UNIVERSIDAD DE ESPECIALIDADES ESPÍRITU SANTO
FACULTAD DE ESTUDIOS INTERNACIONALES
SYLLABUS
FOR DAC 11 VER 17 07 07
COURSE: Survey of North American Literature SCHEDULE:
FACULTY: Dr. Rosvita Rauch BIMESTER: Spring II
’08
ACADEMIC UNITS/CRÉDITS: 3 UEES (SNCC. 4.8) DAYS: Mon-
Thurs
PRE REQUISITES: ROOM:
CONTACT HOURS: NON-CONTACT HOUR
Survey of North American Literature 1860s to 1939
From the Pony Express to the Chicago World Fair; from a home in Concord,
Massachusetts to a Civil War battlefield; from the jazz of a New York speakeasy to
the desperate dream of a California migrant worker, this course presents literature that
speaks to or of experience in the United States between the Civil War and World War
II. Different genres of writing are taken into consideration – the essay, the novel, the
short story and poetry – and a spectrum of writers – including African American and
American Indian perspectives – are represented.
The reading will be supplemented and informed by electronic materials
including maps, images, film clips, newspaper articles, memorabilia, etc., that will
provide rich contextual background. The aim of the course is to provide students with
knowledge of the broader currents shaping North American literature during this
period through reading, critical enquiry and engaged response.
Besides brief weekly responses to the assigned readings, there will be one longer
paper due at midterm and a final essay-exam. Class structure will vary, but generally
consists of a brief lecture-presentation (usually 10-15 minutes), online activities,
student debates, and some in-class writing. In-class discussion based on close reading
of the assigned texts is strongly encouraged and informed student participation will
form part of the final mark.
Essay (These readings, being pre 1860s, form part of introduction to the course)
Henry David Thoreau, excerpts from Civil Disobedience
Ralph Waldo Emerson, excerpts from The American Scholar
Margaret Fuller, excerpts from Women in the 19th Century and Summer on the Lake
Marthy Cannary Burk, Life and Adventure of Calamity Jane, 1896
Simon Pokagon, The Future of the Red Man 1896
Novel
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women 1868
Stephen Crane, Red Badge of Courage 1895
F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby 1925
John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men 1937
Short Story
Edith Wharton
Mark Twain
Kate Chopin
Ernest Hemingway
Willa Cather
Henry James
William Faulkner
Zora Neale Hurston
Poetry
Emily Dickinson
Walt Whitman
Poets of The Harlem Renaissance
Websites Include
The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/
Making of America
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
Documenting the American South
http://docsouth.unc.edu/
New Perspectives on the West
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/
3. COURSE CONTENT OUTLINE
DATES & SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES CONTENTS READINGS &
SESSIONS Contact Hour W
Session 1 The student recognises the Ralph Waldo Emerson read Civil
M May 12 basic tenets of pre-Civil War The American Scholar Disobedience
Session 2 North American literary Henry David Thoreau
Philosophies & Personalities
T May 13 thought Civil Disobedience
Session 3 Louisa May Alcott read Margaret F
W May 14 Little Women to be watched in class excerpts; write “
paper” for Lesso
Week 1
Session 4 Margaret Fuller read Civil War P
Th May 15 Excerpts from Summer on the Lake and Dickinson p
Session Emily Dickinson, Sarah Piatt read Leaves of G
5 selections
M May
19
Session Walt Whitman read Stephen Cr
6 Leaves of Grass write “ideas pap
T May for Lesson 7
20
Session Stephen Crane read Mark Twai
7 The Red Badge of Courage selection
Th May
22
Session Mark Twain (ck dates) read “Calamity
8 and Simon Poka
M May selection
26
Session Marthy Cannary Burk 1896 read Cather sele
9 Simon Pokagon 1896 write “ideas pap
T May for Lesson 10
27
Session Willa Cather (ck dates) read Kate Chopi
10 selection
Th May
29
Session Kate Chopin read Wharton/H
11 James selection
M June
2
Session Edith Wharton/Henry James read The Great
12 Gatsby; write “i
T June 3 paper for Lesson
Session F Scott Fitzgerald read Hemingwa
13 The Great Gatsby selection
Th June
5
Session 14 The student recognises Ernest Hemingway read Faulkner
th
M June 9 hallmarks of early 20 century selection
Session 15 North American literature
T June 10 (cont.)
The Bust
Week 5
Session 16 The student considers William Faulkner (ck dates) read Of Mice an
Th June 12 Southern Gothic literature and Men; write “idea
the experience of the paper for Lesson
Depression Of Mice and Men read Zora Neale
Hurston selectio
Session 17 The student identifies Zora Neale Hurston read Harlem
Renaissa
Week 6
Harlem
M June 16 characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance poe
nce
Session 18 Renaissance. Poets of the Harlem Renaissance read Harlem
T June 17 Renaissance poe
Session 19 Poets of the Harlem Renaissance write “ideas pap
W June 18 for Lesson 20
Session 20 The student prepares for Final Review prepare outstand
Th June 19 Exam, Monday, June 21. questions of con
for comment in
Overview & Session 21 Final Exam
Conclusion M June 23
Week 7
Session 22 Feedback, marks
June 24
4. METHODOLOGY
This course uses both text and online resources, as well as writing and research tasks,
in-class discussions, presentations, and group activities
5. ASSESSMENT
Assessment is based on:
20% midterm
20% final exam
40% weekly papers
20% presentations and discussions
All work must be typed and submitted on time. No work will be accepted late. A
half-term mark, based on submission of work to date, in-class participation and
attendance will be available for students in week 5.
MLA style will be followed for all work submitted. There are a number of sites,
including the MLA itself and tutorial sites that I will direct you to, in due course.
One tutorial is available at:
http://ustudies.semo.edu/writing/owl2/tutorials/mlab/mlab4.asp
Another is at:
http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutorials/mla_citation/index.html
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
6.1 REQUIRED
All the texts will be available as either photocopies from the Copy Centre or
online, sent directly from Professor Rauch
6.2 COMPLEMENTARY
--a college-level English dictionary --a college-level English thesaurus
--a Spanish-to-English dictionary
6.3 HANDOUTS:
tba
6.4 WEBLIOGRAPHY:
7. COURSE BASICS
Attendance and participation are obviously mandatory. Please be on time, bringing
with you the materials you will need to participate: paper, pen, books, readings, etc.
There is a maximum of 6 absences for the course. Please switch off all mobile phones.
The use of electronic dictionaries is not permitted.
8. FACULTY INFORMATION
NAME: Rosvita Rauch
.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS--UNDERGRAD:
BA Florida International University, Miami
GRADUATE:
Post Graduate Certificate in Education, Homerton, Cambridge University
PhD, English and Comparative Literature
E – mail: rauch@uees.edu.ec
Prepared by: Rosvita Rauch Date: May 5, 2008
Reviewed by: Dean Mónica Reynoso Date: May 5, 2008
Please note that I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus in accordance with the learning requirements of the class.