Who | ||||
Meeting your | ||||
Are You?” | ||||
classmates and | ||||
2. Emily Dickinson Biography | ||||
instructor | ||||
3. Walt Whitman: author biography and | ||||
literary analysis “The Good Gray Poet” | ||||
Course | ||||
4. Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself” | ||||
expectations | 5. Walt Whitman, “A Noiseless Patient | |||
Spider” | ||||
1 | ||||
Writing about | ||||
Poetry | ||||
View the following videos from | ||||
the Favorite Poem Project: | ||||
Identity in | ||||
Literature | ||||
“I’m Nobody” | ||||
Reader | ||||
“Song of Myself” | ||||
Response | ||||
criticism | ||||
LO-1 | Reading(s) Assignment | |||
2 | ||||
LO-2 | Social Realism | |||
Week 2 Forum | ||||
LO-4 |
3
Social Realism | Mark Twain, “War Prayer” | Essay 1 |
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow | ||
Wallpaper” | ||
Quoting, | ||
Robert Frost: “Mending Wall” | ||
Paraphrasing, | ||
Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Richard | ||
and | Cory” | |
Summarizing | Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Miniver | |
Cheevy” | ||
Gendered | ||
Varshika Srivastava “Modernist | ||
Criticism | Exponents in Robert Frost’s Poetry: A | |
Critical Analysis” | ||
Danny Heitman “Verse and Adverse” | ||
Finding Literary Criticism | ||
Writing About Literature | ||
Thesis Statement Development | ||
LO-1 | Reading(s) Assignment | |
Naturalism/Realism | ||
LO-2 | Stephen Crane: Author Bio | |
Naturalism | Week 3 Forum | |
Stephen Crane: “The Open Boat” | ||
LO-3 | ||
Jack London: Author Bio | ||
Realism | Jack London: “To Build a Fire” | |
Sarah O. Jewett: “A White Heron” | ||
LO-4 | ||
Willa Cather: “Paul’s Case” | ||
Writing about | ||
3 | Short Stories | Anthony Channell Hilfer “Nature as a |
Protagonist in ‘The Open Boat'” | ||
Marxist | ||
Chapter 5: “The Rise of Realism” | ||
Criticism | ||
4
LO-1 | American Modernism (1920-1945) | |
Chapter 2: The Lost Generation | ||
LO-2 | ||
LO-3 | ||
“What Is Am American Modernism | ||
Modernism | LO-4 | (1920-1945) Chapter 2: The Lost |
Week 4 Forum | ||
Generation | ||
New Criticism | Essay 2 | |
“What Is American in Modern American | ||
4 | ||
Poetry? A Primer with Poems” | ||
Ernest Hemingway: “The Fight on the | ||
Hilltop,” “The Chauffeurs of Madrid” | ||
F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Babylon Revisited” | ||
John Steinbeck “The | ||
Chrysanthemums” | ||
E.E. Cummings: “In Just,” “Since | ||
Feeling is First,” and “Buffalo Bill’s | ||
Defunct” | ||
T. S. Eliot: “The Love Song of J. Alfred | ||
Prufrock” |
TS Eliot: “The Hollow Men”
Ernest Hemingway: “The Fight on the | ||
Hilltop,” “The Chauffeurs of Madrid” | ||
F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Babylon Revisited” | ||
John Steinbeck “The | ||
Chrysanthemums” | ||
E.E. Cummings: “In Just,” “Since | ||
Feeling is First,” and “Buffalo Bill’s | ||
Defunct” | ||
T. S. Eliot: “The Love Song of J. Alfred | ||
Prufrock” | ||
LO-1 | Reading(s) Assignment TS Eliot: “The Hollow Men” | |
LO-2 | Week 5 Forum | |
Harlem | LO-3 | Harlem Renaissance |
Renaissance | LO-4 | American Modernism (1920- |
1945) Chapter 5: The Harlem | ||
Renaissance | ||
New Historicism |
erican in Modern American Poetry? A Primer with Poems”
Langston Hughes: Author Bio Langston Hughes:
“The Negro Speaks of
Rivers”
“Mother to Son” “I, To” “Harlem” Countee Cullen: Author Bio Countee Cullen: “Yet Do I
Marvel”
5
Zora Neale Hurston: Author Bio Zora Neale Hurston: “Spunk”
Langston Hughes: Author Bio | |
Langston Hughes: | |
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” | |
5 | “Mother to Son” |
“I, To” | |
“Harlem” | |
Countee Cullen: Author Bio | |
Countee Cullen: “Yet Do I Marvel” | |
Zora Neale Hurston: Author Bio | |
Zora Neale Hurston: “Spunk” | |
6
LO- | Reading(s) Assignment |
1 | Post- Modernism |
Post- | LO- |
Modernis | 2 |
Week 6 Forum | |
m | LO- |
Video: Post-Modernism | |
3 | |
Flannery O’Connor: Author Bio | |
LO- | |
Flannery O’Connor: “Good Country | |
Psychoanalyti | 4 |
People” | |
c Criticism | Tim O’Brien: Author interview |
Tim O’Brien: from “Going After | |
6 | |
Cacciato” | |
Joyce Carol Oates: Author Bio | |
Joyce Carol Oates: from “Blonde” | |
Theodore Roethke: “My Papa’s Waltz” | |
7
LO- | Reading(s) Assignment |
1 | Post- Modernism continued |
LO- John | Grisham: “Somewhere for Everyone” |
Reading and | |
5 Sharon | |
Olds “First Thanksgiving” | |
Writing about | |
Winter” Linda the Happy” Dark? Larry Locate Postmodern from Week | |
Non- Fiction | |
“Still Life in Landscape” | |
7 | and Poetry |
“After Making Love in | |
“The Planned Child” Pastan “A Rainy Country” “I am Leaning to Abandon World” “The Obligation to Be | |
” | |
Levis: “Signs” “To a Wren on Calvary” “Winter Stars” | |
and read four poems by a American author of your choice the included list 7 Forum Essay | |
“Why Are Your Poems so
8
LO-1 | |
LO-3 | Reading(s) Assignment |
LO-5 | Multi-Culturalism |
Jhumpa Lahiri: “The Long Way Home: | Week 8 Forum |
MultiCulturalism | Cooking Lessons” |
Sherman Alexie: “What You Pawn I Will | |
Redeem” | |
Final Thoughts | |
Sandra Cisneros: “Woman Hollering | |
Creek” | |
Alice Walker: “In Search of Our | |
Mothers’ Gardens” | |
“Turning Madness Into Flowers #1” | |
8 |
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and working professionals, I understand you must manage competing demands on your time. Should you need additional time to complete an assignment, please contact your instructor before the due date so we can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution.
Work posted or submitted after the due date will be reduced by 10% of the potential total score possible for each day late up to a total of five days, including forum posts/replies, quizzes, and assignments. Beginning on the sixth day late through the end of the course, late work, including forum posts/replies, quizzes, and assignments, will be accepted with a grade reduction of 50% of the potential total score earned.
Also, completing all Assignments (under the “Assignments” tab) is paramount to your success in this course. Your final course grade may be withheld if you have not done so.
Netiquette
Online universities promote the advancement of knowledge through positive and constructive debate – both inside and outside the classroom. Forums on the Internet, however, can occasionally degenerate into needless insults and “flaming.” Such activity and the loss of good manners are not acceptable in a university setting – basic academic rules of good behavior and proper “Netiquette” must persist. Remember that you are in a place for the rewards and excitement of learning which does not include descent to personal attacks or student attempts to stifle the Forum of others.
• Technology Limitations: While you should feel free to explore the full-range of creative composition in your formal papers, keep e-mail layouts simple. The Sakai classroom may not fully support MIME or HTML encoded messages, which means that bold face, italics, underlining, and a variety of color-coding or other visual effects will not translate in your e-mail messages.
• Humor Note: Despite the best of intentions, jokes and especially satire can easily get lost or taken seriously. If you feel the need for humor, you may wish to add “emoticons” to
help alert your readers: ;-
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