American Literature 1860-1920: Realism and Naturalism
Terry Oggel
Spring 2014
ENGL373-002 TR12:30-1:45 Hibbs 427 E-mail: Office hours:5-6:00pm TR & by app't. Office:Hibbs 345 phone: 828-1331
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COMPLETE LIST OF 12 IMPORTANT NOTICES PROVIDED ON 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.
Freeman, Pembroke [1894]. Northeastern, 2002.
Alger, Ragged Dick [1868]. Ed. Bode. Penguin, 1995.
Chopin, The Awakening [1899]. Dover, 1993.
Crane, Red Badge of Courage [l895] and Four Stories.Eds. Mellors and Roberston. Oxford, 2008.
Required Collateral Texts—Online
Howells, “Editha,” 1905.
Howells, Criticism and Fiction [1891] in Criticism and Fiction and Other Essays. Eds. Kirk and Kirk. New York UP,
1959.
James,“The Art of Fiction,” 1884.
James,“The Real Thing,” 1892.
Twain,“Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses,”1895.
Hawthorne, The Custom House Introduction to The Scarlet Letter (1850).
Course Description
Objectives
This course examines literature of the United States from the Civil War to World War I, when the dominant genre was fiction and the new, influential literary philosophies and techniques were realism and naturalism. Works by selected writers will be studied in theirhistorical, intellectual and aesthetic contexts. In this course, as in the literature of this time, attention will be paid to perspectives on race, caste, class and gender.
Requirements
Attendance is required. Missed classes must be explained beforehand when possible or promptly afterwards for sure (please provide a note with date, or use e-mail). Though this does not excuse the absence, it shows seriousness about your work in the course; failure to account for an absence jeopardizes the grade. The quality of coursework (hence, the grade) will suffer significantly if classes are missed.
More than mere attendance is required for a high quality performance, however. Even though our class is fairly large, we’ll try to keep to a discussion format because it enhances learning. Students will be expected to participate. Extra credit is awarded for good and consistent participation.
The writing project for the course will produce a paper, 10-12pages (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 manner 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 isto be submitted in writing following the conference. 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 online.
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 unlessfor classwork.
Student Reports
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-creditproject 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, 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, student oral reports and the fiction writing project. 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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