English 346H

Honors American Literature,1800-1865

Fall 2003 TR 1000-1115 47 Stansbury

Dr. Timothy Sweet

222 Stansbury

Office Hours 1115-1200 TR and by appointment

293-3107 x417 <tsweet@wvu.edu>

OVERVIEW

As with the other 300-level courses in American literary history, ENGL 346 examines major authors, genres, themes, and topics. This section focuses particularly on two topics of cultural importance during 1800-1865: 1. a turn to history, as Americans looked to the colonial past as a key to present identity and future prospects, and 2. a turn to nature as an alternate key, in dialogue with or even opposition to this turn to history. Thus our primary objective for the course will be to understand the developments in American literary history specific to these two topics with their attendant themes and genres. We will meet this objective through class discussion and writing assignments. Note: this section carries "W" credit and follows the LSP Guidelines for "W" courses.

TEXTS

James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers. Penguin 0-14-039007-3

Susan Cooper, Rural Hours. Georgia 0-8203-2000-5

Lydia Maria Child, Hobomok and other Writings. Rutgers 0-8135-1164-x

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Selected Essays, Lectures, and Poems. Bantam 0-553-21388-1 Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables. Penguin 0-14-039005-7

Herman Melville, Typee. Modern Library 0-375-75745-7

Henry David Thoreau, Walden. Princeton 0-691-01464-7

Other texts as listed in the schedule, photocopied or electronic reserve

GRADED WORK

A presentation, in which you set an interesting agenda and raise questions to stimulate class discussion on the assigned text. You must prepare two handouts to distribute to the class: 1. an outline of your presentation (1 p.). 2. an annotated bibliography of at least four secondary sources on the assigned text (2+ pp.). The presentation, including handouts, will count as 10% of your final grade.

Two essays, each comparing one of the assigned texts to another text not on the syllabus and incorporating at least three scholarly sources. Each essay cycle will begin with a prospectus and preliminary bibliography (1-2 pp.) and continue through progressreport conference, rough draft, workshop, and final draft (9 pp. including separate works cited page). Each prospectus will be worth 5% of your final grade. Each final draft will be worth 40% of your final grade.

COURSE POLICIES

Late work. Late assignments receive a deduction of one half of a letter grade for each class period they are late.

Absences. You are allowed two absences from regular class meetings (a week's worth of class). Your course grade will drop one half of a letter grade for each absence beyond these.

Incompletes. I do not give the grade of "Incomplete" except in extreme circumstances, and then only if a substantial portion of the semester's work has already been completed. If an emergency comes up, contact the Dean of Student Life immediately (293-561 1).

Academic Dishonesty. The following definitions are from the West Virginia University Undergraduate Catalog. Please see the section on Academic Integrity/Dishonesty for the full definition and discussion of procedures.

Plagiarism. "submitting, without appropriate acknowledgment . . . material that has been knowingly obtained or copied in whole or in part, from the work of others, whether such source is published or not, including (but not limited to) another individual's academic composition, compilation, or other product, or commercially prepared paper."

Cheating. "doing academic work for another student, or providing one's own work for another student to copy and submit as his/her own."

Cases of academic dishonesty will result in an F for the course and appropriate academic discipline. If you have questions about how to document sources, etc., please talk to me.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Social Justice. West Virginia University is committed to social justice. I support that commitment and expect to foster a nurturing learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.

Special needs. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (293-6700).

SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND WORK DUE

8/19 Introduction; Overview of Unit l: History

8/21 Barlow, excerpts from Columbiad

8/26 Columbiad; Research methods

8/28 Cooper, Pioneers

9/2 Pioneers

9/4 view excerpts from Last of the Mohicans film

9/9 Prospectus for first essay due; Bryant, "Prairies"

9/11 Child, Hobomok

9/16 Hobomok

9/18 Class canceled for individual conferences: progress report on first essay

9/23 Apess, "Eulogy on King Philip"

9/25 Hawthorne, House of the Seven Gables

9/30 Gables

10/2 Rough draft of first paper due

10/7 Workshop

10/9 Cusick, History of the Six Nations

10/14 Final draft of first essay due; Overview of Unit II: Nature

10/16 Cole, "Essay on American Scenery"; Bryant, "To an American Painter"

10/21 Emerson, Nature

10/23 Emerson, "History," "Experience"

10/28 Cooper, Rural Hours

10/30 Rural Hours

11/4 Prospectus for second essay due

11/6 Thoreau, Walden

11/11 Walden

11/13 Class canceled for individual conferences: progress report on second essay

11/18 Melville, Typee

11/20 Typee

11/25, 27 Thanksgiving recess

12/2 Rough draft of second paper due

12/4 Workshop

Second paper due Thursday, December 11