American Literature After 1885 Course Policy and Syllabus, Spring 2006
Instructor:
Dr. Amberg; Office LS 313 D
Office Hours: M-W 3:00-4:00 p.m., TTh 2:00-3:00 p.m., and by appointment
Office Phone: 815-1703 Email: jamberg@ycp.edu
At times I may need to contact students by email on the YCP server. If you employ another server
for your email, please make sure to have your YCP mail automatically forwarded to your
off-campus site. Instructions for getting email forwarded are available in the Computer Center.
Required text:
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volumes C, D, E, Fifth edition
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Course Description and Objectives:
LIT282 is designed to introduce students to American literature written after 1885
through close readings of both major and minor literary texts. LIT282 fulfills the history/culture mode for the
English major; thus, the course will emphasize cultural and historical events, including intellectual trends,
that helped shape the literature of this period.
Attendance:
The success of your performance in LIT282 depends upon your participation in class discussions,
as well as completion of all required work in and out of class. Therefore, you must attend class.
You may be absent 1 1/2 weeks' worth of class (5 class periods). Beyond this, your
grade will be lowered and/or changed to F. You are responsible for knowing all assignments
made in class on the day(s) you missed. Work done in class on days you miss may not be made up.
Course Requirements:
Three exams, two writing assignments, attendance at two cultural events, and your class participation will
comprise the final grade. They will make up the following percentages: Exams, 15% each; Writing
assignments, 20% each; Cultural events, 5%; Participation, 10%. You can earn full credit on the participation
part of your grade by completing and handing in on time all required work both in and out of class, not
exceeding the absence limit, being engaged in the class when present (that is, participating in classroom
discussion and small group work), completing satisfactorily unannounced quizzes and in-class writing
responses.
Cultural Event Requirement: As part of the requirements for this course, you must attend 2 cultural events
sponsored by the College. The events from which you can choose are listed below and are also bolded in
your syllabus. To receive full credit on this requirement, attend the event and write up your experience in a
one-page essay, briefly describing what took place (the content of the event, including remarks by presenters
and comments from the audience) and then your reaction to the event. What did you learn? What was your
reaction to the play/artwork/film/speaker/poet, etc.?
Feb. 14-18
Thursday, Feb. 23
Tuesday, March 7
Thursday, March 16
March 28-April 1
Play, “The Tooth of Crime,” 7 pm, Playpen Theatre
Author, Carlos Eire, “Waiting for Snow,” 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
Prof. Hemzik, “Twentieth Century Printmaking,” 7 pm, MAC
Movie, “The Women,” introduced by Prof. Reid, 7 pm, DeMeester
Play, “A Funny Thing Happened . . .” 7 pm, Playpen Theatre
Wednesday, March 29
Thursday, April 6
Thursday, April 27
April 29-30
Poet, Li-Young Li, 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
Movie, “All or Nothing,” introduced by Prof. Jones, 7 pm DeMeester
Motivational Speaker, Mariah Burton Nelson, 7 pm, MAC RecitalHall
Musical, “West Side Story,” 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
Papers:
You will be given two writing assignments during the semester, both of which will involve some research. A
mandatory draft workshop in class will be held for each paper. All papers must be typed, double-spaced, and
of the required length. No late papers will be accepted. All due dates are listed in the syllabus.
Writing Standards:
“York College recognizes the importance of effective communication in all disciplines and careers.
Therefore students are expected to competently analyze, synthesize, organize, and articulate course material
in papers, examinations, and presentations. In addition, students should know and use communication skills
current to their field of study, recognize the need for revision as part of their writing process, and employ
standard conventions of English usage in both writing and speaking. Students may be asked to further revise
assignments that do not demonstrate effective use of these communication skills.”
--Faculty Manual, York College of Pennsylvania, Section C.2.11
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is passing off as one's own writing the ideas, including words, etc., of another.
Cheating is receiving help upon assignments that should be performed alone.
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. If either is detected, the student will be
sent before the Academic Dean.
Grading Scale:
90-100
85-89
80-84
75-79
70-74
60-69
0-59
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1
0
Syllabus LIT282
Spring, 2006
Amberg
Note: Please complete all assignments before coming to class that day. Syllabus is subject to change by the
professor. All assignments are from The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volumes C, D, or E,
unless otherwise noted.
Jan. 18
Introduction to class
Late Nineteenth Century: 1865-1910 Volume C
Jan 20
pp. 1-7
Struggle for Equality in the post-Civil War World
Jan. 23
Chopin, “Desiree’s Baby,” 359; King, “The Little Convent Girl,” 203
Jan. 25
Freeman, “A New England Nun,” 715
Jan. 27
Frances Ellen Harper, “Aunt Chloe’s Politics,” 568; “The Martyr of Alabama,”
569; “A Double Standard,” 571
Jan. 30
Oskison, “The Problem of Old Harjo,” 224
Prelude to Modernism: Writing America’s History
Feb. 1
Howells, “Editha,” 269
Feb. 3
Crane, “The Open Boat,” 497;
Feb. 6
Crane, “God Lay Dead in Heaven,” 521; “Do Not Weep Maiden,” 521;
“A Man Said to the Universe,” 523
Feb. 8
Adams, Chapter XXV, 634
The Modern Period: 1910-1945 Volume D
Feb. 10
pp. 839-856
Feb. 13
Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” 1280
Feb. 14-18
Play, “The Tooth of Crime,” 7 pm, Playpen Theatre
Feb. 15
Eliot
Feb. 17
Stevens, “Sunday Morning,” 1427; “The Snow Man,” 1430
Feb. 20
Stevens, “A High-Toned Old Christian Woman,” 1434
Feb. 22
Assignment of Paper #1
Feb. 23
Feb. 24
Author, Carlos Eire, 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
Exam #1
Feb. 27—March 3 Winter Break
March 6
Fitzgerald, “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” 1360
March 7 – Twentieth Century Printmaking, 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
March 8
Porter, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” 1388
March 10
Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants,” 1422
The New Negro Renaissance and Memory
March 13
Hughes, film
March 15
Hughes, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” 1521; “The Weary Blues,” 1521;
McKay, “The Harlem Dancer,” 1595
March 16
Movie, “The Women,” 7 pm, DeMeester
March 17
McKay, “I Shall Return,” 1597; “America,” 1597; “In Bondage,” 1598
March 20
Required Draft Workshop on Paper #1 – bring a draft and two copies
March 22
No class
March 24
No class
March 27
Morrison, Beloved, pp. TBA; Paper #1 DUE
Assignment of Paper #2
March 28-April 1 Play, “A Funny Thing Happened . . .” 7 pm, Playpen Theatre
March 29
Li-Young Li – poetry, TBA
Poet, Li-Young Li, 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
March 31
Morrison, Beloved, pp. TBA
April 3
Morrison, Beloved, pp. TBA
April 5
Exam #2
April 6 Movie, “All or Nothing,” 7 pm, DeMeester
The Contemporary and Post-Modern Period: 1945 to the Present Volume E
A Selection of the Beats
April 7
Ginsberg, “Supermarket,” 2231; “America,” 2240
Kerouac, “The Vanishing American Hobo,” 2240
April 10
Ferlinghetti, “I Am Waiting,” 2252
Post-Modern Writers
April 12
Carver, “A Small Good Thing,” 2586
April 14
spring break
April 17
spring break
April 19
Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” 2622
April 21
no class
April 24
Scholars’ Day
April 26
Draft workshop on Paper #2 – bring a draft and two copies
April 27 Mariah Burton Nelson, 7 pm, Mac Recital Hall
April 28
Kingston, “No Name Woman,” 2704
April 29, 30 “West Side Story,” 7 pm, MAC Recital Hall
May 1
Paper #2 DUE; Cisneros, “Eleven,” 3033
May 3
Viramontes, “The Cariboo Café,” 3017
Final Exam: 9:00 class: Wed. May 10, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
2:00 class: Mon. May 8, 3:00-5:00 p.m.