University of Texas at Austin Summer II 2015Gonzlez E 316K! Masterworks of Literature: American Instructor:Gonzlez, J.M. Unique #:82730 Phone:512-471-8117 Office Hours: TWTH 10am-10:45am Email:jmgonzal@utexas.edu Class Time: M-F 11:30am-1pm Class Location:PAR 301 Office Location: PAR 321 Prerequisites: E 603A, RHE 306, 306Q, or T C 603A; and a passing score on the reading section of the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test. Description: This course will trace the origins and development of literature in the United States from the nations founding through the late twentieth century. Given the radical social changes during this period in gender, racial, and class terms, how did American literature emerge as both symptom and critique of these conditions? What were the features of this new national literature, and how did it influence popular culture? Situating these texts within their social context will be a major feature of this course. Course Goals: By the end of the semester, you are expected to accomplish the following: 1)Read a diverse range of texts that portray key cultural elements of the American experience. 2)Identify the historical discussions and debates that these texts both reflect and supplement. 3)Analyze the formal elements of these texts (figural language, style, genre, etc.) based upon literary methodologies. 4)Relate the various aspects of these texts to each other in order to comprehend their lasting influence. 5)Discuss the importance of these texts for our contemporary moment. Reading List: The following textbook is available at the Campus Coop. It is also on one-day reserve at the Perry-Castaeda Library. Except where noted, all readings can be found in this textbook. Have the selection read by the start of class discussion about it. Ed, George McMichaelConcise Anthology of American Literature, 7th ed. Evaluation: The course grade will consist of: daily participation (20%); four exams (20% each80% total). Failure to complete all required coursework will result in a failing course grade. Plus/minus grading will be used for the final course grade. Teaching Assistant: The TA for the course is Gray Hemstreet. She will grade all assignments and take daily attendance. For any issues regarding grading, speak with her first and not the instructor. Ms. Picherit will hold office hours by appointment. Her email is gray.hemstreet@gmail.com. Electronic Device Policy: Unless individually authorized by the instructor, no electronic devices (including but not limited to computers and smart phones) will be permitted in class due to their disruptive presence. University of Texas at Austin Summer II 2015Gonzlez Academic Integrity: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Academic dishonesty will be handled according to University policy, including assessment of the stiffest penalty permitted to the instructor (e.g., a failing grade in the course). Additional sanctions may be imposed by the University. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. For additional information on Academic Integrity, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php Personal Responsibility Statement: Each student will be responsible for the grades that he or she earns in this course. Except under extraordinary, documented conditions, no requests for grade modification (including those for a grade of Incomplete) for personal circumstances outside the purview of the course (e.g., probationary standing, financial aid eligibility, scholarship status, etc.) will be considered. Documented Disability Statement:UT Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please provide the TA with documentation as soon as possible of requirements from Services for Students with Disabilities. For more information, contact SSD at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd. Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, students must notify the instructor of impending absences at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, the instructor will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a week after the absence. Classroom Expectations: In addition to daily class attendance, students are expected to come prepared and to complete all course assignments. We will observe civil classroom behavior at all times. Silence mobile phones during class time and refrain from other activities that might detract from the learning environment, including texting or surfing the Internet. If you are so distracted, the TA will mark you as absent for that day. Attendance Policy: More than three (3) absences will result in a reduction of a full letter grade in the final course grade (e.g., B to C). More than five (5) absences may result in a failing grade for the course. Students are responsible for keeping track of their own absences. While you can be absent at any time for any reason, beware that more than three (3) absences WILL adversely affect your grade. Habitual lateness will result in being counted as absent for each occurrence. Examination Policy: Students must bring their own pens and blue books to all exams. None of these materials will be provided by the course instructor or teaching assistant, and examinations written on other paper will not be accepted. Except in the case of true emergencies or University cancellation of classes, no early or make-up exams will be allowed. Requests for alternative examination dates must be provided in writing to both University of Texas at Austin Summer II 2015Gonzlez the course instructor at least fourteen (14) days before the scheduled exam date. All requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation on letterhead from the appropriate authority. Recommendations Policy: Since I cannot honestly evaluate a students overall performance until I have known him or her for at least one complete semester, I will not write recommendations for anyone until final grades have been turned in. Please note that your final course grade will be mentioned in my recommendation, along with a frank evaluation of your overall performance. If you wish to ask for a recommendation after the end of the semester, then you will need to give me all relevant material (curriculum vita or resume, statement of purpose, description of position desired, and any other required documents) at least three (3) weeks before any deadline. Taping and Duplication Policy: The syllabus, Powerpoint presentations, and lectures of this course are protected by state law and federal copyright law. Students in the course are permitted to take one and only one set of class notes as an authorized derivative work. No one, whether enrolled in the course or not, is authorized to record course lectures in any form, to provide notes for anyone else, or to make any commercial use of them without prior written permission from the course instructor. Canvas: This course uses Canvas, a Web-based course management system in which a password-protected site is created for each course. Canvas can be used to distribute course materials, to communicate and collaborate online, to post grades, to submit assignments, and to take online quizzes and surveys. Students are responsible for checking the Canvas course site regularly for class work and announcements; email may also be used for announcements. Notification of any disruptions will be posted on Canvas. Scheduled downtimes are not an excuse for late work. However, if there is an unscheduled downtime for a significant period of time, I will make an adjustment if it occurs close to the due date. Canvas is available at http://courses.utexas.edu. University of Texas at Austin Summer II 2015Gonzlez E316K Schedule Week 1: The Enlightenment, Transcendentalism & Romanticism July 13- Course Logistics;Franklin, Information to Those Who Would Remove to America; Crevecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer III & IX July 14- Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown July 15- Emerson, Self-Reliance July 16- Thoreau, Civil Disobedience July 17- *Exam 1* Week 2: Realism & Naturalism July 20- Douglass, Selections from The Narrative of Frederick Douglass & What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? July 21- Whitman, I Hear America Singing & Passage to India July 22- Crane, The Open Boat July 23- Crane, The Open Boat July 24-*Exam 2* Week 3: Modernism July 27- Imagist Poetry:Pound, In a Station of the Metro; Stevens, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird;Williams, 22 or Red Wheelbarrow July 28- Fitzgerald, Winter Dreams July 29- Faulkner, Barn Burning July 30- Faulkner, Barn Burning July 31-*Exam 3* Week 4:Postmodernism August 3- Pynchon, Entropy August 4- Pynchon, Entropy August 5- Oates, How I Contemplated August 6- Oates, How I Contemplated August 7-Summer Break Week 5: Conclusion August 10- Alexie, Defending Walt Whitman August 11- Alexie, Class August 12- Cisneros, Mericans (download); Conclusion and Evaluations August 13- *Exam 4*