English 4510: The American Novel
Professor: Timothy Aubry
Office: VC 7-298
Phone number: 646.312.3980
Email address: timothy_aubry@baruch.cuny.edu
Office Hours: VC 7298, Tues/Thurs: 2PM-3:30PM
Required Texts:
Nathanael Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark
Nella Larsen, Passing
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Philip Roth, Goodbye Columbus
Louise Erdrich, The Plague of Doves
These are available at the Baruch College Bookstore
Requirements:
Three major papers and one revision: all 4-6 pages long: 80% of final grade
Class Participation (including two blog entries and one oral report): 20% of final
grade
Grading policy:
● Late policy: For every day past the deadline that you hand in your paper you
will lose half a grade. In other words, an A paper one day late becomes an A-,
two days late becomes a B+, etc. I am willing to grant extensions, but you
must come to me before the paper is due and give me your reason, which I
reserve the right to reject.
● Attendance is mandatory. Failure to attend regularly and punctually will have a
negative impact on your grade, and missing more than 4 classes without
notifying me ahead of time can be grounds for failure.
Plagiarism policy:
Plagiarism is not permitted at Baruch College. To plagiarize is to steal or pass off
the language or ideas of another writer as your own. Anyone caught plagiarizing
will be given an automatic F for that essay and will be asked to meet with the
dean.
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You are allowed, of course, to use the language and the ideas of other writers, but
you must acknowledge your sources. When you are repeating another writer’s
language verbatim you must use quotation marks and cite your source with a
parenthetical citation (including the last name of the author and the page number)
and an entry in your works cited list. When you are paraphrasing another
writer—putting that writer’s ideas into your own words—you also must include a
parenthetical citation and an entry in your works cited list.
Schedule
August 28:
Introduction
September 9: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, pp. 1-80
September 11: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, pp. 81-109
September 16: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, pp. 110-141
September 18: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, pp. 141-180
September 23: Henry James, Daisy Miller
September 25: Henry James, Daisy Miller
September 30: Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 3-84
October 2:
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 85-149
First Major Paper Due
October 7:
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 149-233
October 9:
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 237-301
October 15:
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 302-397
October 16:
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, pp. 397-457
October 21:
Nella Larsen, Passing, pp. 9-47
October 23:
Nella Larsen, Passing, pp. 48-114
October 28:
Philip Roth, Goodbye Columbus, pp. 3-47
October 30:
Philip Roth, Goodbye Columbus, pp. 48-136
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November 4: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 3-97
November 6: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 97-161
Second Major Paper Due
November 11: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 162-250
November 13: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 251-317
November 18: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 318-422
November 20: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 423-478
November 25: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, pp. 479-581
December 2: Louise Erdrich, The Plague of Doves, pp. 1-79
December 4: Louise Erdrich, The Plague of Doves, pp. 80-157
Third Major Paper due
December 9: Louise Erdrich, The Plague of Doves, pp. 157-241
December 11: Louise Erdrich, The Plague of Doves, pp. 241-311
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