Reading
Schedule
ENGL 2132
Fall
2010
*Subject to change*
Primary
Characteristics of Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism
|
DATE |
In-Class
Activity |
Homework
Assignment |
|
R
8/19 |
Review
syllabus, course policies; review rubric, course site materials |
· Read de Crevecoeur and Franklin
excerpts, available on course site; · Write short
response—to be graded as a quiz—answering the following question:
What is “The American Dream?” · Watch (and
take notes on) Last
of the Mohicans (1992), by 8/27, available in library on reserve; the
film is also widely available at video rental stores and retail outlets |
|
T
8/24 |
Discuss
“American” identity, “The American Dream” and cultural consciousness |
· Write a
short response—to be graded as a quiz—to Last of the Mohicans addressing,
specifically, what makes Nathaniel/Hawkeye the proto-typical “American”
(think about class discussion for this) |
|
R
8/26 |
Discuss
Last of the
Mohicans |
· Read
Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” (link); Read
“Am. Romanticism Notes” |
|
T
8/31 |
Discuss
American Romanticism and the emerging myth of individualism |
·
Whitman’s “Song of
Myself” (NAAL:
C 30) |
|
R
9/2 |
Discuss
Whitman & Am Romanticism |
· Read
Twain’s “Literary Offences” (NAAL:C 294) and begin reading Huck Finn (NAAL
108-294),
· Read “Am. Realism Notes” & “Am.
Naturalism Notes” · Read Veblen
notes (link) · Read T.
Roosevelt’s “American Ideals” (NAAL 1153) |
|
T
9/7 |
Discuss
American Realism, “Offences” |
· Finish Huck Finn, prepare
answers for the discussion questions and read handout on Huck Finn |
|
R
9/9 |
Independent
Work Day |
· Finish Huck Finn
(if you haven’t already done so) |
|
T
9/14 |
Discuss
Huck Finn
and the notion of the American Dream; assign essay #1 |
·
|
|
R
9/16 |
Discuss
Huck Finn
and the escape from “civilization” |
|
|
T
9/21 |
Discuss
Exam #1 & essay #1 |
Review for exam #1 |
|
R
9/23 |
Exam
#1 in class |
· Read Daisy Miller
(NAAL:C 391) |
|
T
9/28 |
Discuss
Daisy
Miller, essays in class; review course rubric |
· Read Chopin’s The Awakening
(NAAL:C) |
|
R
9/30 |
Discuss
Chopin |
|
|
T
10/5 |
|
|
|
R
10/7 |
Independent
Work Day; screen The Great Gatsby by the next class meeting |
Answer the Gatsby study/discussion questions Read “Modernism” materials on course
site · Read NAAL introduction
to period (NAAL:D 1177) |
|
T
10/12 Midterm |
Lecture/Discuss
Modernism Essay
1 due |
|
|
R
10/14 |
Discuss
Gatsby
and the death of the American Dream |
Read
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (NAAL:D 1577) |
|
T
10/19 |
Discuss
“Prufrock” and the anxieties of Literary
Modernism |
|
|
R
10/21 |
Prufrock |
|
|
T
10/26 |
Discuss
Prufrock & Modernism |
· Read B.T. Washington’s
“Atlanta Expo” address (NAAL:C 680) · Read W.E.B.
Du Bois’ “Souls of Black Folk” (NAAL:C 893) · Read
“Modernist Manifestos: Marinetti, Loy, and Hughes” (NAAL:D 1500);
· Read McKay
poems (NAAL:D 1686-1690) · Read Hughes
poems (NAAL:D 2026-2037) |
|
R
10/28 |
Discuss
the HR |
· Write a
short response about the HR |
|
T
11/2 |
assign essay#2 |
Midterm will cover the following: Modernism & the
Harlem Ren. |
|
R
11/4 |
Independent
Work Day; Work on essay #2 |
· Read
Ellison (NAAL:E 2297-2315) |
|
T
11/9 |
Discuss
Ellison & influence of HR, |
·
|
|
R
11/11 |
Essay
# 2 due |
·
|
|
T
11/16 |
Discuss
American Life, Identity, and the American Dream at Mid-Century |
Read Death of a Salesman (NAAL:E 2327) |
|
R
11/18 |
Discuss
Salesman |
|
|
T
11/23 |
|
|
|
R
11/25 |
No
Class—Thanksgiving Holiday |
|
|
T
11/30 |
Work
on Final Essays |
|
|
R
12/2 |
Final
Essay Due; Review for Final Exam |
|