The Yellow Wallpaper’: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Explores the emergence of modern American literature from the latter half of the 19th century through the social challenges experienced in the 20th century and into the postmodern era that ushered in the 21st century.

Course Textbook

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Perkins, G., & Perkins, B. (Eds.). (2009). The American tradition in literature (12th ed., Vol. 2). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

McGraw-Hill companion website: http://www.mhhe.com/perkins

Course Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyze and synthesize assigned readings.
2. Recognize and interpret cultural, historical, and philosophical factors.
3. Identify allusion, figurative language, and other literary devices and analyze how they shape meaning.
4. Identify thematic significance of assigned readings while placing themes within historical or cultural contexts.
5. Interpret the texts in relation to American history, culture, and literary movements.
6. Apply research skills to locate and incorporate scholars’ interpretations into consideration of texts.
7. Create and defend an interpretation of texts based on valid sources.
8. Compose a grammatically sound, thesis-driven, academic-style research paper.

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Unit Learning Objectives: Each unit contains Unit Learning Objectives that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.
2. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses unit material.
3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. Supplemental Readings are provided in the unit study guides to aid students in their course of study.
4. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided in each unit to aid students in their course of study.
5. Key Terms: Key Terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to Key Terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading. NOTE: Flash cards that can help you learn the definitions for these terms are provided as a link in each Unit in Blackboard.
More comprehensive definitions are also available in the glossary provided under “Ways In” in the Ariel CD that accompanies the textbook. (Perkins, 2009, Ariel Glossary; OLC).
6. Unit Assessments: This course contains eight Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of each unit. Assessments are composed of written response questions.
7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units II, IV, and VI. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with the Unit Assignments. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below
8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions.
9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail (library@columbiasouthern.edu) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page.

Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services.

Unit Assignments

Unit II Article Critique

In her book review, “‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” writer Sharon Felton discusses Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and other less anthologized stories. Discussing one particular selection, Felton examines how Gilman’s 1916 essay, “The ‘Nervous Breakdown’ of Women,” affirms the following political stance that is often attributed to Gilman and her more famous work, “The Yellow Wallpaper:”

Even if we should remove every legal and political discrimination against women; even if we should accept their true dignity and power as a sex; so long as their universal business is private housework they remain, industrially, at the level of private domestic hand labor, and economically a nonproductive, dependent class. . . . The wonder is not that so many women break down, but so few.

Felton indicates that the above passage helps students discuss Gilman’s story and assess the role of the “hysterical woman in nineteenth century America.”

Now that you have read Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” access Felton’s article in the Academic OneFile database of CSU’s Online Library and read it. Write an article critique on Felton’s book review, either agreeing with or arguing against her point that the above political stance helps you assess the “hysterical woman” in the story acted out by the story’s narrator.

Your essay must be a minimum of 500 words, and you must use at least three (3) quotes from Gilman’s story to illustrate and support your position.

Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit IV Article Critique

You are asked to critique the main point of a scholarly article on EITHER O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape OR Glaspell’s Trifles.

First, you must locate in CSU’s online library at least one (1) authoritative research article related to EITHER O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape OR Glaspell’s Trifles on which to write the article critique.

You are to analyze the article’s analysis of the play of your choice, quoting the words of the article’s author as evidence to illustrate your critique, which should reflect the main theme you see emerging from the article’s discussion of the play. You are to use at least two (2) quotes from your article, cited in correct APA format, to illustrate and support your critique of the article.

This short writing assignment must be a minimum of 300 words in length. Do not provide plot summary unless it is necessary to make a point that supports your critique.

Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VI Article Critique

Locate in the databases of the CSU Online Library at least one (1) authoritative research source on which to write an article critique related to EITHER Williams’ Glass Menagerie OR Miller’s Death of a Salesman. What is the main point or focus of the article(s) you selected?

Explain the article’s analysis of the play of your choice, quoting the words of the article’s author as evidence to illustrate your critique, which should reflect the main theme you see emerging from the article’s discussion of the play. You must include at least two (2) quotes from your research, cited in correct APA format, to illustrate and support your critique of the article.
Your article critique must be a minimum of 500 words in length. Do not provide plot summary unless it is necessary to make a point that supports your critique.

Format your paper using APA style. Use your own words, and include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines

The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include: (1) Assessment (Written Response) and (2) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit
Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the
Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Assessments and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.