American Literature 1860-1920: Realism and Naturalism
Terry Oggel
Spring 2015
ENGL 373
mail: toggel@vcu.edu
MWF 1:00-1:50
Office hours: M-W 2-3:00pm & by app't.
Office: Hibbs 345
Website: http://www.people.vcu.edu/~toggel/
Hibbs 327 Ephone: 828-1331
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ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT NOTICES PROVIDED ON MY WEBSITE
Required Texts
Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham [1885]. Eds. Meserve and Nordloh. Penguin, 1983.
James, Portrait of a Lady [1881]. Ed. Luckhurst. Oxford, 2009.
Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson [1885]. Eds. Fischer and Salamo. U of Cal. P, 2002.
Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars [1900]. Penguin, 1993.
Alger, Ragged Dick [1868]. Ed. Bode. Penguin, 1995.
Chopin, The Awakening [1899]. Dover, 1993.
Crane, Red Badge of Courage [l895] and Other Stories. Eds. Roberston and Mellors. Oxford, 2009.
Required Collateral Texts—Online
Howells, “Editha,” 1905. http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/howells/editha.pdf
Howells, Criticism and Fiction [1891] in Criticism and Fiction and Other Essays. Eds. Kirk and Kirk. New York UP,
1959. https://archive.org/stream/criticismfiction00howe#page/n15/mode/2up
James, “The Art of Fiction,” 1884. http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/artfiction.html
James, “The Real Thing,” 1892. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/2098/
Twain, “Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses,” 1895. http://twain.lib.virginia.edu/projects/rissetto/offense.html
Hawthorne, The Custom House Introduction to The Scarlet Letter (1850). http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/slcus.html
Recommended
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edn.
Course Description
Objectives
This course examines the literature of the United States from the Civil War to the beginning of World War I, during a time
when the dominant genre was fiction and the new, influential literary theories and techniques were realism and naturalism.
Works by selected writers will be studied in their historical, intellectual and aesthetic contexts. As in the literature of this
time, attention will be paid to perspectives on region, race and ethnicity, class and gender. The course will use both lecture
and discussion. Students are expected to participate in discussions, and there will be opportunities for class presentations.
The final grade will be determined by a midterm exam, a paper (10-12 pages, either critical or research), unannounced
quizzes if necessary, attendance, participation in discussion, and a comprehensive final exam.
Requirements
Attendance is required. Missed classes must be explained beforehand when possible or promptly afterwards for sure
(please use e-mail or provide a note with date). Though this does not excuse the absence, it shows seriousness about
your work in the course; failure to account for an absence double- jeopardizes the grade. The quality of coursework will
suffer if classes are missed (hence, the grade, too).
More than mere attendance is required for a high quality performance, however. Even though our class is not small,
we’ll try to keep to a discussion format as much as possible because it enhances learning. Students will be expected to
participate. Credit is awarded for good and consistent participation; lack of participation will lower grade.
The writing project for the course will produce a paper, 10-12 pages (not including Title Page and Works Cited) that
extends beyond the class discussions and exhibits some originality and intellectual independence. It may be critical or
historical (it may entail research, but that’s not necessary). It must be presented in the format appropriate for an
academic essay in an upper-division English course according to the most recent edition of the MLA Handbook for
Writers. The paper may not focus on a work studied in the course. It must treat some facet of American literature,
1860-1920. I will have conference to help you develop your topics. A statement of the topic is to be submitted in
writing following the conferences. This will help the paper be of higher quality. The writing (and research, if included)
needs to be appropriate in quality and quantity for a course of this level. The due date for the paper is marked on the
course outline. Late papers are penalized. Papers must be submitted in print, not electronically.
All works are to be read by the day they are assigned. As a policy, missed work cannot be made up. No laptops or
handhelds, etc., in class unless for classwork. No leaving during class.
Student Presentations
There will be an opportunity for some students to give a brief oral report in class on each of our authors. These will be
in small groups of 2 or 3, and will be for extra credit.
Around the middle of the semester, we might undertake a special Writing Realist Fiction project. This optional, extra
credit project will entail your writing a short piece of fiction that accords with the principles of realist fiction we’ll be
studying in the course. These will be marked and graded, both by a fellow student and by me. Along with the written
comments, the grades, though they will not count for the course grade, will give you an idea of the quality.
Grading
Final course grades will be determined from the midterm, the paper, and the comprehensive final, as well as from class
participation. Consistent class participation of a high quality will count favorably; weak class participation will be
counted negatively. Both the midterm and the final will be composed of a combination of short answer (±35%) and
essay (±65%). The midterm (±25%) and the paper (±30%) will count less heavily than the final (±35%); class
participation will count ±10%.
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