LITR221 American Literature from The Civil War to Present essays

American Literature II: Civil War to the Present – Best Custom Essay Papers

American Literature II | Spring 2017

Paper #3: American Society and The American Dream

• Length 4-6 full pages
• Each essay must have a clear thesis in the introduction and have clear topic sentences.
• Create a unique title.
• Use proper Works Cited and in-text/parenthetical citations. Only use reliable sources. ACC’s databases are extremely useful. All primary works must be listed separately in the Works Cited, and page or line numbers must appear in parentheses. Information from the textbook (biographies, historical background) that you did not get from your notes or from previous education must be cited, crediting the author of the textbook.
• Use MLA formatting. Review guidelines in the folder “Formatting for Papers” in “Handouts and Helpful Links” on Blackboard.
• Cover page is not necessary.

Choose One Prompt:

1. Select one of these passages written by James Baldwin in Notes of a Native Son, and then explain its significance in present-day America. Use reputable current news or magazine articles to support your points.

• “It seems to be typical of life in America, where opportunities, real and fancied, are thicker than anywhere else on the globe, that the second generation has no time to talk to the first.”
• “I imagine that one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain.”

1. Consider the poetry and biographies of Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen. With which writer do you most identify socially, politically, and stylistically? Explain your answer using specific details and quotations. This is a research-heavy paper.
2. Discuss the idea of the American Dream as presented in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, and compare and contrast that to the expectations you hold for the average American today. How will the “average American” fare in relation to Willy Loman? And what, by the way, is an average American? Use specific quotations from the play to support your points.
3. Write a two-page poem in the style of “Howl.” For content, think about things that would currently matter to Ginsberg. In addition, write two full pages explaining your creation.

Submit to SafeAssign (find these instructions in Blackboard and upload your document)

20 points 

American Literature II: Civil War to the Present | Spring 2017

    ENGL  | Synonym 17562

RGC A252| MW 11:40-1:20

Professor

Email:

Office, RGC Portable

MW 10:30-11:30

Learning Lab Hours (subject to change)

RGC 227: M 3-6 & W 4-6; SAC 1138: Tu 10-11:15 & 1:45-6; Th 10-11:15 & 1:45-4; F 9-3

Prerequisites

Credit for both ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302 with the minimum grade of C. Proof of coursework is required by the college and must be submitted by February 15.

Course Description

English 2328, American Literature: Civil War to the Present, is a sophomore course with a study of literature in the context of historical and cultural perspectives; it surveys American literature from the Civil War period to the present.

Materials

Heath Anthology of American Literature-Vol. C,D+E  7^th edition by Paul Lauter

Pens, pencils, loose-leaf notebook paper

About the Class

• Our short amount of time necessitates that we will not be able to discuss many, many great writers.
• I want you to explore and extrapolate, rather than regurgitate.
• I will give you a choice of paper prompts for each assignment, and the assignments will be issued one by one.
• Quizzes will indicate whether or not you are processing the readings, class discussions and lectures.
• You are always welcome to ask questions in class, in my office, and at the Learning Lab.

Reading

Reading should be completed before the date it is listed on the syllabus. Keep up on the reading in order to earn a good participation grade, as well as to gather important insight for quizzes and papers. Page numbers refer to The Heath Anthology Class schedule is subject to change. Please check Blackboard announcements for opportunities for extra credit, and adjustments to the syllabus, lab hours, and office hours.

Week One

M 2/13

Syllabus Orientation

“How to Read a Poem”

W 2/15

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson (handout)

Heath Anthology 1-42

Week Two: Naturalism

M 2/20     

Zitkala-Sa 320-337

W.E.B. DuBois 1373-1397

              Turn in top five choices for presentation topic, typed or neatly handwritten.

W 2/22         

Stephen Crane “The Open Boat” 1209-1229

Upton Sinclair from The Jungle 467-484

Presentation topics assigned

Paper #1 (Whitman/Dickinson: separate written instructions will be issued)

Week Three: Modernism

M 2/27 

Heath Anthology 1311-1342

Ezra Pound 1680-1702

Gertrude Stein 1715-1717, 1739-1750

W 3/1      

 Edna St. Vincent Millay 1657-1664

Amy Lowell 1702-1715

H.D. 1815-1824

Wallace Stevens 1967-1977

Week Four: Modernism

M 3/6          

e.e. cummings 1859-1868

T.S. Eliot 1868-1902

W 3/8   

John Steinbeck from The Grapes of Wrath 2427-

*****Spring Break*****

Week Five: Harlem Renaissance

M 3/20          

Langston Hughes 2082-2114

Countee Cullen 2114-2121

W 3/22   

Claude McKay 2160-2165

Zora Neale Hurston 2141-2165

Week Six: Since 1945

M 3/27 

James Baldwin “Sonny’s Blues” 2889-2914

M 3/29         

Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman (movie)

Paper #2 (Modernism: separate written instructions will be issued)

Week Seven: Theater

M 4/3         

Death of a Salesman continued

W 4/5           

Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer 2924-2959

Week Eight: Beats

M  4/10

Allen Ginsberg  2960-2974

Gary Snyder 3001-3010

W 4/12

Denise Levertov 3211-3216

&Diane DiPrima (Handout)

Week Nine: A Week of Women

M 4/17

Gwendolyn Brooks 2871-2883

Adrienne Rich 3333-3341

Audre Lorde 3371-3378

W 4/19

Sylvia Plath 3051-3057

Maxine Hong Kingston 3347-3357

Elizabeth Bishop 2699-2707

Paper #3 (The American Dream: separate written instructions will be issued)

Week Ten: Contemporary

M 4/24       

Junot Diaz “Fiesta”  1574-1588

W 4/26

Sherman Alexie “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” 3970-3987

Week Eleven: More Voices from America

M  5/1  

Gloria Anzaldua 3644-3670

Edwidge Danticat 3844-3849

W 5/3   

Yusef Komunyakaa 3205-3211

Li-Young Li 3760-3765

Naomi Shihab Nye 3836-3844

Week Twelve: Last Week

M 5/8   

Art Speigelman 3765-3779

Lynda Barry 3811-3818

Alison Bechdel 4011-4021

W 5/10   

Paper #4 (separate written instructions will be issued) & Extra Credit Due

Grading

102 Points Possible

Paper 1                                                 15

Paper 2                                                 20

Paper 3                                                 20

Paper 4                                                 20

Presentation                                      10

Participation                                         5

Quizzes                                                10

Extra Credit                                          2

Papers

• Papers must be typewritten, must conform to MLA standards, and must include proper documentation of outside sources.
• Papers are penalized 1 point for every class day they are late.
• Paper 4 will not be accepted late.
• Papers 1-3 maybe revised to a B equivalent. Deadlines for revisions will appear on assignment prompts.
• Hard copies of the assignments are due at the beginning of class.
• Papers must be uploaded to SafeAssign in Blackboard in addition to submission via hardcopy.

Class Participation

I will award you a participation grade based on your attendance, promptness, and willingness to share in class.  In other words, you can earn up to 5 points by showing up on time and demonstrating enthusiasm for the material.

Quizzes

Quizzes may not be made up, no matter what the circumstance (absence, tardiness), but the lowest two grades will be dropped. There will be seven quizzes. Quizzes are usually administered at the beginning of class. If you are late, you may fail the quiz.

Presentation

Each student will give a short research presentation to the class on a topic related to the coursework. Separate written instructions will be given. Students must present on the scheduled day. The presentation and related documentation is worth 10 points.

Attendance

Students may not earn a grade higher than C if they miss more than three classes. There are no excused absences. If necessary, an absence penalty will appear in the Grade Center on Blackboard at the end of the semester.

Extra Credit

Students may earn up to 2 points on their final grades by writing one two-page, double-spaced response to a poetry reading, play, or art exhibit. Papers must address the event, be all their own words, and be free of grammatical errors. Papers that are troubled with grammatical errors will not earn the full two points. Opportunities for extra credit will be posted on Blackboard.

Teacher-Initiated Withdrawal.

• For Lack of Progress. (Email warnings will be issued before this withdrawal.)
• For Excessive Absences: More than two absences in a row or more than five absences total.
• See “Withdrawal Policy” on page 8.

Incomplete Grades

I will not issue Incomplete grades except in cases of medical emergency or catastrophic life event.

Conduct

• Please do your part to make this class a comfortable environment for freedom of expression and exploration of new ideas. Respect is essential.
• Disruptive or rude behavior will not be tolerated. Students exhibiting such behavior will be asked to leave the class or, in extreme cases, will be withdrawn. [A student will first receive a verbal warning, then will be asked to meet with me. A form may then be filed with the Dean of Student Services.] Misconduct is primarily “acting in a manner that significantly interferes with any ACC teaching, administrative, disciplinary, public service, or other authorized activity inside or outside the classroom.” Examples of disruptive behavior include making rude or combative comments, repeatedly texting or using laptops without permission, having side conversations during lecture or discussion, sleeping, or any other activity that interferes with classroom activity.
• No eating in the classroom.
• Clean up your table and surrounding area before leaving the classroom.
• Electronics: Cell phone use is prohibited in class—exceptions may be granted for in-class research. Turn off cell phone ringers.  Laptops are allowed if they are used for taking notes or drafting papers. You are not allowed to use social media or use laptops for recreational purposes or for any work not related directly to Composition II.

Plagiarism

• Even “accidental plagiarism” will result in punishment. Do not consult outside sources without citing them, even if you use your own words. Best bet: do your own reading. Do not research the story online.
• Plagiarism will result in either a 0 for the assignment or an F in the class, depending on the severity of the offense. A student will be required to conference with me to discuss the offense before the grade is issued.
• Students are required to submit electronic copies of their papers to Safe Assign in Blackboard in addition to submitting hard copies in their folders.
• See department language in “Scholastic Dishonesty”

General Advice

• If you are registered with Student Accessibility Services, please give me the accommodation letter at your first opportunity.
• Keep electronic copies and all of your rough drafts and notes for your papers until the end of the semester.
• Back up your work. There is no excuse for losing a paper. Email drafts to yourself or use a virtual drive,  and never keep essays only on a hard drive or flash drive.
• Do not come to class late because you are working on a paper. Finish on your own time.
• Talk to me if you are having any problems with the coursework. I want you to pass this class with the highest grade possible.

OFFICIAL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SYLLABUS

Course Objectives 

• To provide a working knowledge of the characteristics of various literary genres.
• To develop analytical skills and critical thinking through reading, discussion, and written assignments.
• To broaden a student’s intercultural reading experience.
• To deepen a student’s awareness of the universal human concerns that are the basis for literary works.
• To stimulate a greater appreciation of language as an artistic medium and of the aesthetic principles that shape literary works.
• To understand literature as an expression of human values within an historical and social context.

Course Student Learning Objectives

• Identify characteristics of different genres
• Write about and discuss elements of poetry, novel(s), short stories and drama and how the elements relate to the theme and work as a whole
• Read and discuss works of literature from various world cultures
• Identify and discuss universal themes and human conditions in poetry, novel(s), drama and short stories
• Identify and discuss a historical and social context that affects a work of literature

English Department Student Learning Outcomes

• Write clearly, coherently and effectively about various genres in literature
• In discussions and writing, address the culture and context of the work of literature
• Analyze literature by addressing theme, character, conflict, setting, point of view, language, tone and sound, as appropriate to the work.

Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes

• Content – Uses compelling and relevant content to illustrate mastery of the subject.
• Organization – Presents information in a unified and coherent manner with thesis clearly stated and supported.
• Sources and Evidence – Effectively utilizes a wide variety of relevant and credible materials with citations (when required).
• Writing Conventions (grammar/spelling/usage/punctuation/formatting) – Uses language that communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency.

General Education Learning Outcomes

• Civil and Cultural Awareness – Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
• Critical Thinking – Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
• Personal Responsibility – Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices; demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.
• Written, Oral and Visual Communication – Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

Course Requirements/Grading

• Writing assignments, including analytical essays and tests, will constitute at least two-thirds of the student’s final grade.
• The instructor may count other types of class projects, together accounting for no more than one-third of a student’s final grade. Projects might include quizzes, readings, dramatizations, journal writing, brief literary writing exercises, oral book readings, reports on authors, or other activities.
• The instructor will provide more specific course objectives and requirements. A student not complying with these requirements may be withdrawn from the course at any time up to the last official withdrawal date.

Scholastic Dishonesty

Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression.  Academic work is defined as, but not limited to, tests and quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.

Students with Disabilities

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.  Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class.  In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints.  These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn.  On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor.  It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.

Withdrawal Policy

• It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decides to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary.  If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date.  The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.
• Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002 may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.
• State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count toward this limit.  Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.

Attendance/Class Participation

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected of all students.  If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Incompletes

An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student was unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course (Note: I only grant incompletes in cases of medical emergency or catastrophic event.)  An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester.  The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Safety Statement

Use of ACC email

All College email communications to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACC mail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion.  ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account.  Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account.  Likewise, students should use their ACC mail account when communicating with instructors and staff and check their email once a week.  Instructions for activating an ACC mail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/index.php

Testing Center Policy

Under certain circumstances, an instructor may have students take an examination in a testing center.  Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guide for Use of ACC Testing Centers and should read the entire guide before going to take the exam.  To request an exam, one must have:

• ACC Photo ID
• Course Abbreviation (e.g., ENGL)
• Course Number (e.g., 2342)
• Course Synonym (e.g.,10123)
• Course Section ( e.g., 005)
• Instructor’s Name

Do NOT bring cell phones to the Testing Center.  Having your cell phone in the testing room, regardless of whether it is on or off, will revoke your testing privileges for the remainder of the semester.  ACC Testing Center policies can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/

Student and Instructional Services