syllabus - take 1

8/14/2019 Syllabus - Take 1

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INSTRUCTORDr. J. Michael Duvall [email protected]

22A Glebe St., #103 953-4833

Office Hours: TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We will study key examples of the novel as it developed in theUnited States from the late 18th century through the turn of the20th century. We will read these novels closely, trying to graspwhat makes each a distinctive work of art, while also payingcareful attention to what makes each of these also a part andparcel of the culture, history, and literary history in which it wasproduced. We will attend, as well, to the ways in which thesenovels implicitly enter into conversation with one another on keynational, cultural, and literary concerns.

Students who successfullycomplete this course willdemonstrate the ability to

draw stylistic and thematiccomparisons between the novelsstudied

define and explain keyliterary, theoretical, andhistorical terms and concepts forthe study of the American novel

to 1900 identify and interpret key

strands of American thought andideology as they are developedwithin and across the novels

recognize and analyze some ofthe conversations about thenovels into which scholars andcritics have entered and, ideally,be able to enter into suchconversations themselves in

discussion and writing develop and articulate a

sustained argument about one ofthe novels in the form of alengthy paper that analyzes thenovel and synthesizes relevantcurrent criticism.

TEXTS

Susanna Rowson, CharlotteTemple (1794)Penguin

ISBN: 9780140390803Charles Brockden Brown,Edgar Huntly (1799)

Penguin

0140390626

James Fenimore Cooper,Last of the Mohicans (1826)Penguin

9780140390247

Nathaniel Hawthorne,

The Blithedale Romance(1852). Bedford.

0312118031

Herman Melville,

Moby Dick (1851).Norton

I0393972836

William Wells Brown, Clotel,or the Presidents Daughter(1853) Bedford0312152655

Harriet Wilson,

Our Nig (1859)Penguin

9780142437773

Sarah Orne Jewett, TheCountry of the Pointed Firs(1896) Dover.

ENGL 349: THE AMERICAN NOVEL to 1900

Spring 2010 Tu/Th 12:15-1:40 MYBK


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ASSIGNMENTS

In-Class Writing, Quizzes, and Other Short Writing Assignments (60 points -- 15% of thefinal grade)You will regularly complete short writing assignments in class and sometimes outside of class inorder to help you focus on the assigned reading, think through the issues that we will encounter in

the course, formulate problems and questions for class discussion, respond to the readings, and soon. There will also be quizzes on the reading assignments.

Class Notes (2) (20 points, each 10% of the final grade)Twice in the semester, you will work in a group (2 or 3 students, depending on class date) tocollaborate and prepare a single set of class notes for a class meeting. These notes will be posted on awebsite (URL forthcoming) to serve as a record of what was discussed and as a reference for yourpreparations for the midterm and final examinations. You may sign up for your two groups by talkingto Dr. Duvall directly, or visiting the following doodle site: .

For details on what the notes need to include and instructions on posting the notes, see the

assignment sheet (forthcoming).Critical Article Summary and Response (2) (100 points [40 for the first, 60 for the second] or25% of the final grade)You will summarize an assigned critical article twice during the semester, once before the mid-termand once after. Each summary will indicate the rhetorical situation in which the article situates itselfand will reiterate the articles thesis, central claims, reasoning, and key evidence. Additionally, thesummary will include a thoughtful response to the article. See the course calendar for summary duedates and the forthcoming assignment sheet for details (forthcoming).

Researched Critical Paper (100 points 25% of the final grade)You will write a ten-page, thesis-driven, researched essay interpreting some aspect of one of thenovels we are studying in the class this semester. You will sign up for a novel to write on, and the

final version of your paper will be due within two weeks of our completing the novel. You may signup by talking to Dr. Duvall directly, or visiting the following doodle site: .

Leading up to the final version of your paper, you will write a proposal, draft a first version, andworkshop the draft in a group setting with Dr. Duvall and the other students who have signed up towrite on the novel. For more details, see the assignment sheet.

Midterm and Final Examinations (40 and 60 points, respectively or about 10% and 15% of thefinal grade, respectively)The midterm and final examinations will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and interpretiveskill. We will review for each examination by going over the kinds of questions that will be asked and

discussing strategies for preparation and successful completion of the exams. The midterm will coverthe novels and ideas discussed before the midterm. A portion of the final examination will focus ontexts read since the midterm, but a section of the examination will be cumulative, in that it will askyou to draw connections across the entire semesters reading list.

COURSE GRADES

Grades in this class are determined on a point system. The total amount of points available to earn inthe semester will be approximately 400, although the final number may be slightly lower or


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ENGL 349 FINAL GRADES

Grade

CofC

4-pt

scale

CofCCatalogDescription

ENGL 349 (Duvall)

%approx.

pts.*

A 4.0 Superior 94-100 374-4

A- 3.7 91-93 364-373

B+ 3.3 Very Good 88-90 350-363

B 3.0 Good 84-87 334-349

B- 2.7 81-83 322-333

C+ 2.3 Fair 78-80 310-321

C 2.0 Acceptable 74-77 294-309

C- 1.7 71-73 282-293

D+ 1.3 68-70 270-281

D 1.0 Barely Acceptable,Passing

64-67 254-269

D- 0.7 61-63 242-253

F 0.0 Failing 0-60 0-241

slightly higher than that number, depending on how many points are available in the In-ClassWriting, Quizzes, and Other Short Writing Assignments category.

For your reference, the table below matches final percentage scores in this section of ENGL 349 withgrades on the College of Charleston plus/minus grading system.

Grades on individual assignments will be based on criteria that I will announce a sufficient time inadvance of assignment due dates. As a general rule, I try to be as forthcoming as possible about myexpectations for assignments. I am also always willing to discuss grades and grading criteria withstudents in person. If you need clarification, you should never hesitate to ask.

Attendance, Preparation for Class, Lateand Missed Assignments, and the Like

There will be no grade penalty in this class forfailure to attend a certain number of classes. Ifyou are serious about your education and I amserious about offering something during classperiods that goes beyond what you could just as

easily do on your own, then the attendanceissue, I think, will sort itself out. Its axiomatic:when you dont attend class or when you attendclass without reading and otherwise preparing,you miss things, and when you miss things, youcannot expect to do well in the course. Thus,attendance is necessary for success, but I do notrequire it.

Should you miss a class, though, you will losethe points you might otherwise have earned onin-class writing, for which I offer no make-ups.

But the problem with not attending class reallygoes beyond missing things, in the sense ofmissing material or content, per se. When you are not here, you miss out on the conversation, andthus you miss out on the very process of the course itself. For me, the process is, in many ways, thereal content of the course.

Since the conversations we will be having in this class are so important, I feel its also worth alsosaying a few words here about the kind of class climate we all need to cultivate in order to haveproductive (and I hope enjoyable) meetings. We will inevitably broach controversial issues in thisclass. Religion, race, gender, ideology, sexuality, and more: when it comes to literary study, its all onthe table. I will do my best to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and fairness,

balanced with high intellectual standards for backing up the positions we may take in regard to theliterary texts under discussion. I will ask you to do your part, too.

Late Assignment Policy- You should turn in assignments on time, as specified in the assignmentinstructions. Late major assignments are penalized at the rate of 10% off the final grade per calendarday late. Other late assignments may also incur a reduction of some sort in the grade earned. Insome cases, missed assignments cannot be made up.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM


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I treat plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty with utmost seriousness. If I suspect anassignment to be plagiarized or in some other way not the student's own work, I assign the grade ofzero for the assignment and will likely report the violation to the Honor Board for further review andaction. Please consult The Honor System at the College of Charleston, available online at, for a full statement on the

colleges honor code. For the general statement on academic dishonesty from Dean of Students JeriCabot, see the attachment below.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The College makes appropriate accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Studentswho would like these accommodations should apply at the Center for Disability Services located onthe first floor of the Lightsey Center, Suite 104. Students approved for accommodations areresponsible for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week beforeaccommodation is needed. Should you have questions about disability services at the College ofCharleston, please contact the Center for Disability Services at 953-1431 or visit their website at

.

CALENDAR

This calendar represents a tentative plan for the semester but may require adjustments, which willbe announced in class.

WEEK

DAYof

class DATEREADING ASSIGNMENT FOR THEDAY / DUE DATES / ETC.

NotetakersNeeded

1 1 Tu 1/12 First Day Syllabus, Policies, Procedures,

General Questions

--

2 Th 1/14 Readings on the novel in Early America: Tobe Determined (TBD)

3

2 3 Tu 1/19 Charlotte Temple (CT) 3

4 Th 1/21 CT, continuedCriticism, TBDCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

3 5 Tu 1/26 Edgar Huntly (EH) 3

6 Th 1/28 EH, continued 2

4 7 Tu 2/2 EH, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

8 Th 2/4 Last of the Mohicans (LM) 3


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5 9 Tu 2/9 LM, continued 2

10 Th 2/11 LM, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

6 11 Tu 2/16 Moby Dick (MD) 3

12 Th 2/18 MD, continued 2

7 13 Tu 2/23 MD, continued 2

14 Th 2/25 MD, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

8 15 Tu 3/2 Review for midterm --

16 Th 3/4 Midterm Examination --

3/8 3/12 SPRING BREAK

9 17 Tu 3/16 The Blithedale Romance (BR) 3

18 Th 3/18 BR, continued 2

10 19 Tu 3/23 BR, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

20 Th 3/25 Clotel, or the Presidents Daughter 3

11 21 Tu 3/30 Clotel, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

22 Th 4/1 Our Nig (ON) 3

12 23 Tu 4/6 ON, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

24 Th 4/8 The Country of the Pointed Firs (CFP) 3

13 25 Tu 4/13 CFP, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2

26 Th 4/15 The House of Mirth (HM) 3

14 27 Tu 4/20 HM, continued 2

28 Th 4/22 HM, continuedCritical Article Summary and Response Due

2


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15 29 Tu 4/27 Review for Final Examination

Th 4/29 Final Exam (12-3PM)


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College of Charleston Honor Code and Academic Integrity

Recommended Language for Course Syllabi Distributed by Dean Jeri Cabot

Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, areinvestigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.

Incidents where the instructor determines the students actions are clearly related more to a misunderstanding willhandled by the instructor. A written intervention designed to help prevent the student from repeating the error will begiven to the student. The intervention, submitted by form and signed by both the instructor and the student, will beforwarded to the Dean of Students and placed in the students file.

Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge ofthe incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty willreceive a XF in the course, indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on thestudents transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the X to be expunged. The student may also

be placed on disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the Collegeby the Honor Board.

Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration--working together without permission-- is a form of cheating.Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaborationduring the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing or using anunauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information stored on a cell phone), copying from others exams,fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance.

Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment inthis class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor.

Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in theStudent Handbook athttp://www.cofc.edu/studentaffairs/general_info/studenthandbook.html.

syllabus - take 1

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