ENGLISH 3350: American Romanticism through Realism Section 1, Spring 2011: SENG B211, 1:40-4:20, Wednesdays Course Webpage: http://www.uccs.edu/~faculty/lginsber/english3350/index.html Course Materials will also be available through Blackboard: https://.bb.uccs.edu Dr. Lesley Ginsberg Office: 1007 Columbine Hall E-Mail: [email protected] Office Phone: 255-4004 Mailbox: 1042 Columbine Hall Office Hours: Wednesdays Noon-1:00p, and by appointment. Course Description: “Who, in the four quarters of the globe, reads an American book?” Such was the jeer of a British literary critic, writing in 1820. Yet by 1820, Washington Irving had burst onto the literary scene and had become a transatlantic sensation. The course historicizes American literary Romanticism by tracing its development in light of the questions of slavery and “Indian Removal.” We will study the development of American Romanticism by such writers as Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, and Whitman, and explore Transcendentalism, a uniquely American form of Romanticism. Further, the course explores a radical change, when Romanticism gave way to Realism, Naturalism, and the figure of the New Woman in the years after the Civil War; we’ll trace the development of Realism and Naturalism in the works of Twain, James, Wharton, Chopin, Bierce, Crane, and London. Finally, we’ll apply what we’ve learned about Romanticism and Realism to a classic “problem” text: Davis’s “Life in the Iron Mills.” Since this is junior level course, you will be reading and writing about both primary and secondary sources. This course fulfills the English department’s historical breadth requirement in American literature before 1900. Required Texts: 1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 7th Ed., Vols. B & C. All readings assigned in the Norton INCLUDE THE HEADNOTES that discuss the life and the work of each author profiled. Always skim them. Additionally, the Norton also includes valuable historical essays as well as timelines. Refer to these timelines throughout the semester. It is important that you use the SEVENTH Edition. Available at the Campus Bookstore.* 2. James F. Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (1826). Penguin. Available at the Campus Bookstore.* 3. Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (the original 1855 edition), Dover-Thrift. Available at the Campus Bookstore.* 4. The course materials include study questions to aid your reading—please make use of them. I’ll be updating blackboard regularly (I’ll be phasing out the website); please check it weekly or bi-weekly throughout the semester. * Please use the specified edition. Course Requirements: The University is regulated with the practice of academic integrity. The ingredients of academic integrity are listed below. 1. Regular attendance and participation in class discussions are essential. Since we have only fifteen course sessions per semester, each student will be permitted up to two absences without penalty. With the third absence, the grade is lowered by two-thirds of a letter grade (e.g. from B+ to B-). With the fourth absence, the student has missed more

than twenty-five percent of all class sessions; the student fails the course. There are no “excused” absences, except under the most extraordinary circumstances. Each day I will circulate an attendance sheet—please sign in. As with papers, the attendance sheet is governed by the Honor Code policy. Signing the name of someone who is not in class will be treated as plagiarism; both students will fail the course. 2. Timeliness. Although tardiness is sometimes unavoidable, especially as our campus continues to grow, please make every effort to arrive at class on time. Chronic tardiness is disruptive and disrespectful. Yet it always better to attend some portion of class rather than to miss a whole class. Please see me if you have concerns about timeliness. 3. Participation in discussions. I ask you to make every effort to come to class, to ask questions, and to take advantage of my office hours (or make appointments). 4. Bring the appropriate volume of the Norton or other texts with you to class each and every class. 5. Courtesy. Text Messaging during class, side conversations with your neighbor, accepting non-emergency cell phone calls and/or surfing the web are all examples of discourteous behaviors that impede class discussion and disrupt intellectual experience. Please quiet your cell phones. More importantly, we will be covering difficult and controversial topics in this course—please be courteous to your peers, especially if you disagree with them. Passionate but respectful debate is at the heart of the University experience. 6. Quizzes promote integrity and test reading comprehension and writing skills. There will be 6 throughout the semester, as indicated on the syllabus. Each is worth 2.5% (for a total of 10%) of your final grade; the lowest two scores will be discarded. There will be no make-ups for the quizzes. 7. One Secondary Source In-Class Presentation and Write-Up. This assignment will be worth 20% of your final grade. Please choose the date and topic for this assignment as soon as possible. Each student will do this ONCE during the semester, in a small group. One week after the presentation, you will individually write a 3-page essay using both the primary and the secondary source. Instructions will be provided, or see me if you have questions. 8. One Paper, due as indicated. Guidelines will be posted in a timely manner. The paper will include both primary and secondary sources. It will focus on Romanticism. The paper is worth 20% of your final grade. 9. One in-class Midterm Exam. The midterm will cover weeks 9-14 ONLY. Please bring a blue book or several sheets of lined paper stapled together (no notes except those in your books; dictionaries OK). The Midterm will be worth 20% of your final grade. 10. One Final Exam. It will be an open-book essay test (no notes except those in your books; dictionaries OK). It will be cumulative, and will focus extensively on the readings in the last week of class—you can consider that class a review session for the Final. The Final Exam will be worth 20% of your final grade. 11. Finally, a good sense of humor—while not a requirement per se—is heartily and enthusiastically encouraged!

Grading Policy: Attendance and Participation = 10% Four Quizzes @ 2.5% each = 10% One Secondary Source In-Class Presentation and Write-Up = 20% One Paper = 20% One Midterm Exam = 20% One Final Exam = 20% Please see the “Explanation of Grading Scale in English 3350.” Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will result in an “F” for the entire course. Read the “Honor Code” section in the Fall 2010 schedule of courses, page 23. Academic integrity will be discussed in the first week of class. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about this important issue. Other Considerations: 1. All the reading assignments are due on the dates when the readings appear in the syllabus. 2. If you have a disability for which you are requesting an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Office at 255-3354 or [email protected] (Main Hall 105) within the first week of classes. 3. If you’re a student athlete or an active member of the military who requires special scheduling accommodations, please let me know about your needs as soon as possible, preferably within the first week of classes. If you are in the military, please see the UCCS military student website for more information: www.uccs.edu/~military. 4. If class is cancelled due to snow or other emergency, please keep up with the reading. Schedule Week One Wed., 19 Jan.

Week Two Wed., 26 Jan.

Myth, Literature, and American Romanticism American Romanticism: A Visual Introduction.

Contexts: Skim Norton B, 929-50; Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (Norton B 965-85); Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Rappacinni’s Daughter,” and Preface to The House of the Seven Gables (B 1272-75, 1332-52); Begin Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (Chapters 1-VIII, pages 11-80). Quiz 1.

Week Three Wed., 2 Feb.

Romantic Myths, Romantic Racialism: the “Vanishing Indian,” the “Noble Savage.” Finish Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (Read chapters IX-XII, XVI-XIX, XXV, XXIX-end = pages 81-123, 156-200, 255-66, 295-350). See study questions for gloss on skipped pages. *Case Study (everyone reads): Robinson, Forrest G. “Uncertain Borders: Race, Sex, and Civilization in The Last of the Mohicans.” Arizona Quarterly 47.1 (1991): 1-28. Print: On Reserve.

Week Four Wed., 9 Feb.

Transcendentalism: American Romanticism Ralph Waldo Emerson, Skim the beginning of Nature, Intro. & Chapter 1 (B 1106-10; B 1110-13); Read “Self-Reliance” (116380); Read selections from Henry Thoreau, Walden (B 1872-1914) *Secondary Source: Bellin, Joshua David. “Taking the Indian Cure….” New England Quarterly 79.1 (March 2006): 3-36. Read 3-21. Web. Quiz 2.

Week Five Wed., 16 Feb.

Women, Gothic, Romantic Skim Margaret Fuller, from “The Great Lawsuit: Man versus Men. Woman versus Women” (B 1637-1659). Read Poe, “To Helen,” “Annabel Lee,” “Ligeia,” “The Fall of the House of Usher” (B 1528-33,1542-65). *Secondary Source: Dayan, Joan. “Amorous Bondage: Poe, Ladies, Slaves.” American Literature 66.2 (1994): 239-73. *Secondary Source: Coviello, Peter. “Poe in Love….” ELH 70.3 (2003): 875-901. Web. Read 875-892; skim to the end.

Week Six Wed., 23 Feb.

Romanticism and Slavery Begin Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life…. Finish Douglass, Narrative of the Life…. * Secondary Source: DeLombard, Jeannine. “‘Eye-Witness to the Cruelty….” American Literature 72.3 (2001): 245-275. Web. In-class workshop to prepare for your paper. Quiz 3.

Week Seven Wed., 2 Mar.

Romanticism and Labor Melville, “Bartleby The Scrivener,” “The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids” (B 2304-08, 2363-2405). * Secondary Source: Allen, Tom. “Melville’s Factory Girls….” Studies in American Fiction 31.1 (2003): 45-71. Web. Prepare for reading Whitman Quiz 4.

Week Eight Wed., 9 Mar.

Poetry and American Romanticism Skim Whitman, preface to Leaves of Grass (Dover-Thrift 3-20). Read Whitman, Leaves of Grass (poem later titled “Song of Myself” (21-68). Be prepared to share some lines of your own choosing. * Secondary Source: Folsom, Ed. “What We’re Still Learning….” Leaves of Grass… (2007), 1-32. Print. On Reserve.

Week Nine Wed., 16 Mar.

The Civil War, Photography, and Realism Contexts: skim Norton C 1-4, READ C 4-11, skim C 11-13, and timeline. READ Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (C 359-66); Skim Howells and James on Realism (C 91320). Paper on Romanticism Due.

Week Ten

Spring Break

Week Eleven Wed., 30 Mar.

Realism and the River Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (C 100-04,108-46, 156-212, 243-57, 288-94. Skim unassigned pages and/ or see study questions for a gloss); W.E.B. DuBois, excerpt from The Souls of Black Folk (C 893-910). * Secondary Source: Messent, Peter. “Mark Twain, William Dean Howells, and Realism.” A Companion to Mark Twain (2005). On Reserve. Print. On Reserve. *Secondary Source: Anspaugh, Kelly. “The Innocent Eye? E.W. Kemble’s Illustrations….” American Literary Realism 25.2 (1993): 16-30. Web. Illustrations are at the end of the article.

Week Twelve Wed., 6 April

Realism and the New Woman Henry James, “Daisy Miller” (C 388-429); Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever” (C 829-30, 843-52). * Secondary Source: Wardley, Lynn. “Reassembling ‘Daisy Miller.’” American Literary History 3.2 (1991): 232-54. Web. Quiz 5.

Week Thirteen Wed., 13 April

Week Fourteen Wed., 20 April.

Week Fifteen Wed., 27 April Week Sixteen Wed., 4 May

Finals Week Wed., 11 May

Naturalism and the New Woman Stephen Crane, “The Open Boat” (C 954-6, 1000-16); Jack London, “To Build a Fire” (C 1051-2, 1057-67). Begin Kate Chopin, The Awakening (C 529-31, 535-65). * Secondary Source: Pizer, Donald. “Jack London’s ‘To Build a Fire’: How not to Read Naturalist Fiction.” Philosophy and Literature 34.1 (2010): 218-227. Read through page 225; skim from 225-end. Web. Quiz 6.

Finish Kate Chopin, The Awakening (C 565-end); Read Dickinson (C 74-78) and poems 112, 202, 225, 236, 269, 339, 372, 409, 479, 591, 620, 1263. * Secondary Source: Margraf, Erik. “Kate Chopin’s The Awakening as a Naturalistic Novel.” American Literary Realism 37.2 (2005): 93-116. Web.

Midterm Exam on Realism, Naturalism and the New Woman.

*Case Study (everyone reads): Rebecca Harding Davis, “Life in the Iron Mills” (Norton B 2597-2625). *Case Study (everyone reads): Harris, Sharon M. “Rebecca Harding Davis: From Romanticism to Realism.” American Literary Realism 21.2 (1989): 4-20. Web.

FINAL EXAM: 1:40-4:10 in our classroom.

You may pick up your finals at the English Dept. Office (Columbine 1045) after Final Grades have been posted.