Syllabus--English 252W-01                                                    Professor Ferguson

Major American Authors                                                         Fall 2002

 

Students will read closely and write imaginatively about selected authors from the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries, whose literary contributions have helped develop modern thought.  They will also be able to:

 

            Write about different literary genres and theories

            Develop an awareness of literary techniques through analysis of theme,

            character, and such.

            Discover historical, multi-cultural, and philosophical roots of American

            writing

            Further sharpen writing skills.

 

Students are required to write and revise two course papers of at least 3 pages each, and take midterm and final exams.

 

                                                      Required Texts

 

              The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 2. 4th ed., (2002)

              Paul Lauter, et al., Eds.

              It Can’t Happen Here (1935).  Sinclair Lewis

 

                                                   Tentative Course Reading Schedule

 

Aug. 19  Introduction

        21  Emily Dickinson: Selected poems (Handout)

        23  Dickinson continued

26    Joel Chandler Harris:  Uncle Remus: His Tales and

His Sayings, pp. 115-117  

28  Harris continued

        30  Charles W. Chesnutt: “The Passing of Grandison,” pp. 151-162

Sept.  2  LABOR DAY: NO CLASS

          4  Chesnutt continued  

 6  Paul Laurence Dunbar: “We Wear the Mask,” p.

      174

          9  Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin): “The School Days of an

              Indian Girl,” pp. 857-869

        11  Mark Twain: “The War Prayer,” pp. 111-113

        13  Twain continued; FIRST DRAFT OF FIRST ESSAY DUE

        16  Stephen Crane:  “War Is Kind,” pp. 528-529

18    Frances Watkins Harper: “The Martyr of Alabama,” pp. 582-583

20    Henry James, “Daisy Miller,” pp. 280-319; FIRST ESSAY  DUE

23  James continued

        25  Sarah Winnemucca:  “From Life Among the Piutes,” pp. 563-573

27     Winnemucca continued; REVISION OF FIRST ESSAY DUE

30  Charles Alexander Eastman: “The Ghost Dance War,” pp. 554-561

Oct.   2  Eastman continued

          4  Robert Frost:  “Out, Out--,” pp. 1132-1133;

7  T. S. Eliot: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” pp. 1363-1366

          9  Eliot continued; William Carlos Williams: “Danse Russe,” pp. 1240

       11  MIDTERM EXAM

             FALL BREAK

       16  Langston Hughes: “The Weary Blues,” pp. 1600-1601

       18  Sinclair Lewis:  It Can’t Happen Here

       21  Lewis continued

23     Lewis continued

 25  F. Scott Fitzgerald: “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, pp. 1431-1457

28  Fitzgerald continued

       30  William Faulkner: “Delta Autumn,” pp. 1528-1542

Nov.  1  Faulkner continued

4  Ernest Hemingway: “Hills Like White Elephants,” pp. 1494-1497

         6  Gwendolyn Brooks: “the mother,” pp. 2286-2287; FIRST DRAFT OF SECOND

    ESSAY DUE

         8  Wallace Stevens: “A High-Toned Old Christian Woman,” pp. 1513

       11  Pietro Di Donato: “Christ in Concrete, pp. 1939-1947

13  Di Donato continued; SECOND ESSAY DUE

15  John Okada:  No-No Boy, pp. 2203-2213

       18  Flannery O’Connor: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” pp. 2114-2124

       20  O’Connor continued

       22  Anzia Yezierska: “America and I,” 1727-1735 pp ; REVISION OF SECOND

     ESSAY DUE 

25  Allen Ginsberg:  “A Supermarket in California,” pp. 2295

   THANKSGIVING BREAK

Dec.  2  Joy Harjo: “New Orleans,” pp. 3081-3082

         4  Gary Soto: “Braly Street,” pp. 3072-3074

         6  Toni Morrison:  “from Sula,” pp. 2858-2866

         9  Morrison continued; Review for final exam

       16  FINAL EXAM, 8:00 AM- 11:00 AM

 

                                                 Evaluation

 

The final course grade is determined by two three-page essays, that count for 20% each (40%); a midterm exam that counts for 20%, and a final exam that counts for 30%.  Students will prepare first, second (formal presentation), and third (revised) drafts of each paper.  If after all these drafts, the essay receives less than “C,” it must be revised, and the final grade will be the highest of all drafts.  While the topics of both papers are assigned, you may select the topic of the second essay, which will be approved.  All papers must have a clear thesis that addresses a specific issue such as character, organization, theme, and such.

             ALL COURSE WORK MUST BE TURNED IN ON TIME. Late papers are dropped one whole letter grade.  Make-up exams are rare, except for medical emergency, for which the student must provide written documentation.  Grades are the following: A= 4.00; A-= 3.7; B+= 3.3; B= 3.00; B-= 2.7; C+= 2.3; C= 2.0; C-= 1.7; D+= 1.3; D= 1.0; D-= .7; F= 0; WF= 0

 

                                                           Attendance

 

Students with more than five unexcused absences will be dropped from the class.  Tardiness will not be tolerated, and the classroom door will be closed promptly at 11:00 AM.  Except for emergencies, please do not disturb the class after this time.

 

Office:  111 McIver Bldg.

Office Hours: MWF 10-11 AM and by appointment

Phone:  334-5484

E-Mail:  shfergus@hamlet.uncg.edu

 

Note to English Majors:  In order to enhance communication to our majors, the English Department has established a listserv that we hope you will join.  From the e-mail account you use regularly (either on or off campus), send an e-mail to: listproc@uncg.edu with the following message:  subscribe English-l firstname lastname (with the lower case L, not the numeral 1 following English).