Prof. Noelle Morrissette
Dept. of English
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
E-mail: namorris@uncg.edu
Office: 3135 Hall for the Humanities
Office hours: TR 11am-12pm and by
appt.
English 252-02: American Writers Realist to Modern
TR 12:30-1:45, SOE 102
Course description:
This course provides a survey of American literature from 1865 to the present,
focusing on the representational strategies employed by authors and ranging
across historical periods and literary genres. We will examine how authors
contribute to a national literary tradition by reworking ideas of literature and
nationhood. Along the way, we will consider questions about the boundaries
and various functions of both literature and nation, as well as the ways in which
literary texts have addressed (or failed to address) America’s critical struggles
over the extension of democratic principles across lines of race, class, and gender.
Authors may include Chesnutt, Dunbar, Twain, Stein, Du Bois, Johnson, Toomer,
O’Neill, Hemingway, Wright, Ellison, and Morrison.
Required texts (available at the University Bookstore in the Student Center):
Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson
Chesnutt, Marrow of Tradition
Stein, Three Lives
Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
Toomer, Cane
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
Wright, Native Son
Morrison, Jazz
All other required readings available on Blackboard.
Note: Students are required to bring a printout of Blackboard readings to class on
the date they are discussed.
Course Requirements (please see below for description):
Participation (10%);
Reading Quizzes and/ or Response Papers (15%);
In-class Midterm (25%);
2
Formal Paper (one) (25%);
Final Exam (25%)
Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
Based on the description above, this course is structured to produce the
following learning outcomes:
1. Deepen students’ knowledge and appreciation of American literary
history through the careful analysis of representative texts and authors.
Students will improve their understanding of the personal, cultural, and
political experiences of Americans as it is reflected in the literature of the
period (post-1865 to mid-20th century).
2. Improve students’ knowledge and use of appropriate critical terminology
used in the analysis of literary texts. This terminology will improve
students’ ability to analyze and appreciate the formal and aesthetic
qualities of literature and deepen their understanding of creative
processes.
3. Enhance students’ skills in oral and written expression of critical thinking.
Students will practice thinking critically about both the literature they
study and the interpretations they produce by questioning the key
assumptions operating in the literary texts they read and those that inform
their own interpretations of those texts. Students will develop their own
hypotheses, theories, and interpretations of the literature they read.
Students will improve their ability to frame questions, analyze specific
images, symbols, passages, and scenes, and to present interpretations of
literary work in both oral and written formats. In written communication,
particular attention will be paid to writing clear, concise sentences and
paragraphs, structuring original analyses and arguments in a clear and
compelling way, and documenting arguments effectively through the use
of outside sources (if such the instructor requires such research).
Pedagogical Method:
This course emphasizes discussion-based teaching, in which student
participation animates the direction of the class material. Discussion will focus
on facilitating a shared exploration of the meaning of the assigned texts through
rigorous analysis of the text itself, consideration of it in relation to other authors,
genre, periods, and theories surveyed in our readings. Students are expected to
make these connections and foster discussion by addressing questions and
comments to their classmates and by active listening.
Course Schedule (subject to change as per instructor):
Tu Jan 10th: Introduction to course materials and requirements.
3
Th Jan 12th:
Morrison, “Black Matters,” from Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and
the American Literary Imagination (1993) (Blackboard); Hemingway,
“The Battler” from In Our Time (Blackboard)
Critical term: montage
Distribution of paper topics for formal essay.
Tu Jan 17th:
Chesnutt, “The Goophered Grapevine” (1887) and “What is a
White Man?” (1889) (Blackboard); critical terms: “signifyin’” and
“regionalism”
Th Jan 19th:
Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson (1893) in entirety;
Blackboard, “Plessy v. Ferguson”; critical term: “realism”
Tu Jan 24th:
Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson, cont’d.
Th Jan 26th:
Paul Laurence Dunbar, selected poetry (Blackboard);
“How to Read a Poem” (Blackboard); critical term: “vernacular”
Due date: Formal paper
Tu Jan 31st:
Chesnutt, Marrow of Tradition (1901) in entirety;
Blackboard, “Wilmington Riots”; critical term: “cakewalk”
Th Feb 2nd:
Chesnutt, Marrow of Tradition, cont’d.
Tu Feb 7th:
Du Bois, “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” and “Of Mr. Booker T.
Washington and Others,” from The Souls of Black Folk (1903);
Booker T. Washington, excerpt, “Atlanta Exposition Speech”
(Blackboard); critical terms: “double consciousness,” “stream of
consciousness”
Th Feb 9th:
James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912),
in entirety; critical term: “passing”
Tu Feb 14th: Gertrude Stein, “Melanctha,” in Three Lives; critical terms:
“modernism” and “cubism”
Th Feb 16th: Stein, “Melanctha,” cont’d.
4
Tu Feb 21st: In-class midterm examination. No make-ups will be given. Bring two
bluebooks.
Th Feb 23rd: Jean Toomer, Cane, Parts One and Two; critical term:
“impressionism”
Tu Feb 28th: Jean Toomer, Cane, Part Three (“Kabnis”)
Th March 1st:
Eugene O’Neill, The Emperor Jones (Blackboard); critical
term: “expressionism”
Due Date: Response Paper on “Kabnis” or “Emperor Jones”
Friday, March 2- Sunday, March 11th: Spring Break
Tu March 13th:
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, in entirety; Violence and
the Modern American Novel (Blackboard)
Th March 15th:
Fitzgerald, Gatsby, cont’d.
Tu March 20th:
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, in entirety
Th March 22nd:
Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, cont’d.
Tu March 27th:
Richard Wright, “Blueprint for Negro Writing” (Blackboard)
Th March 29th:
Richard Wright, Native Son (1940), Part One (“Fear”); critical
term: “naturalism”
Tu April 3rd:
Ralph Ellison essay, “Hidden Name and Complex Fate”
(1958) (Blackboard)
Th April 5th: Ralph Ellison, Prologue and Chapter One (“Battle Royal”), Invisible
Man (1952). Audio: Louis Armstrong, “What Did I Do To Be So
Black and Blue”
Critical term: Surrealism
Due date: Response paper on Ellison’s writings
Tu April 10th:
Toni Morrison, Jazz (1997), in entirety.
Th April 12th:
Morrison, Jazz, cont’d.
Tu April 17th:
Review for final exam.
5
Th April 19th:
In-class final exam. No make-ups will be given. Bring three
bluebooks.
Outline of Course Policy and Requirements:
What you should know about plagiarism:
It is incumbent upon you, as a scholar, both to document the borrowings you
make from the work of others and to report more general indebtedness to the
people and books (and lectures, internet sources, et cetera) you have consulted in
the course of preparing your papers. Plagiarism consists of intentionally
misrepresenting someone else’s work, words, or insights as your own. Like any
other form of intellectual dishonesty, plagiarism is a serious offense in an
academic community. A paper that shows evidence of plagiarism will receive a
failing grade of “F” and will lead to a failing grade of “F” for the entire course
term. Every case of plagiarism will be reported to the University Honor
Committee for disciplinary action, which may range from further reprimand to
expulsion from UNCG.
Students are expected to adhere to the University Academic Honor Policy. See
the UNCG Dean of Students website.
Participation (10%);
In-class essays and response papers (15%);
In-class Midterm: (25%);
Formal Paper (one) (25%)
Final Exam (25%)
You must complete all assignments to receive a passing grade for this class.
Late work:
The course moves at a rapid pace, so all work must be completed on time. Late
work will lower your final grade. Late papers will be penalized by one letter
grade per day, with a maximum of two calendar days. After two days, you may
not submit your work for a grade and you will receive a zero for the assignment.
There are no exceptions to this policy.
Classroom deportment:
Our classroom is a space that fosters and supports respect and collaboration. Do
not interrupt class with private conversations, note-passing, or late arrival to
class. Cell phones, PDAs and Blackberries must be turned off at all times. Use of
computers is not permitted without prior permission from instructor. Should
you choose to ignore the policy of classroom deportment outlined here, you will
be asked to leave the classroom for the duration of our meeting time. Multiple
6
infractions will result in a failing participation grade and a mandatory
disciplinary action taken through the Dean of Students Office.
Office Hours:
Every week I will be available in my office for consultation. Office hours are your
opportunity to talk to me about the reading and writing process and the ideas
that you develop on an individual basis. If you cannot make my office hours, you
may schedule an appointment with me for another time.
 Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance and active participation is required. Attendance at all
classes is required. Latecomers will be counted as absent. I will accept valid
doctor’s notes or advance written notice of religious observances only as excuses for
absences. If you miss three classes, I will inform your academic advisor of your
unsatisfactory standing in the class and your final grade will be lowered by one
full letter grade per absence, starting with the third absence. If you miss more
than five classes, you will receive a failing grade for the course.
You must keep up with the readings in order to fulfill your obligation as a
member of the class and a participant in the ongoing discussion. Your
participation will be graded on the basis of the on-time completion of reading
assignments. Our class is a seminar, not a lecture: your participation in classroom
discussions is not only welcomed—it is required. I expect thoughtful comments
and questions and active listening.
At her discretion, the instructor may give impromptu quizzes on the assigned
reading. These quizzes are in-class only and cannot be made up. Quizzes are
averaged with response papers (see below, Written work) and together compose
15% of your grade.
 Written work:
Response Papers (2pp.): two response papers of 500 words each are due during
the semester, on the date indicated and at the beginning of class. No late response
papers will be accepted. Response papers will be graded on the basis of their
persuasive handling of a critical aspect of the specified work.
In-class midterm:
Students are responsible for completing the required in-class midterm
examination. No make-up examinations will be permitted and no late work will be
accepted for this assignment. In either of these cases, a grade of zero will be recorded for
the assignment. Students will be presented with a two-part exam:
1. an excerpted literary passage (poetry or prose) that they will interpret using
critical analysis (the practice of close-reading);
2. a broad thematic that they will be asked to trace through two authors’ works
that we have read for class.
7
In-class presentation of material and discussions will assist students as they
prepare for this examination. Students will carefully construct a 250-word essay
for part one and a 500-word essay for part two. Students will be asked to analyze
the literary passage provided, utilizing any relevant critical terms and concepts
introduced in class, (such as realism, modernism, regionalism, cakewalk,
signifyin’, etc.). Exam will be graded for the clarity of the argument as well as the
quality of analysis (attention to important details in the passage’s craft as well as
the use of those details as evidence supporting the essay’s argument).
Formal paper (6-7 pp.):
Students will receive a list of paper topics and guidelines, from which they will
select a broad theme for exploration. Students must craft their own individual
thesis statement and discussion, and are required to follow the guidelines for
paper writing provided with the list of paper topics. Your essay will present your
interpretation of a literary text through the practice of close reading—that is,
using the primary text (most often in direct quotation) to reinforce, elucidate, and
develop your assertions. The essay’s original argument should be defined by
linking it to a larger critical issue that the course introduces (for example, but not
limited to, uses of the vernacular and/or dialogue in constructing point-of-view;
images of modern black culture and character; gendered issues within American
literature of the period; innovative techniques in narrative form involving visual
or oral art forms). Your essay must cite all the texts and sources consulted and
must adhere to the paper format requirements outlined in the syllabus (see
below). For all other questions of citation, consult the MLA Handbook, available
in Reference at the UNCG Jackson Library.
Final examination:
The final examination will be administered during the final class meeting. There
will be no make-up examination, so students who fail to complete this required
assignment will receive the final grade of an “F” for the course. Students are
responsible for all assigned readings listed on the course syllabus. The final exam
will contain three sections: 1) identifications of authors and the titles of their
works from brief, excerpted passages; 2) on-the-spot close reading; 3) themebased essay questions. There are no multiple-choice questions on this exam. It is
designed to demonstrate a student’s mastery of critical terminology and concepts
introduced in the course materials, discussion, and writing assignments.