Writing Course Review Form (1/12)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ENEX
English
LIT 210L
Subject
200)
Course Title
American Literature I
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
Jill Bergman
9-13-12
Phone / Email
jill.bergman@umontana.
edu
Program Chair
Jill Bergman
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Reason for new course, change or deletion
Change
Remove
Scheduled review of W courses
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description: Provide an introduction to the subject
matter and course content.
In this course, we will study significant literary texts from the early part of American history.
We will examine the way this literature has shaped and been shaped by some of the important
historical events and ideological forces in U.S. history, such as Calvinism, slavery and
abolition, the development of a national identity, the industrial revolution, and the “woman
question.” Guiding our inquiries this semester will be the investigation of the development of
an American cultural identity and the role of literature in that development. How have writers
conceived of the notion of “American,” and what traits or ideals do they associate with that
classification? To whom has that title been available? In addition to exploring texts within
their historical and political contexts, we will situate the works we read in their literary
contexts, becoming familiar with the literary forms and genres of early American Literature.
V Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
Student learning outcomes :
Use writing to learn and synthesize new
concepts
I distribute discussion questions, involving
new concepts and new analytical directions,
for each text we read. Students are asked to
come prepared to write about and discuss these
questions.
Formulate and express written opinions and
ideas that are developed, logical, and
organized
Compose written documents that are
appropriate for a given audience, purpose and
context
Revise written work based on constructive
comments from the instructor
Find, evaluate, and use information
effectively and ethically (see
http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Begin to use discipline-specific writing
conventions
Demonstrate appropriate English language
usage
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
If not, list maximum course enrollment. Explain
how outcomes will be adequately met for this
number of students. Justify the request for
variance.
What instructional methods will be used to teach
Students will have several opportunities to
work on their analytical and argumentative
writing in this course. They will write two
short essays, exploring and interpreting one of
the course texts according to topic guidelines
designed by me. In a third essay, they will
revise and expand one of the earlier papers,
adding a research component.
Students will read samples of literary analysis
written by students and by professionals as
models for writing for appropriate audience,
purpose, and the genre of literary analysis. Class
discussion of these samples will provide
instruction on this form. Their portfolio paper
will give them the opportunity to follow this
model, and their revision will allow them the
opportunity to improve where needed.
Students will write two short essays, exploring
and interpreting one of the course texts
according to topic guidelines designed by me.
In a third essay, they will revise and expand
one of the earlier papers, adding a research
component, based on my comments and
feedback.
Students will have a research session with
Humanities Librarian Sue Samson, who will
teach students these concepts and skills. Their
final product will be graded on these skills (as
well as others).
Students will read samples of literary analysis
written by students and by professionals as
models for using discipline-specific writing
conventions. Class discussion will focus on
these conventions, and their portfolio paper will
give them the opportunity to use them.
We assume students bring this ability to the
class. Where necessary, shortcomings in this
outcome will be commented on in written
feedback, and students will be invited to meet
with the instructor or the Writing Center for
additional assistance.
Yes.
Students will read samples of literary analysis
students to write for specific audiences, purposes,
and genres?
written by students and by professionals as
models for writing for appropriate audience,
purpose, and the genre of literary analysis.
Class discussion of these samples will provide
instruction on this form. Their portfolio paper
will give them the opportunity to follow this
model, and their revision will allow them the
opportunity to improve where needed.
Which written assignments will include revision in The revision essay is a revision of one of their
response to instructor’s feedback?
earlier essays. It will be revised by
incorporating research and responding to my
feedback.
VII. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
2 essays (4 page minimum)
15%
each
1 revision essay (8 pages)
25%
Bergman
ENLT 224
Fall 2008
Instructions and Topics for First
Essay
Length:
1,000 words (This comes to
four double-spaced pages in a type-size
font, such as Times New
Roman 12)
Format:
MLA style, as outlined in
Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual. (Be sure to
include a title [but no title
page] and Works Cited.)
Essay workshop:
Monday, September 29
(10% of the paper grade.)
Bring 3 copies of a
complete draft of your essay to
class.
Final Essay due:
Friday, October 10, in
class, or in my mailbox (in LA 133) by 5:00.
See syllabus for late policy.
Grading:
Your essay will be graded for four elements:
1. Thesis. You must formulate an original thesis
that offers a significant insight about the topic
you have chosen; as Hacker says, it should
“take a stand on a debatable issues – an issue
about which intelligent, well-meaning people
might disagree” (114). You should clearly
state the thesis early in the essay, although it
need not be the last sentence of your
introduction. I will be happy to discuss your
thesis before you get too far into the writing
process, and will talk at any time in the
process (not the night before it’s due) about
your argument.
2. Evidence. You must provide evidence from
the literature under examination that explains
how you’ve come to your conclusions. You
need to make explicit the connection between
the evidence you offer and your analysis of it.
Do not assume that the connection is obvious
or that your readers will interpret the text the
same way you do.
3. Organization. The essay should follow a
coherent, logical structure that develops the
thesis.
4. Writing and mechanics. The writing should
be clear, concise, elegant – if possible, and
grammatically and mechanically sound. In
addition, it must fulfill the page length
requirement.
An A paper will have all four of these elements.
If your paper lacks or is particularly weak in one
of these elements, it will be a B. Lacking two will
earn you a C, etc. If you doubt your ability to
produce the quality paper you wish to produce, I
strongly encourage you to make use of the
Writing Center (www.umt.edu/writingcenter/).
The Topics:
1. Analyze the way Bradford characterizes the
“New World”: what motives, desires, and
needs inform and shape his characterizations
of Native Americans and the land? How does
the form of his text facilitate his portrayal?
2. Although the Puritans professed and adhered
to strict religious doctrines, in some of their
writings we find moments of tension in their
acceptance of these doctrines. Identify and
analyze this tension in one of the Bradstreet
poems we did not cover in class.
3. Write a close reading of one of the Bradstreet
poems we did not discuss in class. (Use the
handout on poetry to guide your analysis.) Be
sure to offer an argument!
4. Analyze Bradstreet’s treatment of nature.
(You might find “Contemplations” useful for
this project.) How does her concept of nature
comport with her Puritan ideas?
5. How does the Calvinist doctrine of innate
depravity inform and influence the work of
Bradford or Bradstreet?
6. Analyze the ways Benjamin Franklin’s
autobiography engages the legacy of Puritan
thinking. (Referring back to topic 5, you
might think about how Franklin deals with
innate depravity, for example.)
7. How does Franklin theorize national identity
in his autobiography?
8. Analyze the rhetorical strategies Occom uses
to appeal to various groups in his audience.
9. How does Wheatley negotiate her complex
subject positions: woman, slave, African,
American, poet, etc.? In what ways do these
identities come into play – into tension? – in
her poems?
10. Write a close reading of one of Wheatley’s
poems. (Use the handout on poetry to guide
your analysis.) And again, be sure to offer an
argument!
ENLT 224
Bergman
Fall 2008
Instructions and Topics for the
Second Essay
It’s time to write the second of two short papers.
This will be slightly longer this time: 4-5 pages,
approximately 1200-1500 words. Again, you’ll
need a thesis that “take[s] a stand on a debatable
issue” (Hacker 114), and an argument to support
the thesis, based on textual analysis. I will be
happy to discuss your thesis before you get too far
into the writing process, and will talk at any time
in the process about your argument. In addition to
our in-class workshop, the Writing Center is a
good place to get feedback on your essay. Get
their hours and other details at
www.umt.edu/writingcenter.
If you have a topic you’d like to write on that you
don’t see among the choices, please talk to me
about it.
Grading will follow the rubric outlined on the
First Essay handout.
Requirements:




Four to five full, double-spaced pages in a
type-size font
No external research
Original argument. Although you may refer to
information provided in class or discussions
we’ve had, your argument should go well
beyond class discussion.
MLA style documentation and format (see

Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual)
Attention to my comments on your first essay
Important Dates:

Friday, November 5: Essay workshop (10% of
the paper grade.) Bring three copies of a
complete draft of your essay to class.

Friday, November 12: Essay due in class or in
my mailbox (in LA 133) by 5:00. Unless
arranged in advance, late papers will be
deducted one letter grade per class day they
are late.
The Topics:
11. Should Phillis Wheatley’s poetry be
considered an important point of origin for
African-American verse? Why or why not?
Does Wheatley’s position on race undermine
her impact as an African-American woman
writer? Discuss specific qualities and
moments in Wheatley’s poems to support your
position.
12. How does the community of women function
in The Coquette? Does this community help
or hinder Eliza? What does the novel have to
say about women’s friendships and their
dependence on those relationships?
13. Explore the commodification of women (or
men) in The Coquette.
14. Analyze the characterization of Native
Americans in Bryant’s “The Prairies,”
Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans or Sedgwick’s
Hope Leslie. (Since we didn’t discuss these
last two in class, the field of original ideas is
wide open!)
15. Critique or defend Emerson’s apparent denial
of class issues in “Self-Reliance.” Does
Emerson envision a self-reliance that is
unavailable to women, slaves, or the working
classes? (We have discussed this in class, so
only take on this topic if you have new ideas
that we didn’t cover.)
16. Emerson’s essays are deliberately provocative
– they push, urge, outrage, or jolt readers to
react. What kinds of critiques of his age is
Emerson attempting? And how? And with
what sense of his audience’s resistance?
17. In both “Self-Reliance” and “The Poet” one
can see Emerson calling into being a particular
version of Americanness. Using one of these
texts, analyze the notion of “American” as
theorized/defined/proposed by Emerson.
18. Emerson appears to critique higher education
in “Self-Reliance” and “The Poet.” What is
the nature of this critique? How can you
defend higher education, in Emersonian
terms? (Note: the focus should be on the
essays, not on your experience at The
University of Montana.)
19. What role does horror play in Poe’s stories?
Is there a connection between the horror of his
stories and American culture – political or
spiritual?
20. Analyze Poe’s use of domestic motifs –
family, home, marriage – in “Ligeia.”
21. In consultation with me, develop your own
topic on one of the texts we’ve read so far.
ENLT 224: American Lit to 1865
Bergman
Fall 2008
Final Essay Assignment
This final assignment asks you to revise one of
your earlier essays, expanding it by 1) refining
and further developing your own ideas and 2)
bringing a small amount of research to bear on
your argument. You will undoubtedly have some
thoughts on how to expand your argument – by
complicating it with further considerations, by
increasing the textual support for your
argument, by addressing counter arguments, by
clarifying and expanding on vague portions of
the essay, by restructuring the argument, by
addressing the concerns I raised on the first
version of the essay, etc. You will also expand
your argument with research from two or three
outside sources.
How to choose the paper to revise: The revision
does not change the grade earned on the first
version of the paper, so don’t let that be a
consideration in your choice. Choose the paper
that affords the most possibility for revision and
expansion, and – ideally – the paper you most
want to spend more time on. Note that this
essay must represent a significant revision – not
simply the correction of errors and the addition
of a few quotes from secondary sources. Choose
to revise a paper that has plenty of room for
improvement and expansion.
Research Component: Your research should
inform your argument, not replace it. Use no more
than three sources. You can refer to another
critic’s argument as something you disagree with,
you can cite a critic who supports your thinking on
the text, and you can offer historical information to
provide a context for your reading of the text. Sue
Samson will give us advice on where to find
sources suited for this assignment. If you search
on-line sources, be sure to use reliable sources. Do
not, for instance, use lecture notes posted on-line.
(See the Hacker handbook for guidance in citing
electronic sources, pp. 141-147.)
Workshop: Although there is no workshop
scheduled for your revision project, I strongly
urge you to exchange papers with your
classmates or take your work to the writing
center (www.umt.edu/writingcenter) prior to the
due date to get feedback.
Essay specifications:
Length: 8+ pages. Submit the graded first essay
along with the revision. (I cannot grade the
revision without the original.)
Format: MLA documentation style (details
outlined in the Hacker handbook). Papers
failing to follow this documentation
style will be penalized. Discuss this with
me in advance if you have questions.
Due date: Wednesday, November 19 by 5:00
p.m. Late papers will be penalized, unless
arrangements have been made with me
prior to the due date.
Grading Criteria: I will grade these essays on four
elements. Note that these elements are slightly
different from those used on your first and second
essays: 1) Thesis, 2) Evidence and organization,
including researched evidence, 3) Substantial
revision, and 4) Writing, mechanics, and
documentation style.
In class writing in response to one of the
discussion questions, circulated prior to
class.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. 
For assistance on syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
The syllabus must include the following:
1. Writing outcomes
2. Information literacy expectations
3. Detailed requirements for all writing assignments or append writing assignment instructions
Informal Ungraded Assignments
Paste syllabus here.
English 210: American Literature I
Section 1: MWF 11:10 – 12:00 in LA 304
Professor Bergman
Office: LA 133B
Office phone: 243-5352
Email: jill.bergman@mso.umt.edu
Office hours: MW 12:00- 2:00, T 10:00-12:00
Course Description:
In this course, we will study significant literary texts from the early part of American
history. We will examine the way this literature has shaped and been shaped by some of
the important historical events and ideological forces in U.S. history, such as Calvinism,
slavery and abolition, the development of a national identity, the industrial revolution,
and the “woman question.” Guiding our inquiries this semester will be the investigation
of the development of an American cultural identity and the role of literature in that
development. How have writers conceived of the notion of “American,” and what traits
or ideals do they associate with that classification? To whom has that title been
available? In addition to exploring texts within their historical and political contexts, we
will situate the works we read in their literary contexts, becoming familiar with the
literary forms and genres of early American Literature.
Course Objectives: To familiarize students with some of the range and diversity of early
American literature; to engage in an on-going discussion about the roots of American
cultural identity; to deepen students’ interpretative and critical skills, both by discussing
literary critical practice and by engaging in it; to improve students’ verbal skills of
argumentation and articulation of ideas through large and small group discussion; to
improve students’ skills of written argumentation through writing and revising essays; to
introduce students to the resources for literary scholarship at the UM library.
Texts:
Baym, The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 7th Ed., Vols. A and B
Foster, The Coquette
Murfin and Ray, Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms
Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual
Grading:
2 essays (4 page minimum)
1 revision essay (8 pages)
Midterm exam
Final exam
Participation
Requirements and Policies:
15% each
25%
15%
20%
10%
Writing assignments: You will have several opportunities to work on your analytical and
argumentative writing in this course. You will write two short essays, exploring and
interpreting one of the course texts according to topic guidelines designed by me. In a third
essay, you will revise and expand one of the earlier papers, adding a research component,
based on my comments. Students must complete all written work in order to pass English
224. Essays may be submitted to me in class, or placed in my campus mailbox (in LA 133)
by 5:00 p.m. on the due date. Late essays will be penalized unless arrangements are made with
me prior to the due date.
Participation: The reading is fairly heavy for this course, and it is required. (If you have
several heavy courses this semester, you may want to consider taking ENLT 224 at
another time.) There are several ways for you to demonstrate that you’ve read the
assignments for each day. One is to do well on the exams (more on that below). Another
is to participate in the discussions. I will distribute discussion questions to accompany
your reading that will provide a starting point for our discussions. Think about these
questions prior to class and be prepared to share your answers. I’ll assume you’re ready.
Finally, I will occasionally give you the opportunity to respond to the discussion
questions in writing. (Some would call this a quiz.)
Attendance: Your success in this course depends heavily upon your attendance.
Obviously, to participate regularly, you’ll need to be here. Moreover, the exam questions
will draw directly on lectures and class discussions. For these reasons, I have a strict
attendance policy. More than four absences will adversely affect your grade in the
course. More than six absences will result in failure. If extreme circumstances arise, do
talk to me.
Exams: The midterm will ask you to identify passages from texts that we’ve read and to
discuss, briefly, some aspect of that passage’s significance as we have dealt with it in
class. The final exam will have a similar identification section, plus a section asking you
to define or explain a term or movement that we’ve covered in class and to demonstrate
how it operates in a particular literary piece. Both tasks require you to refer to ideas
discussed and information given in class. I strongly recommend, therefore, that you keep
up with your reading and take notes throughout the semester.
Literary Terms: Throughout the semester I have assigned various “Terms” on the
syllabus, relevant to the texts under consideration for that day. Defined in the Murfin and
Ray Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, the terms are part of the required
reading. Come prepared to discuss them and their applicability to the day’s reading.
Students with disabilities: If you have a disability and will need accommodation, please
see me early in the semester.
Incompletes: No grades of “Incomplete” will be granted in the course. Students failing to
complete all written assignments and exams will fail the course.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is not tolerated at the University of
Montana. Acknowledge, by citation of name, title, and page
number, all work that has influenced your thinking. The
University’s official warning can be found in the Catalog, which
refers you to the Student Conduct Code (Academic Conduct),
available on the web:
http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/page/1321.
Departmental Assessment: The English Department¹s ongoing process of assessing its
curriculum requires professors to read student papers to learn how students in general are
progressing through the program. Thus your professor may choose a copy of one of your
papers or ask for an electronic version of it to use in this assessment process. All
identifying information will be removed and no evaluation of student work outside the
boundaries of the course will play any role in determining a student¹s grade. If you do
not want your work used in such a way, please inform your professor and s/he will not
forward it to the Assessment Committee. Otherwise, we appreciate your tacit consent.
Course Schedule:
Mon 8/25
Course Introduction
Colonial Period to 1700
Wed 8/27
Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, (Book I, chs. 1, 4, 9, 10; Book II, chs.
11, 19, 23; Vol A 156 -162, 166- 183)
Terms: Connotation, Denotation, Figurative language, Hyperbole, Myth,
Narrative, Plot, Story, Text, Theme
Fri 8/29
Bradford, continued
Hacker, 113-115, 148-154
Mon 9/1
Holiday. No Class.
Wed 9/3
Bradstreet, “The Prologue” (Vol A 239-40),
“The Flesh and the Spirit” (260-62)
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” (263),
“A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment” (264),
“In Memory of ... Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet” (267-8),
“In Memory of … Grandchild Anne Bradstreet” (268),
“On My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet” (268),
“For Deliverance from a Fever” (269),
“Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of our House...” (269-70),
Terms: Genre, Image, Imagery, Metaphor, Poetry, Sonnet, Stanza, Tone
Fri 9/5
Bradstreet, continued
Republican Period: Enlightenment and American Independence
Mon 9/8
Franklin, Autobiography (Vol A 538-583, 588-599)
Wed 9/10
Franklin, continued
Fri 9/12
Occom, “Short Narrative,” (Vol A 647-652)
Mon 9/15
Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa to America” (Vol A 810),
“To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth…” (812-13),
“To the University of Cambridge, in New England” (813),
“On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, 1770” (814-15),
“To S.M., a Young African Painter…” (818-19),
“To His Excellency General Washington” (819-20),
Letter to Rev. Samson Occom (823-24)
Essay #1 assigned
Wed 9/17
Wheatley, continued
Gates, “Phillis Wheatley on Trial” (on reserve)
Fri 9/19
Class Cancelled
Mon 9/22
Jefferson, “Declaration of Independence” (Vol A 652-657)
“The Declaration of Sentiments” (handout)
Douglass, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July (Vol B 2140-2143)
Terms: Ideology, Parody, Rhetoric, Satire
Wed 9/24
Jefferson, Douglass, Dec of Sent, continued
Fri 9/26
Foster, The Coquette (807-854)
Terms: Characterization, Conflict, Crisis, Dramatic Irony, Epistolary Novel,
Motivation, Resolution, Tragedy
Hacker 2-22, 123 - 127
Mon 9/29
Workshop for Essay #1. Bring 3 copies of your draft with you to class.
Wed 10/1
Foster, The Coquette (854-904)
Fri 10/3
MIDTERM
Last day to drop classes.
Romanticism and American Individualism
Mon 10/6
[Finished Coquette]
Bryant, “Thanatopsis,” “To a Waterfowl,” “The Prairies” (1045-51)
Terms: Romanticism
Wed 10/8
[Bryant]
Sedgwick, from Hope Leslie (Vol B 1010 – 1028)
Fri 10/10
Emerson, “Self-Reliance” (Vol B 1160-76)
Essay #1 due.
Mon 10/13
Emerson, “The Poet” (Vol B 1177-91)
Wed 10/15
Emerson, continued.
Essay #2 assigned.
Fri 10/17
Emerson, continued
Mon 10/20
Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” (1289-1297), “The Minister’s Black
Veil” (1311-1319)
Wed 10/22
Poe, “Ligeia,” “Fall of the House of Usher” (1543-1565)
Terms: Mood, Prose, Narrator, Point of view
Fri 10/24
Poe, “The Purloined Letter” (1599-1611)
Mon 10/27
Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (2363- 2389)
Wed 10/29
Melville, continued
Fri 10/31
Workshop for Essay #2. Bring 3 copies of your draft with you to class.
Sentimentalism and Slavery
Mon 11/3
Stowe, from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Volume I, excluding chapter XII (17011732, 1744-1758)
Terms: Novel, Discourse, Domesticity
Wed 11/5
Stowe, from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Volume II, chapters XX, XXX, and XL
(1758-1775, 1787-1792)
Fri 11/7
Library instruction day. Meet in library instruction room, level 2.
Hacker 101-111
Essay #2 due; Final essay assigned.
Mon 11/10
Douglass, from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Chs. I, VI,
VII, IX, X, XI and Appendix; 2072-75, 2085-91; 2094-2129)
Wed 11/12
Jacobs, from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1809-1829)
Fri 11/14
Douglass and Jacobs, continued
Poetic Conclusions
Mon 11/17
Whitman, “Song of Myself” (2210-2254)
Focus especially on sections 1, 2, 3, 12-15, 24, 46, 51, 52
Terms: Alliteration, Free verse
Wed 11/19
Whitman, continued
Final essay due.
Fri 11/21
Dickinson, poems #49, 241, 249, 280, 303, 315, 435, 448, 465, 505, 520,
709, 712, 754, 1129, 1624 (beginning on p. 2558)
Final essay due. (Both dates fine)
Mon 11/24
Dickinson, continued
Wed 11/26 and Fri 11/28 THANKSGIVING
Mon 12/1
Dickinson, continued
Wed 12/3
Baym, “Early Histories of American Literature” (on reserve)
Terms: Canon, Criticism,
Fri 12/5
Wrap up and Final Review
Final Exam: Friday, Dec. 12, 8:00 - 10:00 AM in our usual room