Humanities 401W – Democracy in America__________
University of New Hampshire, Humanities Program, Fall 2009
Professors: Warren Brown, Catherine Peebles, David Richman
Meetings: TR, 11:10-12:30, HS 216
Office hours: Brown:
TR, 12:30-1:00, and by appointment
tel. 862-3225, warren.brown@unh.edu, Horton 323
Peebles:
TR, 12:40-2:00, and by appointment
tel. 862-3638, catherine.peebles@unh.edu, Murkland G19
Richman:
TR, 9:30-10:50; W, 3:10-4:30, and by appointment
tel. 862-2218, dmr@cisunix.unh.edu, PCAC M317
Each year, we choose one important work to help us enter into an examination of a topic or group of
topics. This semester, Humanities 401 takes as its entry text Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in
America in order to pursue both of the ideas in that title. What is America? And what does it mean that
America is a democracy? Discovering what these ideas meant to people in Tocqueville’s time will help
us to discover what they mean for us today, and what they have meant throughout America’s existence.
Guided by de Tocqueville and the themes he treats in Democracy in America, we will familiarize
ourselves with several key works – mainly literary or dramatic, although we’ll also read one recent
Supreme Court decision – and bring these works into conversation with our entry text.
Required Texts_________________________________________
All books are available at the Durham Book Exchange, on Main Street in Durham. Some readings for
the course are on Blackboard, where students should access them and print them out for reading and use
in class.
de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. Vintage edition. Volumes I and II.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Miller, Arthur. All My Sons.
O’Neill, Eugene. Long Day’s Journey into Night
Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Morrison, Toni. Beloved
A note on academic honesty:
We take the UNH Academic Honesty policy seriously, since trust is essential to any intellectual
community, be it a whole college, a large course, or a small seminar. I refer any instance of
academic dishonesty to the student's college dean and recommend dismissal from the university as
the most appropriate response. Be sure you are familiar with UNH’s academic honesty policy,
which you can reread in the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook. You are responsible for
knowing what plagiarism is, and making sure you do not commit it. If you have any doubts about
what constitutes plagiarism, you may see the on-line tutorial at: http://www.unh.edu/liberalarts/plagiarism/plagiarismHome.cfm
We do not allow students to use laptop computers during class, as it is distracting to both
instructors and other students. Other electronic devices, such as cell phones, should of course
be switched off and put away during class.
A note for students with disabilities:
If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability
Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at 603.862.2607 or disability.office@unh.edu. If you
have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please provide me with that
information privately, during office hours, so that we can review those accommodations.
Course Requirements_____________________________________
Coming to class prepared, having done the assigned reading and made extensive notes on it, and
having carefully reviewed lecture notes. This course involves a relatively heavy reading load and
students should budget their out-of-class work time accordingly. Students are expected and
required to devote a minimum of six to eight hours per week to class preparation. Preparing for this
class includes reading and re-reading the assigned work carefully, underlining important passages,
making notes in the margins, and making notes in your notebook. Your own notes should range
from copying significant sections of a text and definitions of new vocabulary words, to writing
down specific questions you have, to formulating critical responses and interpretations. You are
required to look up vocabulary words with which you are unfamiliar (the Oxford English
Dictionary, available through the Library tab on Blackboard, is the best source). And you are
required to bring formulated questions to each class meeting. Your class preparation grade will be
based upon your contribution of salient questions and interpretations in class. Class sessions will be
a combination of some lecture and some discussion.
Attendance is required. A student who misses three classes during the semester will lose a full
letter grade for each subsequent absence, and is required to make an appointment and discuss the
problem with her/his instructor. There is no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused”
absences. The penalty scheme for attendance takes into consideration the occasional emergency or
illness. Accordingly, students are allowed three absences with no penalty. After that, each absence
lowers the grade by one letter-grade.
Papers and Examinations______________________________________
Students will spend much of the semester preparing and writing a seven-page paper. The first
assignment related to this paper is the statement, in one page, of a paper topic. This assignment
should include a brief statement of the one work on which the student intends to focus, and an
identification of the principal passage within that work the student will treat. In addition, the
student must provide two examples of thesis statements he or she thinks could likely be his or her
main claim in the paper. The next assignment related to the paper is the paper proposal (3 pages), in
which the student states the thesis of the paper, and lays out the organization of the argument,
noting what pieces of evidence from the text will go to support specific steps in argument. The
seven-page paper is due on the last day of class (handed in to your section leader), and should be
written in accordance with MLA style. See the library’s Reference website for information on
MLA style (www.reference.unh.edu) and/or consult the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers. In short, this should be a paper in which you make a thesis claim,
and support it with a close reading of a passage or passages from the text you are discussing.
There will be two examinations. The first examination will be administered in-class, and is shortanswer in format. It is intended to make sure that we are all doing the reading closely and attending
well in class. The second exam is a take-home essay exam, which you will turn in to your section
leader (section 1: Peebles; section 2: Richman; section 3: Brown).
Your final grade will be an average of your class participation, the two examinations, and the
three writing assignments, minus any penalty for missed classes (see “attendance” above).
Class participation: 20%
Exam #1:
15%
Exam #2:
20%
Paper Topic:
Paper proposal:
Final paper:
10%
15%
20%
Please note: Assignment, dates, and other details in this syllabus may change, depending on our
progress as a group.
Reading Time-table
Each reading should be completed by the day it is first listed. Always bring the assigned reading to
class with you.
T Aug. 31
R Sept. 2
Course Introduction
Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Author’s Introduction, The Origins of
Anglo Americans: Volume I, Chapter II
T Sept. 7
Tocqueville, Skepticism, Doubt, and Conformity in the American Way of Life: The
Philosophic Method of Americans: Volume II, Book I, Chapters I, II
Finishing discussion of Tocqueville, Vol. II, Book I, Chapters I, II,
and beginning Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
R Sept. 9
T Sept. 14
R Sept. 16
Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Kushner, Angels in America
T Sept. 21
R Sept. 23
Kushner, Angels in America
Tocqueville, Individualism, Self-interest, and the Pursuit of Property in
America: Volume II, Book II, Chapters I, II, X, XI, XIII
T Sept. 28
R Sept. 30
Arthur Miller, All My Sons
Arthur Miller, All My Sons
T Oct. 5
Tocqueville, Religion and Its Influence in America: Volume I, Chap. XVII,
Sub-section: “Indirect Influence of Religious Opinions upon Political Society
in the United States,” (pgs. 303-314); Vol. II, Book I, Chapter V; Volume II,
Book II, Chapter XV
Tocqueville, Religion and Its Influence in America: Volume I, Chap. XVII,
Sub-section: “Indirect Influence of Religious Opinions upon Political Society
in the United States,” (pgs. 303-314); Vol. II, Book I, Chapter V; Volume II,
Book II, Chapter XV
R Oct. 7
T Oct. 12
R Oct. 14
Review for exam
Exam #1
T Oct. 19
R Oct. 21
Flannery O’Conner, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (print from Bb)
Supreme Court Case: McCreary County, Kentucky, et al. v. American Civil
Liberties Union of Kentucky et al. (print from Bb)
T Oct. 26
Tocqueville, The American Family and Its Members: Volume II, Book III,
Chapters VIII-XII
Tocqueville, The American Family and Its Members: Volume II, Book III,
Chapters VIII-XII
R Oct. 28
PAPER TOPIC DUE
T Nov. 2
R Nov. 4
O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night
O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night
T Nov. 9
R Nov. 11
Tocqueville, Customs, Manners, Honor, and Ambition in America: Volume II,
Book III, Chapters 1-IV, XIV, XVIII, XIX
PAPER PROPOSAL DUE
NO CLASS (Veteran’s Day)
T Nov. 16
R Nov. 18
Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
T Nov. 23
R Nov. 25
Tocqueville, Equality and Race in America: Volume I, Chapter XVIII
NO CLASSES (Thanksgiving Holiday)
T Nov. 30
R Dec. 2
Tocqueville, Equality and Race in America: Volume I, Chapter XVIII
Toni Morrison, Beloved
T Dec. 7
R Dec. 9
Toni Morrison, Beloved
Tocqeville, What the Future May Hold for America: Volume, II, Book IV,
Chapters VI, VII, VIII
PAPER DUE. FINAL EXAM HANDED OUT. FINAL EXAM DUE BY NOON
ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 13.
Reading List with publication information included
de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. Vintage edition. Volumes I and II.
Volume I:
Publisher: Vintage (August 11, 1990)
ISBN-10: 0679728252
ISBN-13: 978-0679728252
Volume II:
Publisher: Vintage (August 11, 1990)
ISBN-10: 0679728260
ISBN-13: 978-0679728269
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 1, 1991)
ISBN-10: 0316769487
ISBN-13: 978-0316769488
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group; First Edition edition (May 1, 1993)
ISBN-10: 1559360615
ISBN-13: 978-1559360616
Miller, Arthur. All My Sons.
Penguin Classics.
ISBN: 9780141185460
O’Neill, Eugene. Long Day’s Journey into Night
Publisher: Yale University Press; 2nd edition (March 1, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0300093055
ISBN-13: 978-0300093056
Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Bantam Classics (October 1, 1983)
ISBN-10: 0553211439
ISBN-13: 978-0553211436
Morrison, Toni. Beloved
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Vintage (June 8, 2004)
ISBN-10: 1400033411
ISBN-13: 978-1400033416