1Syllabus for American Literature Fall 10.docx

1Syllabus for American Literature Fall 10.docx

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1SyllabusforAmericanLiteratureFall10

AmericanLiteratureFall‘10

Instructor:

Dr.GuicangLi

Email:

ligcxa@gcli@

Phone:

8229-9999

RequiredText:

A.Tongming,HistoryofAmericanLiterature

B.BaoXiuwenandWangWeixin,SummaryandIntroductiontoClassicalAmericanLiteraryWorks.

C.HandoutsofSelectedReadings（youneedtocoverthecost）.

Othermaterialneededforsuccess:

commitment,enthusiasm,andhardwork.

CourseDescription:

Asarequiredcourse,AmericanLiteraturemightbeviewedasarichopportunityofenhancingtheenjoymentofthisliteratureandapprehendinglifeinitsbeauty,richness,diversityandcomplexity.Thiscoursewillhelpyouseeeachauthor’spatternsandrhythmsofhisorherparticularwayofseeingandinterpretingtheworld.Wewillreadfiction,andpoetrybybothfamousandless-knownauthors.Readingonedramaisalsoverylikely.Reading,interpretation,criticalthinking,andwritingwillremaincentralthroughoutthesemester.

CourseObjectives:

a.Toreadliteraturefordelight,andforpersonalconnectionstomakesenseofwhatisonthepages,particularlytoyouasareader.Inthisregard,readinginthiscoursecannotbeanisolatedevent.Wewillhavetointeractwithourselves,witheachother,andtheauthorstogetasmuchdelightaspossible.

b.Toencourageyourlife-longloveofreadingandknowing（ifpossible）.

c.Tolearntounderstandandappreciatetheauthor’sworkbystudyingtheme,plot,characters,symbols,imagery,etc.

d.Toreviewthestrengthyoualreadyhaveinreadingaparticulargenre（s）,andtobroadenyourknowledgeaboutAmericanliterature.

e.Tohelpyouarticulateyourideasandinsightsmoreorlessinaprofessionalmanner,forexample,byusingbasicliterarytermssuchasplot,character,theme,setting,etc.

f.Tofacilitatethedevelopmentofyouranalytical,interpretiveandargumentativeskills.

g.Tohelpyoureexamineyourparticularreasonsifyouavoidliterature.

AttendancePolicy:

Attendancewillbetakenatthebeginningofeachclassperiod.Theinstructorwillaccuratelyrecordattendancesinceitwillaffectastudent’sfinalgrade.Oneunexcusedabsence,thatis,foroneclass,willbeallowedwithoutaffectingyourfinalgrade.Onemoreunexcusedwillresultinthefinalgradebeingloweredby20points.Oneexcusedabsenceforpersonalorfamilyillnesswillnotaffectastudent’sfinalgradeifadoctor’sexcuseispresented.Absentforonethirdofthesemester,youwillreceiveanFforthecourse.Absenceforyourscheduledpresentationshouldbecarefullyavoided:

itwillnotonlycountasanabsencebutwillalsotakeawaythetotalpointsassignedforthepresentation.Beinglateforclasswon’taffectyourfinalgradeunlessitisovertentimes.Socometoclasspromptlyandregularly.Evenifyoucan’tmakeitontime,don’thesitatetocomein.

CourseRequirements:

a.Youarerequiredtocompletetheweeklyreadingassignmentsbeforeclassandbepreparedtorespondorallyandinwritinginclassandgroupdiscussions.

b.Keepaweeklyone-pagejournalresponsetothereadingsfortheweek,whichisdueeveryThursdaywemeet.Wemightaskyoutopostyourresponseonline.

c.KeepafolderofalljournalresponseswhichIwillcollectattheendofthesemestertodetermineyourfinalgrade.

d.Anoralpresentationinthelastweekaboutyourfinalprojectortopic.Youneedtodemonstratethesignificanceofyourtopic,andyourgoaltoachieveinyourfinalpaper.

ClassFormat:

Theclasswillbestudent-centeredandclassmeetingswillmainlyconsistoffourtypesofactivities,whichwillbemixedtogethermostofthetimes:

1）mini-lectures;2）classandgroupdiscussionsofthereadings,focusingoninterpretationandtechniquesaseffectivelyemployedbytheauthors.Suchdiscussionsmighthelpyoudeveloppapertopics,andbecomemoreappreciativeofliteratureingeneral;3）tradeyourjournalswithsomeoneandwriteacommentonthem;4）free（orguided）writing,whichisanopportunityforyoutowritedownyourinitialresponses,which,oftentimes,are“original.”Constructiveparticipationinallclassactivitiescansignificantlycontributetothequalityofyouressays.Youneedtotalkeverytimewemeet.

Grading:

Yourfinalgradewillbebasedonanaccumulationofpointsearnedonyourjournalresponses,presentations,finalpaper,andclassparticipation.Yourjournalresponseswillbeworth40points.Thefinalexamonthetwotextbooksandtheworkscoveredwillcount60points.

Plagiarism:

Trytoavoidplagiarismbyputtinginquotationmarkswords,phrases,sentences,etc.ofsomeoneelse’sandcitethesources.Plagiarismmeansmorethanthis.Toputitsimply,youcan’tclaimsomeoneelse’sphrasesandsentencesasyourown.Allthewrittenassignmentsyouturninshouldbeentirelyyourownandforthisclassonly.Quotationmarkswillbeyourmosthelpfulfriendforthiscourse.Plagiarismisthebestwaytofailthiscourse.

Thissyllabusissubjecttorevision.

ClassSchedule

Week1:

Introductiontothecourse;grouparrangement;readingassignment:

“RipVanWinkle”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongmingandBao

Week2:

Poe’s“TheRaven”and“AnnabelleLee”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week3:

Emerson’s“SelfReliance”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week4:

NationalDayBreak

Week5:

Hawthorne’s“TheScarletLetter”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongmingandBao

Week6:

19th–CenturyPoets:

Longfellow,Whitman,andDickinson

Week7:

MarkTwain’s“TheCelebratedJumpingFrog”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week8:

Glaspell’s“TheTrifles”

Week9:

Fitzgerald’s“TheGreatGatsby”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongmingandBao

Week10:

NoClassforSportsMeet

Week11:

Hemingway’s“TheShortHappyLifeofMr.Macomber”

Week12:

Faulkner’s“ARoseforEmily”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongmingandBao

Week13:

20th–CenturyPoets:

Pound,andEliotandcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week14:

Continue:

WilliamsandFrostandcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week15:

Jackson’s“TheLottery”

Week16:

Ginsberg’s“TheHowl”andcorrespondingpagesfromTongming

Week17:

Malamud’sTheMagicBarrel”

Week18:

London’s“UnparalleledInvasion”

Questionsforthefirstmeetingofclass

1.HowmuchdoyouknowaboutAmericanLiterature?

Nameanyauthororworks.

2.Whatdoyouexpecttolearnfromthiscourse,moreaboutliteraryhistoryormoreaboutanalyticalandcriticalskillsaboutspecificworks?

3.Whatdoyouthinkliteraturecandotoyouasalanguageandliteraturemajor?

4.InwhatwaydoyouthinkAmericanLiteratureisuniqueandinfluential?

Andwhyorwhynot?

RipVanWinkleByWashingtonIrving

APOSTHUMOUSWRITINGOFDIEDRICHKNICKERBOCKER

ByWoden,GodofSaxons,

FromwhencecomesWensday,thatisWodensday,

TruthisathingthateverIwillkeep

UntothylkedayinwhichIcreepinto

Mysepulchre.

~CARTWRIGHT

ThefollowingTalewasfoundamongthepapersofthelateDiedrichKnickerbocker,anoldgentlemanofNewYork,whowasverycuriousintheDutchhistoryoftheprovince,andthemannersofthedescendantsfromitsprimitivesettlers.Hishistoricalresearches,however,didnotliesomuchamongbooksasamongmen;fortheformerarelamentablyscantyonhisfavoritetopics;whereashefoundtheoldburghers,andstillmoretheirwives,richinthatlegendarylore,soinvaluabletotruehistory.Whenever,therefore,hehappeneduponagenuineDutchfamily,snuglyshutupinitslow-roofedfarmhouse,underaspreadingsycamore,helookeduponitasalittleclaspedvolumeofblack-letter,andstudieditwiththezealofabook-worm.

TheresultofalltheseresearcheswasahistoryoftheprovinceduringthereignoftheDutchgovernors,whichhepublishedsomeyearssince.Therehavebeenvariousopinionsastotheliterarycharacterofhiswork,and,totellthetruth,itisnotawhitbetterthanitshouldbe.Itschiefmeritisitsscrupulousaccuracy,whichindeedwasalittlequestionedonitsfirstappearance,buthassincebeencompletelyestablished;anditisnowadmittedintoallhistoricalcollections,asabookofunquestionableauthority.

Theoldgentlemandiedshortlyafterthepublicationofhiswork,andnowthatheisdeadandgone,itcannotdomuchharmtohismemorytosaythathistimemighthavebeenbetteremployedinweightierlabors.He,however,wasapttoridehishobbyhisownway;andthoughitdidnowandthenkickupthedustalittleintheeyesofhisneighbors,andgrievethespiritofsomefriends,forwhomhefeltthetruestdeferenceandaffection;yethiserrorsandfolliesareremembered"moreinsorrowthaninanger,"anditbeginstobesuspected,thatheneverintendedtoinjureoroffend.Buthoweverhismemorymaybeappreciatedbycritics,itisstillhelddearbymanyfolks,whosegoodopinioniswellworthhaving;particularlybycertainbiscuit-bakers,whohavegonesofarastoimprinthislikenessontheirnew-yearcakes;andhavethusgivenhimachanceforimmortality,almostequaltothebeingstampedonaWaterlooMedal,oraQueenAnne'sFarthing.

*******

WhoeverhasmadeavoyageuptheHudsonmustremembertheKaatskillmountains.TheyareadismemberedbranchofthegreatAppalachianfamily,andareseenawaytothewestoftheriver,swellinguptoanobleheight,andlordingitoverthesurroundingcountry.Everychangeofseason,everychangeofweather,indeed,everyhouroftheday,producessomechangeinthemagicalhues颜色andshapesofthesemountains,andtheyareregardedbyallthegoodwives,farandnear,asperfectbarometers晴雨表.Whentheweatherisfairandsettled,theyareclothedinblueandpurple,andprinttheirboldoutlinesonthecl