ENGLISH 343-001 DEV. AM. NOVEL TO 1914 SPRING 2013 10:30-11:45 ROBINSON B105 R. LATHBURY
TEXTS
· Brown, Charles Brockden. Edgar
Huntly. New York: Viking Penguin,
1997.
· Cooper, James Fenimore. The Last
of the Mohicans.
· Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie.
· Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet
Letter.
· James, Henry. The Portrait of a
Lady. See note below on text.
· Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick.
· Poem Edgar Allan. The Narrative
of Arthur Gordon Pym.
· Twain, Mark. Pudd’nhead Wilson.
A
s you have seen if you have visited
the bookstore, I have ordered only
one book, Edgar Huntly. We need it to
get started right away; having it available
at the Johnson Center store ensures that
you can. James’s novel exists in two
different texts; it helps class talk if we all
read the same version, so get the 1908
version. You will know it because the last
word of the text is “patience.” For other
titles, go to the library or a used or new
bookstore to find a responsible edition—
not an abridgement, not a retelling, but
the full integral text in a book you feel
comfortable holding and reading. It
results in a less expensive and more personal class.
AIMS, REMARKS
E
nglish 343 covers a long period of
American literature but looks at it
through the single focus of the novel.
Some of the novels above are now
somewhat neglected, although in the
nineteenth century James Fenimore
Cooper was the most widely read
American writer in the world, and The
Last of the Mohicans has endured. Other
works—e. g., Moby-Dick—are famous
now (although my sense is that more
people have heard of Moby-Dick than
have read it), but were not in their day.
The Scarlet Letter, a classroom staple, is
more complicated and hellish than high
school readings and Spark Notes have
rendered it. If Charles Brockden Brown
is not now, probably never was or will
be, a household name, he was still the
first serious writer America produced;
his conflicts are still ours.
Eight novels seems like a lot of reading,
but only Moby-Dick and The Portrait of
a Lady are lengthy. The works by Poe
and Twain are short for the form. All
these books are engrossing and work by
telling a story. They’re all great reading!
However, you will have to pace yourself,
especially in mid-March, around the
Easter break, when we start Melville. Do
not fall behind. Note the quizzes on
Moby-Dick and other assignments
scattered throughout. No make-ups! Cut
at your peril!
I assume that everyone has read The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn, and The Great
Gatsby. I will make casual references to
these books throughout the semester as
needed. Feel free to use these works
yourself as understood touchstones,
points of comparison. They’re part of the
experience of every reader of American
fiction. Similarly, I assume that the
names and works of Emerson, Thoreau,
Whitman, Dickinson, Crane, Wharton,
Hemingway, Faulkner, and Nabokov are
not unknown to you and that you’ve
heard of Walden, The Red Badge of
Courage, and Lolita.
FORMAT, RULES
E
ach class will be divided into two
halves. In the first thirty-seven and a
half minutes, one or two of you will lead
the discussion in front of the group.
While you are talking—or thinking—I
shall sit silently, taking notes. During the
second half of the class, around 11:07½,
I’ll try to pull together what you have
said, add or extend your remarks, and
sometimes contradict them. Each day
someone, or some two, will be charged
with this task. Your ability to foster talk,
to ask penetrating questions (usually not
ones that you have answers to), to speak
to points that interest, excite, amuse, or
puzzle in the reading will stand you in
good stead. The idea is not to give a
“presentation” but instead to massage
the collective minds and generate
meaningful commentary. You get a grade
for this: it counts 1/6th of the total.
Literature and reading take place in the
midst of other activities, some cultural,
some not. I hereby invite you to visit the
National Portrait Gallery in Washington
to look at the paintings of Cole, Ryder,
Bierstadt, and others as well as the
pictures artists contemporary with the
masters of American fiction that we read.
This trip I have set for Friday, 5 April at 1
P. M. It is not a requirement to come on
the 11th, but you must go sometime.
There are three longer formal writing
assignments and a final. Each counts 1/6
of the total. Throughout the semester
there may be unannounced quizzes and
impromptu writing assignments about
the reading. You must take all of these.
No make ups. The quizzes and other inclass activities comprise the final sixth of
the grade. A zero will seriously affect
your average. When you miss a class, you
cannot make up the quiz. I also reserve
the right to give extra credit to students
whose comments in-class significantly
further the thinking or seem especially
brilliant.
In order to complete this course and
receive a passing grade, you must do all
the assignments. You cannot “skip” an
assignment. You must turn in all work
and take all in-class writing tests,
including the final. (2) I exact penalties
for late papers; I reduce grades one
increment per class missed—e. g., B
becomes B- then C+. (3) Under no
circumstances will I accept written work
after the date for the succeeding written
assignment; that is to say, you may not
give me two or more papers at once;
doing so means that you fail the class. I
have more than my convenience in
mind; you are unlikely to benefit from
comments if you cannot apply them on
the next assignment.
You, your parents, or your spouse are
paying $1177.50 for this course—more if
you are an out-of-state student; that
means each class costs almost $40. If
you bought two DVDs and found when
you got home that they were blank,
you’d demand a refund. Do not make
this class blank DVDs. Get your money’s
worth by participating and by getting the
aid on essays you need. Read my
comments. Argue if you disagree;
demand an explanation if you don’t understand. Take place in the discussion!
I have an office, A467, upstairs; you
may call me there at 993-1189. If I am
not in, voice mail responds. Please do
not call the main English Department
unless you truly need to; the secretaries
are overworked. I do have a pigeonhole
in the English DepartmentA487, where
you may leave messages for me. My
office hours this spring: 12:00 to 1:00
Monday and Wednesday. Please do not
call me at home. My e-mail address is
lathbury@gmu.edu. I will respond to email—but e-mail can be a great time
waster; S.V.P. do not take it personally if
I seem curt on-line or do not attend to
formatting.
Turn off your cell phone.
In classes like this I am always interested in hearing, Why didn’t we read
William Gilmore Simms? Why not read
silver spoon novels? What about The
Lamplighter? Let me know if you have
suggestions about the course.
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
23 January 2013
First morning of class.
Overview of the course.
Lecture explaining what constitutes
plagiarism—handout.
28 January 2013
Edgar Huntly; Chapters I-VIII.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
30 January 2013
Edgar Huntly: Chapters IX-XVII.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
4 February 2013
Edgar Huntly; Chapters XVIII to
end.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
6 February 2013
The Last of the Mohicans, Chapters
I-XI.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
11 February 2013
The Last of the Mohicans, Chapters
XII-XXII.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
13 February 2013
The Last of the Mohicans, Chapters
XXIII-XXXIII.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
18 February 2013
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon
Pym, Chapters 1-10.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
20 February 2013
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon
Pym, 11-25, including the “note” at
the end.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
25 February2013
The Scarlet Letter, “The Customs
House”-Chapter VI.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
Please note that the assignment for
Monday 25 March is long. Begin
reading Moby-Dick early! There is
also a brief in-class essay on the
novel.
18 March 2013
Moby-Dick, Chapters 1-24.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
20 March 2013
Moby-Dick, Chapters 25-42.
Brief essay in-class (500 words) on
Moby-Dick. Focus will be on
something from the day’s assigned
reading.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
25 March 2013
Moby-Dick, Chapters 43-86.
Quiz.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
27 March 2013
Moby-Dick, Chapters 87-117.
Quiz.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
27 February 2013
The Scarlet Letter, Chapters VIIXIV.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
1 April 2013
Moby-Dick, Chapters 118-135 and
Epilogue.
Quiz.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
4 March 2013
The Scarlet Letter, Chapters XVXXIV.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
3 April 2013
SECOND ESSAY DUE
A page of suggested topics will be
handed out in class.
6 March 2013
FIRST ESSAY DUE
A page of suggested topics will be
handed out in class.
5 April 2013
Meet in the Courtyard of the
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F
Streets, N. W. Washington, D. C., 1
PM.
I must be in Boston on 6 March.
Please put essays in my box.
8 April 2013
The Portrait of a Lady, through
Volume I, Chapter XIX.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
10 April 2013
The Portrait of a Lady, through
Volume II, Chapter XL.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
15 April 2013
The Portrait of a Lady, to end (LV).
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
17 April 2013
Pudd’nhead Wilson, Chapters 1-10.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
22 April 2013
Pudd’nhead Wilson, Chapter XIConclusion.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
24 April 2013
THIRD ESSAY DUE
29 April 2013
Sister Carrie, Chapters 1-16.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
1 May 2013
Sister Carrie, Chapters 17-34.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
6 May 2013
Sister Carrie, Chapters 35-47.
Discussion leaders _____ and _____.
8 May 2013, 10:30-1:15.
FINAL EXAMINATION.
A. Objective Part (20%). Ten questions
from the semester’s reading.
B. Essay Part (80%). Two essays, equally
weighted, one of which will require you
to deal with Sister Carrie.
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