Nineteenth and Twentieth Century American Women Writers
Heather Fox
Instructor Information
Office: CPR 321
Office Hours:
Email: heatherfox@mail.usf.edu
General Course Information
This is a 3 credit hour course. This course satisfies [
]. It is offered through the Department
of English in the School of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences. The course meets [time,
days] in [room location].
Course Description
If asked to construct a list of nineteenth century American authors, most of us would
immediately recognize Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, or Herman Melville. We
may include Emily Dickinson in this list and, near the turn-of-the-twentieth century, add many
other women writers, such as Kate Chopin and Zora Neale Hurston. But writers like Caroline
Kirkland, Lydia Maria Child, Susan Warner, and others are often excluded from these lists, even
though their works were published extensively in nineteenth century magazines and comprised
many of America’s first “best sellers.” In this course we will read texts from nineteenth and
twentieth century American women writers, who helped establish and sustain the development of
an American literature. As part of this examination, we will think carefully about relationships
between literary production, readership, and sociocultural contexts. In an effort to introduce as
many writers as possible, we will explore a sampling of American women writers. Nonetheless,
it is my desire that this sampling will encourage students to delve deeper into a particular
author’s oeuvre or other texts, which could not be included during the time period of this course.
We will learn through a process of reading and discovering, actively engaging literature by
American women writers through participation in class and group discussions, recovery projects
and presentations, a course interactive timeline, and various writing exercises.
Course Objectives
 To examine prose and poetry from a variety of nineteenth and twentieth century
American women writers, who may or may not be included in the anthologized literary
canon of American literature.
 To situate the contributions of women writers in the development of an American
literature.
 To identify relationships between literary production, readership, and sociocultural
contexts in American women writings.
 To demonstrate an understanding of the differences that culture, ethnicity, class,
sexuality, and religion have on women’s writing.
 To develop original, creative, and critical thought through writing.
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General Course Requirements
In this course, we will read a variety of prose and poetry written by American women writers
from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will situate each writer and text within the
development of an American literature. This course uses an inquiry-based approach to
instruction, in which your participation in both class and group discussions and projects is
essential to learning. Occasionally, I may lecture on biography, sociohistorical context, or theory;
but the majority of the class will be comprised of exercises and discussions designed to facilitate
our examination of American women’s writings. In preparation for each class, you must
demonstrate evidence of active reading. This evidence will include written observations and
questions about the text. Class texts may be found in The Vintage Book of American Women
Writers, A Jury of Her Peers, Ethan Frome, and PDFs or etexts in Canvas. Each week, students
will be required to post to the discussion board in Canvas prior to class and to respond to a peer’s
post. Once during the semester, students will be asked to add relevant information to the course’s
interactive timeline, American Women Writers. This timeline assignment will replace the
discussion board requirement during its assigned week. Groups of students will research and
present on a nineteenth century poet as part of a recovery project near the beginning of the
semester. Additionally, students will write a Very Short Paper and a Comparative Paper. During
the semester, students will be required to attend one conference and to complete a selfevaluation. The course will culminate with a final exam.
Required Texts
 The Vintage Book of American Women Writers. Ed. Elaine Showalter. New York:
Vintage Books, 2011.
 Showalter, Elaine. A Jury of Her Peers: Celebrating American Women Writers from
Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx. New York: Vintage Books, 2009.
 Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome.
 PDFs in Canvas Modules
Recommended Texts and Websites (optional):
 A Writer’s Reference. 7th ed. Eds. Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Modern Language
Association of America, 2009.
 Society for the Study of American Women Writers: https://ssawwnew.wordpress.com/
Students with Disabilities
Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of
Students with Disabilities Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are
required to give reasonable notice prior to requesting an accommodation. Contact SDS at 9744309 or www.sds.usf.edu. For more information about student responsibilities related to
disability accommodations, see http://www.asasd.usf.edu/Students.htm
Academic Grievance Procedures
If a serious issue or conflict arises, the student should first make an attempt to reach a
satisfactory resolution with the course instructor. It the instructor and student are unable to
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resolve the situation to their mutual satisfaction, the student may, within three weeks of the
incident, file a letter of notification with Dr. Joyce Karpay, the Assistant to the Chair of the
English Department.
Academic Integrity
Students attending USF are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of
coursework in their chosen fields of study. Each individual is expected to earn his/her degree on
the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism
on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as
“literary theft” and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text,
or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text. On written
papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles, web sites, or
oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally known to the
public at large, or the form, structure, or style of a secondary source must be attributed to its
author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Only widely known facts and first-hand
thoughts and observations original to the student do not require citations. Citations may be made
in footnotes or within the body of the text. Plagiarism also consists of passing off as one’s own
another person’s work in part or in total.
A student who submits a plagiarized assignment will receive an “F” with a numerical value of
zero on the assignment, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final course grade. The
instructor has the right to assign the student a grade of F or FF (the latter indicating dishonesty)
in the course. An “FF” grade assigned to indicate academic dishonesty is reflected only on
internal records and prevents the student from repeating the course using the Grade Forgiveness
Policy. If a student who has been accused of academic dishonesty drops the course, the student’s
registration in the course may be reinstated until the issue is resolved. A student who is suspected
of cheating may not drop a course to avoid a penalty.
See http://www.usg.usf.edu/catalogs/0809/adadap.htm for USF’s definitions of plagiarism and its
policy on academic honesty. Consult with me if you have any questions about these issues.
The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service
which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. I reserve
the right to submit assignments to this detection system. Assignments are compared
automatically with a huge database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted
papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized.
Attendance Policy
Each student uniquely contributes to our class reading experience and his/her absence detracts
from that experience. Nonetheless, unforeseen circumstances sometimes occur and necessitate a
student’s absence. In LIT [ ], students are allowed up to two absences for any reason. Three or
more absences will result in a penalty to the final grade. Please be aware that this policy does not
distinguish between “excused” and “nonexcused” absences. Additionally, class exercises cannot
be made-up. As a general rule, if you miss a class, you also miss the work associated with the
class.
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Please respect your classmates and instructor by getting to class on time. Frequent late arrivals
and/or early departures will be recorded as an absence.
Late work (other than classwork due to an absence) will be penalized a letter grade for every 124 hours the assignment is late. Electronic submissions will be documented through Canvas.
Paper assignments must be submitted to my mailbox in the English department (CPR 358) or
directly given to me in my office (CPR 321). Late work will not be accepted after 72 hours past
the assignment deadline.
Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a
major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the
second class meeting. Should an examination or the due date for an assignment fall on one of
these dates, I will make arrangements with you for a make-up exam or an alternate date for
submission of written work.
Additionally, please alert me in advance regarding documented absences for court imposed legal
obligations (jury duty, court subpoena, etc.), military duty, or USF athletics’ participation.
Technology Requirement
This course requires consistent access to the Internet, Canvas, word processing, and a printer.
Not having access to a computer will not be an acceptable excuse for not having checked the
syllabus for homework or not having checked your USF email for class announcements.
Additionally, this course requires students to regularly print Pdf documents in Canvas. As a
resource, USF students have access to free printing (up to $2.50 a day) and computer use in the
library, campus computer labs, and the Marshall Center.
Email
Your instructor regularly checks her email and responds to most emails within 48 hours. Emails
will be answered Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. In order to lessen wait time for email
responses, please be sure to check the syllabus and Canvas Modules before asking questions
about assignments. Oftentimes, students’ questions have already been addressed through course
communications. Additionally, you may use the Canvas People link to email a classmate. It is
good practice to establish an email link with a fellow classmate in your each of your classes for
assignment clarification, instructions missed due to an absence, or other procedural questions.
When sending an email to your instructor, you should use the following procedures:
 Always use your USF email or Canvas account.
 Be sure to note the reason for the email in the subject heading. Example: “appointment
request”
 Begin the email with a professional greeting (such as “Dear”) and end the email with an
appropriate salutation before signing your name (such as “Best,” or “Sincerely”).
 Professional emails are not text messages. It is important to write in complete sentences,
following grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules.
 Any attached documents should be sent as Word docs or pdfs.
Good Practice Policies
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A positive learning environment is important for students and instructors. Please observe these
“good practice” policies as common courtesies, which apply to the classroom as well as other
work environments:
 Turn off or silence cell phones before class begins.
 Ask for your instructor’s permission and guidelines before using your laptop in class.
 Provide constructive criticism to help peers improve their work. Disrespectful or
disruptive behavior and comments will not be tolerated, online or in person.
 Submit academic-appropriate work. Any work with intentionally inflammatory or
offensive material is unacceptable.
 Ask when you feel that an assignment or procedure requires further clarification. If your
individual concerns cannot be adequately addressed in class, visit your instructor during
her office hours or make an appointment.
 Ask permission prior to recording class lectures or discussions. Students are not
permitted to sell notes or tapes of class lectures.
 When possible, become involved in your college community. I will post announcements
about lectures and readings throughout the semester, but you can also use this link to stay
informed (http://webcal.forest.usf.edu/cal/main/showEventList.rdo).
 If any behaviors interfere with instruction, whether in the classroom or online, your
instructor will then follow Disruption of Academic Process policies from the USF
Handbook.
Student Resources
USF Writing Center: http://www.lib.usf.edu/writing/
USF Library: http://www.lib.usf.edu/
USF Digital Media Commons: http://www.lib.usf.edu/digital-studio/
Plagiarism Information: http://fyc.usf.edu/Policies/Plagiarism%20Main.aspx
Students with Disabilities Services: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/
USF Counseling Center: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/counsel/
USF Advocacy Program: http://www.sa.usf.edu/ADVOCACY/page.asp?id=72
Emergency Plans
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During
this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are
not limited to Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, e-mail messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the
responsibility of the student to check for communication from their instructor and / or the
university.
Grading Policy
Class Participation and Preparation
Interactive Timeline and Discussion Board Posts
Group Recovery Project and Presentation
Very Short Paper
Comparative Paper
Conference and Self-Evaluation
Final Exam
5
10%
15%
15%
10%
20%
5%
25%
A grade of “I” will be awarded only in the case of a medical or family emergency and, in
conjunction with University policy, only when a small portion of the student’s work is
incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade.
Students may not take this course S/U.
Letter grades, including plus and minus grades, will be converted to points according to the
Grade Point Average grading system, as follows:
A+ (97–100) 4.00
A (94–96.9) 4.00
A– (90–93.9) 3.67
B+ (87–89.9) 3.33
B (84–86.9) 3.00
B– (80–83.9) 2.67
C+ (77–79.9) 2.33
C (74–76.9) 2.00
C– (70–73.9) 1.67
D+ (67–69.9) 1.33
D (64–66.9) 1.00
D– (60–63.9) 0.67
It is up to each student to check on his or her grade deduction due to lateness or absences.
Remember that your final percentage in the Canvas gradebook will not reflect deductions due to
lateness or absences.
If any student has missed enough class work to prevent him or her from successfully completing
the course requirements,(i.e. has failed to turn in one or more major assignments or acquired
enough absences to impact their final grade by one whole letter grade), instructors will
recommend that the student drop the course.
Mid and End of Semester Teacher Evaluations
In the middle of the semester and during the last three weeks of the semester, your instructor will
ask you to complete an online teacher evaluation. These evaluations are used to assess the
teaching of this course so that future adjustments may be made in order to best meet the learning
needs of the students.
Class Participation and Preparation (10%)
In preparation for each class, you will be required to actively read the assigned text(s). This
includes primary and secondary and/or supplementary reading materials. Evidence of your active
reading includes writing notes in the margins about your observations and questions,
highlighting or underlining significant lines, and looking up unfamiliar words in a dictionary.
Specific guidelines will be outlined for active reading during the first week of class. You will be
required to come to each class with active reading “evidence” and this will constitute a large
portion of your preparation grade. You will be expected to remain fully engaged during class and
group discussion. Finally, there may be in-class and out-of-class exercises as part of our work
together.
Discussion Board Posts and Interactive Timeline (15%)
Each week, students will construct a response to guided question(s) in Canvas Discussion Board
and respond to a peer’s post. Additionally, in order to visually situate American women writers
in conversation with traditionally anthologized writers, students will be asked to add information
about authors, texts, and other pertinent sociohistorical information to our course’s interactive
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timeline, American Women Writers, for one week out of the semester. Timeline work will
replace the discussion board requirement for the assigned week. The American Women Writers
timeline may be located using the following link:
Group Recovery Project and Presentation (15%)
Beginning with a class visit to USF’s periodical collection in the library, students will work
together in small groups to examine poems published in popular nineteenth century magazines
by one American woman poet. Groups should use magazine issues’ table of contents,
biographical notes, and/or additional sources to research any available biographical and
sociocultural information. After conducting research, groups will write a brief note about the
text(s) and author and will add the poet to the American Women Writers timeline. Finally, in a
ten minute presentation, groups will present information about their poet and her poems to the
class.
Very Short Paper (10%)
Students will choose one text from a list of texts provided by the instructor. Alternatively,
students may choose a poem found during their work in the group recovery project. The text
must be actively read and reread. Based on a close reading of the text, students should construct
a verifiable argument about the significance of the text’s meaning in relation to literary
production, readership, and/or sociocultural context. No readings beyond the readings provided
in this course will be necessary for this assignment. The Very Short Paper should be 1,000-1,200
words and must be submitted electronically to Canvas AND in paper copy in class. This paper
will be graded using the following rubric:
Assignment Requirements
Literary Analysis
50%
Focus
25%
Structure
15%
Form and Mechanics
10%
The following are minimum requirements for receiving a grade: The paper critically analyzes one text
from the course. It adheres to word count, includes a Works Cited page, and includes all other assignment
requirements.
The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading. This reading is supported by a
sufficient amount of textual and contextual evidence (quotes and paraphrase) and developed through
response, in order to thoroughly address the significance of the story’s meaning. The paper privileges
specific textual support and response-based reasoning over general summary-based reasoning when
constructing and developing the argument.
The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the story in relation to sociocultural
context, and this argument is clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent body paragraphs use
evidence and response, which directly relates to the thesis.
The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised of an introduction,
body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides context and identifies a thesis. Body
paragraphs use clearly-stated topic sentences to develop the thesis further. Evidence and response serve to
support this development. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s
development of evidence and response.
Transitions connect multiple ideas relating to the thesis. Evidence is integrated into body paragraphs by
identifying and contextualizing the sources prior to introducing direct quotes and paraphrase. Direct
quotes and paraphrased text are cited using parenthetical documentation in MLA format. A Works Cited
page directly follows the essay and adheres to MLA format. The paper is effectively written with little to
no notable errors in usage and style.
Comparative Paper: Nineteenth and Twentieth Century American Women Writers (20%)
Students will be required to choose two texts, written at least thirty years apart and by different
authors, from a list of text provided by the instructor. As part of a comparative critical analysis,
students should think closely about the authors and texts, in terms of literary production,
readership, and sociocultural context. Papers will construct an argument, which includes both a
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close reading and sufficient secondary research to consider how these texts contribute to the
development of an American literature. Multiple workshops at various stages of the process will
be required as part of a process of informal peer review. The final draft should be 2,500-3,000
words and will be graded using the following rubric:
Assignment Requirements
Literary Analysis
50%
Focus
20%
Structure
20%
Form and Mechanics
10%
The following are minimum requirements for receiving a grade: The paper analyzes two texts, written at
least thirty years apart and by different authors. The paper addresses possible relationships between
authors/texts and literary production, readership, and/or sociocultural context. The paper adheres to the
word count and includes a Works Cited page.
The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading, beginning with a close reading of
primary texts and developed by secondary readings. Both the primary and secondary texts are used as
evidence to support a focused reading of the text. Evidence is thoroughly developed in terms of the
essay’s argument about the significance of the text’s meaning in relation to place and idea. The paper
privileges specific textual support and response-based reasoning over general summary-based reasoning
when constructing and developing the argument. Relevant formal literary terms are used appropriately.
The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the poem’s meaning, and this argument is
clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent body paragraphs use evidence and response, which
directly relates to the thesis.
The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised of an introduction,
body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides context and identifies a thesis. Body
paragraphs use clearly-stated topic sentences to develop the thesis further. Evidence and response serve to
support this development. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s
development of evidence and response.
Transitions connect multiple ideas relating to the thesis. Evidence is integrated into body paragraphs by
identifying and contextualizing the sources prior to introducing direct quotes and paraphrase. Direct
quotes and paraphrased text are cited using parenthetical documentation in MLA format. A Works Cited
page directly follows the essay and adheres to MLA format. The paper is effectively written with little to
no notable errors in usage and style.
Conference and Mid-semester Self-Evaluation (5%)
Students will be required to attend one conference with their instructor during the semester.
Additionally, students will be required to complete a brief self-evaluation in Canvas near the
midpoint of the course. The purpose for this is to help students identify successes and possible
areas for improvement before the end of the semester in order to help students best achieve their
academic goals for this course.
Final Exam (25%)
This final exam will be a take home exam and will be made available in Canvas for a limited
period of time. Final exams will not be accepted after the deadline. Students should study class
notes, discussion board posts, the interactive timeline, and course texts. The final exam asks
students to think about the trajectory of women writers’ contributions throughout the
development of American literature during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and
connections between authors, texts, processes of literary production, readership, and/or
sociohistorical contexts.
Course Schedule
*This course schedule is a flexible plan and is subject to change throughout the semester.
Unless stated otherwise, primary readings may be found in The Vintage Book of American
Women Writers. Secondary readings will be identified as either A Jury of Her Peers or
PDF. PDFs are located in Canvas Modules for each week.
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Week 1: (Re)defining a National Literature
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Introduce:
 Course and Syllabus
 Interactive Timeline: American Women Writers
Exercise: American Literature Anthologies Scavenger Hunt
Thursday
Introduce: (print copies not required):
 Patricia Strong, Preparing for an Inquiry-Based Course (PDF)
 Active Reading Preparation Requirements (PDF)
Readings:
 Susan Glaspell, “A Jury of Her Peers” (1917)
 Lydia Maria Child, “The Church in the Wilderness” (1828)
 “Introduction” and Selections from “Their Native Land,” pp. 32-34, 42-49 (A Jury of Her
Peers)
Week 2: Readers and Periodicals
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Introduce: Recovery Group Project. Presentations begin Week 4. All critical analysis papers due
Week 5.
Read before Class:
 Frances Sargent Locke Osgood, “He Bade Me Be Happy” (1849) and “Ah! Woman Still”
(1850)
 Julia Ward Howe, “The Heart’s Astronomy” (1853)
 Alice Cary, “The Bridal Veil” (1866)
 Elizabeth Drew Stoddard, “The Poet’s Secret” (1860) and “Before the Mirror” (1860)
 “Masterpieces and Mass Markets,” pp. 70-82 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Class Field Trip: Meet in library basement, in front of the elevators. Be sure to bring zip drive
and Recovery Project Assignment Handout. There will be time for groups to work together after
the initial presentation.
Week 3: Best Sellers
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Read before Class:
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

Susan Warner, Chapters 1-8 from The Wide, Wide World (etext)
“Masterpieces and Mass Markets,” pp. 82-94, 97-103 (Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Maria Susanna Cummins, Chapters 1-6 from The Lamplighter (etext)
 Nina Baym, Introduction to The Lamplighter (PDF, print copy not required)
Week 4: Slavery, Race, and Women’s Writing
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Group Presentations (2): Recovery Project.
Read before Class:
 Harriet Beecher Stowe, Chapters 26-29 from Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) (etext)
 “Slavery, Race, and Women’s Writing,” pp. 107-118 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Group Presentations (2): Recovery Project.
Read before Class:
 Harriet Jacobs, Chapters 5-8 from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1860/61) (etext)
 “Slavery, Race, and Women’s Writing,” pp. 120-125 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 5: Documenting Labor and War
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Group Presentations (2): Recovery Project
Read before Class:
 Rebecca Harding Davis, “Life in the Iron Mills” (1861) (PDF)
 “The Civil War,” pp. 129-137 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Group Presentations (2): Recovery Project
Read before Class:
 Louisa May Alcott, “My Contraband” (1863)
 “The Civil War,” pp. 138-143, 162-163 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 6: Women’s “Regionality”
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
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Tuesday
Introduce:
 Very Short Paper assignment. Due Tuesday, Week 8.
 Conference Sign-Ups.
Read before Class:
 Constance Fenimore Cooper, “Rodman the Keeper” (1880)
 “American Sibyls,” pp. 186-188 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Reminder: Conferences next week.
Read before Class:
 Sarah Orne Jewett, “A White Heron” (1886)
 Mary Noailles Murfree, “The ‘Harnt’ that Walks Chilhowee” (1884)
 “American Sibyls,” pp. 189-195, 199-200, 203-209 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 7: New Women and New Orleans
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Conferences: Bring Very Short Paper draft and/or outline.
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Kate Chopin, “At the ‘Canadian Ball” (1894) and “The Storm” (1898)
 Grace King, “The Little Covent Girl” (1893)
 Alice Dunbar-Nelson, “A Carnival Jangle” (1895)
 “New Women” pp. 210-236 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 8: Native American Voices
Tuesday
Due: Very Short Paper.
Introduce: Self-Evaluation. Due in Canvas on Thursday, 9 a.m.
Read before Class:
 Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, Chapters 1 and 4 from Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs
and Claims (1883) (etext)
 Cathleen Cahill, Introduction to Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social History of the
United States Indian Service (PDF, print copy not required)
Thursday
Due: Self-Evaluation.
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Introduce: Midsemester Teacher Evaluation. Due in Canvas on Tuesday at 9 a.m., Week 9.
Read before Class:
 Zitkala-Ša, “A Warrior’s Daughter” (1902)
 “The Golden Morrow” pp. 241-244, 259-260 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 9: Utopias and Imagists
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Due: Midsemester Teacher Evaluation in Canvas at 9 a.m.
Read before Class:
 Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) and short excerpt from
Herland (1915) (PDF)
 “The Golden Morrow,” pp. 249-251 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Hilda Doolittle (H.D.), “Oread” (1915) and “Eurydice” (1917)
 Amy Lowell, “Wind and Silver” (PDF) and “A Lady” (PDF)
 From “The Golden Morrow,” pp. 254-257
Week 10: A Man’s Woman
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Introduce:
 Comparative Paper assignment. Due Tuesday, Week 14.
 Comparative Paper proposal due Thursday.
Read before Class:
 Edith Wharton, “The Valley of Childish Things” (1896)
 “Against Women’s Writing: Wharton and Cather,” pp. 271-284 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Due: Comparative Paper proposal. Workshop in class.
Introduce: Source Summaries for Comparative Paper. Due Thursday, Week 11.
Read before Class:
 Willa Cather, “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament” (1911)
 “Against Women’s Writing: Wharton and Cather,” pp. 284-295 (A Jury of Her Peers)
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Week 11: Women Writers in the Harlem Renaissance
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Dorothy West, “The Typewriter” (1926) (PDF)
 Anita Coleman, “Three Dogs and a Rabbit” (1926) (PDF)
 Darryl Dickson-Carr, “African American Women, the New Feminism, and the Domestic
Sphere” in the introduction to Ebony Rising (PDF)
 Patricia Hill Collins, “The Politics of Black Feminist Thought” in Black Feminist
Thought
Thursday
Due: Source Summaries. Workshop in Class.
Introduce: Comparative Paper partial draft (introduction + 3 body paragraphs + outline of rest of
paper). Due Week 12, Tuesday.
Read before Class:
 Nellie R. Bright, “Longings” (1927) (PDF)
 Clarissa Scott Delany, “The Mask” (1927) (PDF)
 Helene Johnson, “Bottled” (1927) (PDF)
 Georgia Douglas Johnson, “My Son” (1924) (PDF)
 Angelina Grimké, “The Closing Door” (1919) (PDF)
Week 12: Friendships and Mentorships
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Due: Comparative Paper Partial draft. Workshop in class.
Introduce: Placeholder introduction and first text rough draft. Due Tuesday, Week 13.
Read before Class:
 Zora Neale Hurston, “Sweat” (1926)
 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, “A Mother in Mannville” (1936) (PDF)
 From “The Great Depression,” pp. 351-355 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Introduce: Comparative Paper draft. Due in Class Week 13, Tuesday.
Read before Class:
 Katherine Anne Porter, “The Circus” (1944)
 Eudora Welty, “A Curtain of Green” (1941) (PDF)
 Katherine Anne Porter, Preface to Eudora Welty’s A Curtain of Green (PDF, print copy
not required)
13

From “The Great Depression,” pp. 347-350 and “The 1940s: World War II and After,”
pp. 378-382 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Read in Class:
 Marianne Moore, “Silence” (1924)
Week 13: After World War II
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Due: Comparative Paper draft. Workshop in class.
Reminder: Comparative Paper final draft due Tuesday, Week 13.
Read before Class:
 Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948)
 From “The 1940s: World War II and After,” pp. 362-367 and “The 1950s: Three Faces of
Eve,” pp. 405-409 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Carson McCullers, “The Ballad of the Sad Café” (1951) (PDF)
 From “The 1940s: World War II and After,” pp. 368-372 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 14: Death and Awakening
American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Due: Comparative Paper in Canvas and class paper copy.
Read before Class:
 Sylvia Plath, “Stings” (1962) and “Wintering” (1962)
 Sylvia Plath, excerpt from The Bell Jar (1963) (PDF)
 Elizabeth Bishop, “One Art” (1976) and “The Fish” (PDF)
 From “The 1950s: Three Faces of Eve,” pp. 413-414, 415-417 and “The 1960s: Live or
Die,” pp. 434-440 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Thursday
Read in Class:
 Adrienne Rich, “Power” (1978)
 Toni Morrison, from Beloved (1987)
 From “The 1950s: Three Faces of Eve,” pp. 417-419; “The 1970s: The Will to Change,”
pp. 441-449; and “The 1980s: On the Jury,” pp. 489-493 (A Jury of Her Peers)
Week 15: Forward
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American Women Writers Interactive Timeline (students responsible for this week):
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Annie Proulx, “55 Miles to the Gas Pump” (2000)
 Joyce Carol Oates, “Golden Gloves”(1985)
 From “The 1960s: Live or Die,” pp. 429-434 and “The 1990s: Anything She Wants,” pp.
494-497, 508-510, 511-512
Thursday
Introduce: Final Exam discussion.
Read before Class:
 Jhumpa Lahiri, “Going Ashore” (2008) (PDF)
Week 16: Final Exam
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