SUNY Fredonia
Division of Arts and Humanities
ENGL 426: MAJOR AMERICAN WRITERS
FAULKNER AND COMPANY
Summer 2004 (Session II)
Bruce Simon
Section 1: M-F 12:40-2:20, Thompson E-316
Office: Fenton 240; M-F 12-12:30, 2:30-3, and by appointment; 673-3859
E-mail: simon@fredonia.edu
Web Page: www.fredonia.edu/department/english/simon/
About the Course Web Site
This web site is designed to help you get as much out of this course as possible--you can use it to find out how you will be graded, what reading and writing assignments are due and when, how to subscribe to the course listserv for your section, what books are on reserve for your use in Reed Library, and how to use the world-wide web for research. Please take the time during the first week or so of classes to read this page carefully and to familiarize yourself with the other pages for this course. Please get in the habit of checking back to this web site to keep track of changes to the tentative schedule listed in your syllabus and to find advice on papers, as well as to surf the ever-expanding list of links to interesting web pages related to the course. And please contact me anytime (see above for my coordinates) if you have ideas about how to improve these pages or the course as a whole. I hope you enjoy taking this course as much as I enjoy teaching it!
I. Course Description
Close study of one or more writers and themes significant in American culture. In this section, we will consider a selection of writings by the modernist Mississippi author William Faulkner and contemporary writers Louise Erdrich and Neil Gaiman in historical context, as aesthetic and political interventions in their own times, and for their intertextual relations. How do these very different writers speak to each other, to their own times, and to us? What connections and contrasts can we find between their characters and settings, characteristic themes and figures, central beliefs and values, and literary and political projects? This course fulfills the "major author in context" requirement of the English major, and, with permission of the chair, may count toward the "major author" requirement (ENGL 510) for graduate students taking this course as ENGL 580. [With apologies to Mr. Gaiman, we had to sacrifice his works on the altar of course load. --BNS 7/8/04]
II. Rationale
In ENGL 426, as in most courses offered by the English Department, students from a range of majors, minors, and concentrations interact, and the goals of the professional programs are integrated with specific course goals. Achieving these goals (described in Section IV, below) will require us to foster academic skills and intellectual habits of reading closely and attentively, thinking critically and creatively, listening actively and carefully, speaking thoughtfully and concisely, and writing clearly and analytically-skills and habits of importance to everyone, including English Adolescence Education majors.
III. Textbooks. The textbooks adopted for this course are:
IV. Course Objectives and Outcomes
ENGL 426 is designed to help students develop their abilities to (1) recognize and analyze relations among an author's characters, settings, and plots in a variety of works--gain a critical perspective on an author's fictional "world"; (2) recognize and analyze relations among an author's use of form, theme, and narrative strategy in a variety of works--gain a critical perspective on an author's strategies of storytelling and "re-vision"; (3) compare and contrast different authors' literary and political projects and analyze them in the context of the authors' cultures, ethnicities, regions, and historical eras; and (4) identify and analyze patterns in American and world literature. Students will typically try to fulfill goals (1) and (2) in class and listserv discussions, critical essays, and group pedagogical projects; and goals (3) and (4) in class and listserv discussions, critical essays, and the final research project (see Section VI , below, for details on these assignments).
V. Instructional Methods and Activities
The methods used in the classroom will include a combination of instructor-led lecture and discussion, with some cooperative group work and student-led discussion activities and collaborative pedagogical projects.
VI. Evaluation and Grade Assignment
A. Methods
Attendance/Preparation/Participation (15%). Regular attendance and thoughtful participation are crucial to your enjoyment of and success in this course. If there is absolutely no way for you to avoid missing a class, you must contact me ahead of time or soon after your absence, preferably by email (see Section VIII, below, for more on attendance policies in this course). Even more important than showing up on time, of course, is coming to class prepared and focused. I expect you to read what has been assigned for a given date at least once (and preferably more than that!) by the time we begin to discuss it in class. This is a discussion rather than a lecture course, after all; although I will provide some context and background for our reading, the bulk of class time will be spent in small- or large-group discussions and activities. Since it's difficult to make good contributions to discussions about a literary work if you haven't read it carefully or thought about it extensively, how well you budget your time outside of class will to a large degree determine how well you do in this class in general and how well you do on this portion of your course grade in particular.
Your grade for this segment of the course will be based on a combination of your attendance, the quality of your participation in class and on the class listserv (described below, Section VIII), and your level of preparation and improvement over the course of the semester. As there are no tests in this course, think of my evaluation of your preparation/participation as a different but equally important method of assessing your overall performance in the course. Due to the importance of attendance and participation, barring emergencies more than two unexcused absences will hurt your preparation/participation grade and each absence after the third will lower your final course grade by a grade (e.g., with four non-emergency absences a B+ will become a C+; with six, it will become an E).
Critical Essay (20%). Undergraduates are required to write a 3-to-5-page critical essay; graduate students are required to write a 5-to-8-page critical essay. The assignment sheet and advice for the critical essay can be found at http://www.fredonia.edu/department/english/simon/eng426su04/ce.htm.
Your grade for this segment of the course will be determined by the coherence and validity of your papers' arguments, the effectiveness of their structures in conveying your ideas and convincing your audience, and the quality of their prose (including grammar, syntax, and punctuation).
Group Pedagogical Project (30%). During the first week of classes, the class will be divided into groups. Each group will have the opportunity to decide during what week and on what topic it will do its pedagogical project; each group will be responsible for designing and leading a set of discussion activities for at least one hour of a class session. At least two days before your teaching segment is slated to begin, your group must meet with me for feedback and advice on your ideas and plans. At most one week after the conclusion of your teaching segment, your group must turn in a 500-1000-word group-authored reflection on the experience of planning and teaching your lesson, and you must also email me a 250-500-word self- and group-assessment of the relation between the actual teaching experience and your group's plans and expectations, and of your own contributions to both. The assignment sheet and advice for the group pedagogical project can be found at http://www.fredonia.edu/department/english/simon/engl426su04/gpp.htm.
Your grade for this segment of the course will be based on a combination of factors: my overall assessment of your group's lesson plan, teaching effectiveness, and commitment to working collaboratively; the quality of the group-authored reflection on your planning and teaching; the honesty and thoughtfulness of your own self- and group-assessment; ratings by your peers of the effectiveness of your group's teaching; and my overall assessment of your individual contributions to the group's efforts and success.
Final Research Project (35%). The topic and format for your 8-12-page final research essay (15 to 20 pages for graduate students) is open, although you are encouraged to focus on the relation between Absalom, Absalom! or The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse and at least one other text in the course. Further information and advice on the final research project can be found on the course web site at http://www.fredonia.edu/department/english/simon/engl426su04/frp.htm.
Your grade for this segment of the course will be based on the coherence and validity of the paper's arguments, the effectiveness of the paper's structure in conveying your ideas and convincing your audience, and the quality of the paper's prose (including grammar, syntax, and punctuation).
B. Grading. I will grade student work during the semester on a letter basis (A=outstanding, B=good, C=average, D=bad, E=yeesh) and convert letter grades into numbers when calculating final grades. I use the following conversion system (the number in parentheses is the "typical" or "normal" conversion, but any number in the range may be assigned to a given letter grade):
A+=97-100 (98); A=93-96.99 (95); A-=90-92.99 (91); B+=87-89.99 (88); B=83-86.99 (85); B-=80-82.99 (81); C+=77-79.99 (78); C=73-76.99 (75); C-=70-72.99 (71); D+=67-69.99 (68); D=63-66.99 (65); D-=60-62.99 (61); E=0-59.99 (55)
Your final grade is determined by converting the weighted numerical average of the above assignments into a letter grade, according to the above scale.
C. Portfolio. English majors should be aware of the English Department's guidelines for ongoing portfolio submissions; it is highly recommended that a paper or other writing from this course be included in your portfolio.
VII. Bibliography. See the reserves page for a complete list of reserve readings, available at the circulation desk of Reed Library, which can be helpful in preparing for your critical essays, pedagogical project, and final research project.
A. Contemporary References
B. Classic References
C. Key Journals
VIII. Course Schedule and Policies
A. Tentative Course Schedule. The following course schedule is subject to revision--please refer here regularly for updates to this schedule.
T 6/29/04 welcome, intros, set-up
W 6/30 William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 3-46 ("4/7/28")
Th 7/1 William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 47-109 ("6/2/10")
F 7/2 William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 109-158 ("4/6/28")
M 7/5 William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 158-190, 218-236 ("4/8/28," Introductions and Appendix)
T 7/6 Louise Erdrich, Tracks 1-61 (Ch. 1-3)
W 7/7 Louise Erdrich, Tracks 61-164 (Ch. 4-6)
Th 7/8 Louise Erdrich, Tracks 165-226 (Ch. 7-9)
F 7/9 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 1-56 (Part I, Ch. 1-3)
M 7/12 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 57-158 (Part II, Ch. 4-8)
T 7/13 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 158-216 (Part III, Ch. 9-11)
W 7/14 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 217-253 (Part III, Ch. 12-15)
T 7/15 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 254-305 (Part IV, Ch. 16-19)
F 7/16 no class: reading day
M 7/19 Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse 306-361 (Part IV, Ch. 20-22, End Notes)
T 7/20 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 3-22 (Ch. 1)
W 7/21 CRITICAL ESSAY due at 5 pm; William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 23-45 (Ch. 2)
Th 7/22 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 46-69 (Ch. 3)
F 7/23 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 70-106 (Ch. 4)
M 7/26 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 107-140 (Ch. 5); GROUP PEDAGOGICAL PROJECT: Teresa Blount and Amber Marra
T 7/27 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 141-175 (Ch. 6); GROUP PEDAGOGICAL PROJECT: Lori Raybold and Linda Rinaldo
W 7/28 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 176-234 (Ch. 7); GROUP PEDAGOGICAL PROJECT: Scott Cianciosi and Charlie Wesley
Th 7/29 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 235-287 (Ch. 8); GROUP PEDAGOGICAL PROJECT: Scheris Hosler and Sarah Scharf
F 7/30 William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! 288-309 (Ch. 9, Chronology, Genealogy)
M 8/9 FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT due no later than 5 pm
B. Class Policies
1. Attendance. As stated in Section VI above, barring emergencies each absence after the third will lower your final course grade by one grade. Be aware that absences due to emergencies are the only absences that will not be counted toward your total for the semester. Emergencies include but are not limited to death in the family, hospitalization or serious illness, natural disasters, and snow days; scheduled and unavoidable school-sponsored events (games, meets, performances, etc.) are also counted as emergencies for the purpose of this attendance policy. Besides emergencies, the only other absences that won't affect your participation/preparation grade are excused absences. Please notify the instructor over email, in advance if possible and, if not, as soon after the absence as possible, if you wish an absence to be considered as an emergency or excused absence; the decision will be made at the instructor's discretion.
2. Course Listserv. You are required to subscribe to your section's listserv during the first week of classes and to read and think about your peers' reflective essays at the end of each week. To subscribe to your section's listserv, compose an email message to listserv@listserv.fredonia.edu, leave the subject line blank, and write "subscribe ENGL42601 [Your Name]" in the body of message. Please be sure to delete any signature or other text that may appear in the body of your message, as it will only confuse the very literal-minded machine that handles listserv subscriptions. Very soon after sending this message, you should receive an email from the machine that handles listserv subscriptions asking you to confirm your subscription; please follow the instructions in this email carefully, as you are not subscribed to the listserv until you have done so. Soon after doing this, you should receive another email message from the machine that handles listserv subscriptions informing you that you are now indeed subscribed to your section's listserv and laying out basic information about the listserv. Save this message--it's very useful. Once you get this message, you will begin receiving messages from others who are subscribed to the listserv; you also will be authorized to send messages to them by composing a message to the machine that distributes messages to those who are subscribed to the listserv. To do so, simply send an email message to ENGL42601@listserv.fredonia.edu. It is highly recommended that you either save a copy of every message you send to the course listserv (many email programs automatically save all messages sent in a "sent mail" folder) or "cc:" yourself whenever you send a message to the listserv, as it is possible that technical or human error could result in your messages being lost in transit, accidentally deleted, misfiled, or otherwise not read. Please familiarize yourself with the college's "Computer and Network Usage Policy" (College Catalog 2003-2005, pp. 241-246) and check with your instructor first before posting something to your section's listserv that is not directly related to the course.
3. Late Assignments. Late critical essays and final projects will not be accepted or graded. Only students who ask for an extension at least two days before the due date of any written project will be granted an extension; asking for an extension on the final project means that your final grade for the semester will be an incomplete (I), and that you must turn in your final project before the end of the following semester so that the I becomes a grade other than an E.
4. Plagiarism and Academic Honesty. To plagiarize is "to steal and pass off as one's own the ideas or words of another" (Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary). SUNY Fredonia strongly condemns plagiarism and takes severe action against those who plagiarize. Disciplinary action may extend to suspension from privileges or expulsion from college. Please familiarize yourself with the college's "Academic Integrity Policy" (College Catalog 2003-2005, pp. 237-239, see also p. 225) and check with your instructor if you have any questions about it.
ENGL 426: Major American Writers, Summer 2004
Created: 6/29/04 11:52 am
Last modified: 7/21/04 12:21 pm