English 4383/5383: Seminar in American Literature:
Capitalism and Socialism in American Literature 1860-1920
Summer I, 2006
|
|
Instructor: |
|
|
|
Phone: |
|
(479) 968-0484 |
|
|
Office Hours: |
|
M-F:11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. |
|
| E-mail Address:
|
|
||
Required Texts: |
|||
|
|||
 |
Reading Assignments |
| This course covers 2000 pages of primary reading and hundreds of pages of supplemental reading. The summer schedule forces us to move quickly, so you should read ahead if possible. | |
|
|
Writing Assignments |
All students: You will be required to write a response of at least 250 words to one prompt from each of the six assignment forums on the course's Discussion Board. You will also be expected to read other students' responses and post comments and/or replies to some of them. Click here for instructions on using the Discussion Board. Graduate students: In addition to the work described above, graduate students will submit a short (1000-word) seminar paper. |
|
|
|
Grade Computation |
Undergraduate Students |
|||
Assignment |
No. |
Each |
Total |
Assignment responses |
6 |
12.5% |
75% |
Assignment comments/replies |
6 |
4.16% |
25% |
Total |
100% |
Graduate Students |
|||
Assignment |
No. |
Each |
Total |
Assignment responses |
6 |
10% |
60% |
Assignment comments/replies |
6 |
2.5% |
15% |
Seminar paper |
1 |
25% |
25% |
Total |
100% |
|
Responses. Each week I will assign a letter grade for the primary response that you have posted on the Discussion Board. For each assignment, I have limited the number of students who can respond to a single prompt, so make your choice early. Click here for a more detailed discussion of my grading criteria. |
|
Replies and comments. The threaded discussion is an important part of this online class, our substitute for in-class discussion. Each week I will assign you a letter grade for your contribution to the online discussion. |
|
Seminar Paper. Graduate students will complete a short (1000-word) seminar paper. Click here for instructions on writing the seminar paper. |
Week One |
|
|
|
Assignment One: Ragged Dick |
Mon June 5 |
Read: Ragged Dick and my Horatio Alger, Jr notes. |
Wed June 7 |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the Ragged Dick prompts by noon. |
|
Assignment Two: Looking Backward |
|
Thur |
Read: Looking Backward and my Edward Bellamy notes. |
Fri June 9 |
Deadline: Comments added to the Alger discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment one discussion grade. |
Week Two |
|
Mon June 12 |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the Looking Backward prompts due by noon. Read and Reply: Review other students' responses to Bellamy's novel and add some comments to the threaded discussion. |
|
|
Assignment Three: A Hazard of New Fortunes |
Tues June 13 |
Read: A Hazard of New Fortunes and my William Dean Howells notes. |
Wed June 14 |
Deadline: Comments added to the Bellamy discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment two discussion grade. |
|
|
Assignment Four : McTeague |
Fri June 16 |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the A Hazard of New Fortunes prompts due by noon. Read and Reply: Review other students' responses to Howells's novel and add some comments to the threaded discussion. Read: McTeaague and the supplemental reading detailed on my Frank Norris notes. |
Week Three |
|
| Mon |
Deadline: Comments added to the Howells discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment two discussion grade. |
Wed June 21 |
Deadline: Graduate students should send me the proposed thesis of their seminar paper for pre-approval by 3:00 p.m. |
|
|
Assignment Five: Babbitt |
Fri June 23 |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the McTeague prompts due by noon. Read and Reply: Review other students' responses to Norris's novel and add some comments to the threaded discussion. Read: Babbitt and my Sinclair Lewis notes. |
Week Four |
|
| Mon |
Deadline: Comments added to the Norris discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment four discussion grade. |
Wed June 28 |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the Babbitt prompts
due by noon. Read and Reply: Review other students' responses to Lewis's novel and add some comments to the threaded discussion. |
|
Assignment Six: The Great Gatsby |
Thur June 29 |
Read: The Great Gatsby and my F. Scott Fitzgerald notes. |
Fri June 30 |
Deadline: Comments added to the Lewis discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment five discussion grade. |
Week Five |
|
Wed |
Post: a 250-word response to one of the The Great Gatsby prompts due by noon. Read and Reply: Review other students' responses to Fitzgerald's novel and add some comments to the threaded discussion. |
Thur July 6 |
Deadline: Graduate students' seminar paper are due by 3:00 p.m. |
Fri July 7 |
Deadline: Comments added to the Fitzgerald discussion after 3:00 p.m. will not count toward your assignment five discussion grade. |
updated: June 28, 2006