OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS
I.
II.
Course
Prefix
Course
Number
Course
Name
EGL
222
American Literature II from
the Civil War to the Present
Credit
Lecture
Lab
3
3
0
Prerequisite:
EGL 101 or placement into 101
III.
Course (Catalog) Description:
Course traces the development of American literature by focusing on major writers from
1865 through 20th century. Content includes social, cultural, historical, and literary
influences, as well as terminology and methods of literary analysis and evaluation.
IV.
Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:
A. Identify some of the major works and periods of American literature from the Civil War
to the Present.
B. Define the distinctive characteristics of various genres (e.g. poetry, non-fiction essay,
fiction, drama) from the Civil War to the Present.
C. Explain the complexities of race, gender, region, nationality, and class in the American
literary tradition from the Civil War to the Present.
D. Delineate the social, intellectual, and historical influences specific to the development of
American literary traditions from the Civil War to the Present.
E. Interpret the formal elements of these works using appropriate terminology, such as:
speaker, metaphor, symbolism, irony, tone, meter, rhyme, simile, personification, etc.
F. Analyze works in the context of their literary, cultural, and historical backgrounds.
G. Synthesize knowledge of genre, formal elements, and background material.
H. Incorporate secondary sources in the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.
V.
Academic Integrity:
Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate
academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:


cheating,
plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
Generic Course Syllabus
EGL 222
2
 falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
 helping others to cheat,
 unauthorized changes on official documents,
 pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
 making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
 any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s
policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you.
If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the
assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of
the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.
VI.
Sequence of Topics:
Week 1-5: 1865-1914
Selections may include works of Dickinson, Lanier, Moody, Dunbar, Jewett, Garland,
Twain, Howells, Crane, Norris, Dreiser, DuBois, Johnson, Cather, Wharton, Chopin,
Freeman, James.
Week 6-10: 1914-1945
Selections may include works of Robinson, Frost, Sandburg, Lindsay, Stevens, Williams,
Pound, Jeffers, Moore, Eliot, Cummings, Crane, Tate, Cullen, Porter, Toomer, Fitzgerald,
Faulkner, Hemingway, Wolfe, Steinbeck, Wright, Mencken, Odets, Roth, Hellman
Week 11-16: 1945-Present
Selections may include works of Roethke, Shapiro, Brooks, Lowell, Ferlinghetti, Wilbur,
Dickey, Snodgrass, Ginsburg, Plath, Sexton, Rich, Olsen, Jones, (Baraka) Kerouac,
Podhoretz, Baldwin, King, Jr., Malcom X, Cleaver, Ellison, Welty, Malamud, Roth,
McCullers, O'Connor, Barth, Barthelme, Updike, Oates, Morrison, Walker, Tyler, Albee,
O'Neil, Williams, Hansberry, Mamet, Shepherd, Cheever, Erdrich.
VII.
Methods of Instruction:
Course maybe taught as a face-to-face, media-based, hybrid, or online course.
The course will be conducted through lectures, discussion, readings, and the supplementary
use of other appropriate media such as films, records, etc.
D:\99030643.doc
Generic Course Syllabus
EGL 222
VIII.
3
Course Practices Required:
Reading, writing, oral presentations, and testing. A minimum of three critical essays of at
least 750 words each.
IX.
Instructional Materials:
Note: Current textbook information for each course and section is available on Oakton’s
Schedule of Classes.
The instructor will choose readings or an anthology of American literature; for a more
detailed selection, please see the full course outline.
X.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
Evaluation methods include grading of student essays, quizzes, hour exams and final
exams, oral reports, and class participation.
Required written work:
A minimum of three critical essays of at least 750 words each, written outside of class.
XI.
Other Course Information:
Attendance policy
For whatever information/procedures the instructor holds the student accountable.
If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be
entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request
accommodations or services, contact the Access and Disability Resource Center at the
Des Plaines or Skokie campus. All students are expected to fulfill essential course
requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course
or degree program.
Effective beginning term: Fall 2013
Ending term:
Syllabus prepared by:
Date:
Revised by: Literature &Creative Writing Committee
Date: November 2009
Reviewed by Chair: Lynn Woodbury
Date: March 2010
D:\99030643.doc
Generic Course Syllabus
EGL 222
Approval by Dean: Linda A. Korbel
D:\99030643.doc
4
Date: June 2013