ENG 222 SEC 0101  MW 6-9:15  SQH 1117
SUMMER I (1999)
RALPH BAUER

rb227@umail.umd.edu

Office hours: T/W 4:30-6

Phone: 301 405 3794

 

DESCRIPTION:

Having seen a globally unprecedented growth in economic vitality and geo-political power on the part of the United States, the twentieth century has often been called the “American” century. This course will engage with literature by American writers from the Civil War to the present who portray some of the unofficial sides of this “American century”, as seen from their particular rural, urban, ethnic, or gendered perspectives.

 

TEXTS

Stephen Crane, Maggie, A Girl of the Streets. New American Library 0451525523
Kate Chopin, The Awakening . Avon. 0380002450
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes were watching God. HarperCollins. 0060916508.
John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath.  Chelsea House. 0791041220.
Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman. Barrons Educational Series. 0812034104
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony. Penguin. 0140086838.

James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son. Beacon Press, 0807064319

Richard Wright, Uncle Tom’s Children. Harper Perennial 0060812516.

 

 

SCHEDULE

 

WEEK I

W 6/2
INTRODUCTION

 

WEEK II

M 6/7

Stephen Crane, Maggie.

W 6/9

Kate Chopin, The Awakening .

WEEK III

M 6/14

Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes were watching God.

W 6/16

Richard Wright, Uncle Tom’s Children

 

 

 

 

WEEK IV

M 6/21

John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath.

 

W 6/22
Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman.

 

WEEK V

M 6/28

Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony.

 

W 6/30

James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son.

 

WEEK VI

M 7/5

Labor Day

 

W 7/7

FINAL EXAM

 

 

C. LOGISTICS

I. ASSIGNMENTS.

 

1. READING ASSIGNMENTS

are to be completed by the beginning of the class period assigned for discussion of a given text.

 

2. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (KEEP ALL WRITING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS CLASS. YOU WILL NEED TO TURN IN ALL YOUR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS--JOURNALS, DRAFTS, PAPERS--AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER!!!!!)

a. group journal.(to be conducted on e-mail)

Once a week, on a day specifically assigned to you, you will contribute to a discussion which you will be having with three or four other students in the class throughout the term. In your group conversation, you will discuss any observations you or your peers can make about the literature or any connections you may find between texts, between the primary and the secondary materials, or between the readings of this class and other things you have read. The four basic components of a journal entry are (a) observation; (b)  inquiry; (c) hypothesis; and (d) dialogue. In class, you will sometimes be asked to report on your group discussion. The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to build a community with your peers and to further collaborative learning. Specifics will be addressed in class.

 

b. papers

Four papers including one preliminary and one final draft each.. The criteria for evaluation are objective and include (a) thesis; (b). argument; (c) evidence; and (d) mechanics. Although I will have to act as an assessor of your writing, you should not think of me as your primary audience. Rather, imagine, when writing your papers, that you are writing for a scholarly journal whose subscription list includes all members of the class.

 c. quizzes

These short quizzes (essay and/or multiple choice) will periodically be given at the beginning of class in order to review the out-of-class reading assignments.

 

3. ORAL ASSIGNMENTS

a. student group projects and presentations

During the term, each student will be asked to give one 5-10 min. presentation on a text scheduled for that day. Topic should be decided on in consultation with me.

 

b. class participation

Every student will be expected to participate in class discussions.

 

II. CONFERENCES

Although you may be able to clear certain questions over e-mail, you are still strongly advised to see me frequently in order to talk about your work in general during office hours. If you cannot see me during my regularly scheduled office hours, arrange other times with me. During weeks when papers are due, you will be encouraged to sign up for extra conferences specifically intended to assist you in the writing process.

 

III. ATTENDANCE:

A substantive part of your learning experience in this class will depend on your participation in class discussion, as well as receiving and giving responses to the written work which students bring in. Therefore regular attendance is imperative and required. Attendance will be taken at every meeting. Tardiness disrupts the class and will not be looked upon kindly. Three tardies will therefore count as one absence. If you have more than two unexcused absences at the end of the semester, your final grade will be lowered by 0.1 points for every absence (after the third). Students who have more than a total of 5 unexcused absences will automatically fail this course. In order to be excused from an absence in case of a serious illness, you must produce a written explanation for your absence and proper, official documentation attesting to your illness. Obligations to teams, sororities or fraternities, clubs, jobs, other courses or appointments with professors/advisors will not be considered to be valid excuses.

 

 

IV. GRADING:

1. Paper I..........15%       5. Participation...............15%

2. Paper II.........15%       6. E-mail Discussion.......15%

3. Paper III........15%       7. Presentation............... 10%

4. Final Exam....15%