Course Description:
During what is called the Modernist Period in literature (roughly 1890-1950),
huge changes were transforming every corner the world. The sweeping “advancements” in
art, industry, science, and thought gave rise to wildly influential innovations
as diverse as motion pictures, Leninism, jazz, mustard gas, Surrealism, and
Freudian psychology. This class will focus upon a small handful of the literature
from this dynamic period, examining how these works function as examples of
Literature, but also how they encapsulate the changing times.
Student Learning Goals:
•
Identify and understand varied characteristics of literature
•
Apply techniques of literary analysis to texts
•
Use the study of literature to develop skills in careful reading and clear
writing
•
Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in
which literary texts have been written and interpreted.
Attendance:
ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED for this course. Students are allowed three absences
during the semester. If one misses:
Days --- Points off Final Grade
4 --- 2
5 --- 4
6 --- 7
7 --- 10
8 --- 12
9 --- 15
10 --- 17
11 --- 20
12 --- 22
13 --- 25
14 --- 27
If one misses fifteen or more days (5 weeks of class), he/she will automatically fail the course.
If a student is late or leaves class early, it counts as 1/2 an absence.
If a student has no absences (attended all of the lectures) at the end of the semester, he/she will receive five extra points toward his/her final grade.
The only exceptions to this attendance policy fall under severe circumstances (family emergency, prolonged illnesses, etc.) and are subject to my discretion. As a rule, an exception means that the student could not have possibly come to class and must previously exhibit a good work policy. Appointments scheduled over the class period (doctor’s or otherwise) generally do not count as an excused absence. Any exception must be accompanied with proper documentation.
Class Work:
A student’s grade for this course will be determined from the following—
Mid-term Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%
Class Presentation 10%
Research Paper 20%
Class Participation 10%
Quizzes or other Miscellany 10%
There will be one Mid-term Exam and one Final Exam in this course, both comprising short answer and short essay questions. Examples of the examination questions will be furnished before the test. Students will provide their own Blue Books for the examination. If a student requires extra time for an exam, he/she must make arrangements with me ahead of time. We will deal with missed examinations (please don’t do this) on a case-by-case basis.
At some point during the semester, each student (perhaps in pairs) will be required to lead the class in a discussion about some assigned (chosen) topic of history and how it pertains to the readings of the day. For instance, the student might be required to give a brief history of jazz and discuss how that is influential to Langston Hughes’ poetry. Hopefully, these topics will be interesting and insightful. The grade will be based upon the thoroughness of the research and presentation, and each student will be expected to give me a copy of his/her notes along with the research sources. We will discuss this more in class.
A research paper will be assigned around the middle of the semester. There will be an excess of time to work on the paper, so please plan ahead. Do not wait until the last minute. The paper will tie together research from his/her class presentation and two texts from this course. We will discuss this further when the paper is assigned.
Class participation is defined as not only being present in class, but also being alert, actively part of the discussion, and prepared with all the day’s course material. I.e., if one consistently sleeps through class or neglects bringing the required texts, it will reflect poorly in his/her class participation grade.
There will be various Quizzes and Miscellany over the course of the semester. Generally this will be a chance for me to enforce in-depth and consistent reading. I expect there will be 10-11 of these assignments, each counting for 1% of your final grade; however, there could be more if the need arises. Late miscellany will accrue penalties to the grade and will not be accepted after one week of date due. Likewise, if there is a quiz administered on a day the student is absent, he/she will not be allowed to make it up (unless extremely extenuating circumstances).
Assignment Details:
All written assignments should be typed, double-spaced, with a size 12 “times” font,
1 inch top and bottom margins, 1.25 inch left and right margins. The papers
are to be stapled (no folded corners stuff) and turned in at the beginning
of the class period in which they are due. Assignments not within the proper
format will accrue a penalty of up to one letter grade.
Late Papers will lose a half letter grade for each day they are late, up to a maximum of ten days, after which they will not be accepted at all (and a zero for the assignment will be received). Weekends count.
I will not accept assignments over the internet, through email, as attachments, etc.
Texts:
The texts below are all required for this class and may be purchased at the
campus bookstore or elsewhere. Online booksellers frequently offer discounted
rates on their books, so it may be worthwhile to check there. However, “I
have ordered my book but have not received it,” is not an excuse for
not completing the reading. I have no problems with used books, but it is
expected that the student obtain the edition assigned for this course (ISBN
below). I will require all references to page numbers to be based upon the
class editions.
Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio
ISBN: 005321439X
Ernest Hemmingway, The Sun Also Rises
ISBN: 0684800713
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
ISBN: 0060931418
William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
ISBN: 0679732241
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
ISBN: 0060929871
Furthermore, in addition to the novels, we will be looking at the poem and the short story genre. There will be a large number of texts posted onto the Library’s e-reserves or Blackboard (http://blackboard.uncg.edu). Personally, I would prefer to Xerox all of our class handouts, but the English Department is undergoing a crisis of copiers. Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to have an active Novell account, as well as to print out and be familiar with the handouts before the class period in which they are to be discussed. I will make announcements when materials are posted, but also try to check the class site routinely. We will discuss this matter further in class.
Lectures and Readings:
Lectures will not be merely an overview of the assigned readings. It is important
that one comes to class prepared, and a thorough understanding of the readings
on the day assigned will be pivotal to success in the class. If a student
misses a class, he/she must be sure to catch up the material covered in lecture
through a trustworthy classmate or a meeting with me.
UNCG Honor Policy:
Students are expected to abide by the terms of the student code of academic
conduct, available in the undergraduate bulletin or online at http://studentconduct.uncg.edu.
I urge all students to examine this material, and consult me with any questions
about plagiarism and academic integrity before it becomes an issue.
Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is not an acceptable excuse for plagiarism. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in a failing grade in the course. I’m honestly interested in what my students have to say, not what can be found/bought on the internet.
Students at UNCG are required to write and sign the Academic Integrity Pledge on all major work submitted for this course. The pledge reads, "I HAVE ABIDED BY THE UNCG ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY ON THIS ASSIGNMENT.”
Welcome to the class
Class Schedule:
This Abbreviated Schedule is only a general idea of where we will be during
the semester and is subject to change. More detailed schedules will be posted
to Blackboard throughout the semester.
Section 1 Introduction to the Times (Aug. 15-Sept. 7)
Novel: Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio
Section 2 World War I and the Ex-patriots (Sept. 9-Sept. 28)
Novel: Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
Mid-Term Exam Friday, Sept. 30
Section 3 The Harlem Renaissance (Oct. 3- Oct. 24)
Novel: Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
Section 4 Experimentalism and Decadence (Oct. 26-Nov. 14)
Novel: Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
Section 5 Dystopia (Nov. 16-Dec. 2)
Novel: Huxley, Brave New World
Last Day of Class: Monday, Dec. 5 (Review Day)
Final Exam:
108-1 Monday, Dec. 12: 8-11 am
Section 1: Introduction to the Times
Week 1
Mon. August 15 Intro to the Class
Distribute/discuss syllabus
Wed. August 17 Hemingway Short Stories
“
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”
“
Hills Like White Elephants”
Fri. August 19 Last Day Add/Drop
Poetry Precursors:
Dickinson, Whitman, Hardy, Arnold
Week 2
Mon. August 22 Pound, Frost, Yeats
Wed. August 24 Williams, Stevens, H.D.
Fri. August 26 Winesburg, Ohio. Read through p. 44: “Nobody Knows”
Week 3
Mon. August 29 Winesburg, Ohio. Read through p. 93: “A Man of Ideas”
Wed. August 31 Winesburg, Ohio. Read through p. 140: “The Strength of
God”
Fri. September 2 Winesburg, Ohio. Read through p. 185: “Queer”
Week 4
Mon. September 5 Labor Day
No Class
Wed. September 7 Winesburg, Ohio. Whole Book