Engl. 772-01 Period in Literature:
American Realism
Spring Semester 2009
MWF 10:00-11:50, Grubbs Hall 312
Dr. Nichols, knichols@pittstate.edu
Syllabus
Course Description
This multi-genre course studies the literature produced between the Civil War and
World War I in relation to the literary concepts of regionalism, realism, and naturalism.
We will question how much human lives are shaped by Darwinian or natural forces,
by the new urban environments and emerging consumer cultures of the late-nineteenth century, and/or by
free will; we will also explore the extent to which "reality" is a socially constructed and historically shifting
category dependent, to some degree, on a writer's class, gender, ethnicity, and/or race.
Although the
course will focus on novels and short stories, some attention will be paid to the poetry and
non-fiction prose from the period.
Required Textbooks
- James Nagel and Tom Quirk, eds., The Portable American Realism Reader (Penguin).
- Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories (Signet Classics).
- Stephen Crane, Maggie, A Girl of the Streets and Selected Stories (Signet Classics).
- Henry James, Daisy Miller (Dover).
- Kate Chopin, The Awakening (Avon).
- Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie (New American Library).
- Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth (Signet Classics).
- Pauline Hopkins, Of One Blood: Or, the Hidden Self (Washington Square Press).
The Reading Schedule will have links to online texts for additional short readings.
Grading
- Cultural Context Report, written and oral, 4pp. (14.2% of total grade). See
Report 1 directions.
- Article Summary Report, written and oral, 4pp. (14.2% of total grade).
See
Report 2 directions.
- Literary Analysis Paper, with research and documentation, 10 pp. (28.4% of total
grade). See
Literary Analysis directions.
- 3 Take-home Essay Exams (each 14.2% of total grade).
All major assignments must be completed to pass the course.
You may e-mail papers to me at knichols@pittstate.edu, but make sure they are attached as a .doc file.
Late Work Policy
Late papers and exams will be graded down one-letter grade for each day they are late.
Absence Policy
Regular attendance is required. Everyone has four pre-excused absences
for those difficult times in life that interfere with class attendance, so you do not need to
clear absences with me, but it is a good idea to check with me (or a classmate) to make sure an
assignment was not changed while you were gone. Students who miss more than four classes may be
dropped from the roster for "excessive absences."
Plagiarism Policy
I strongly support the policies of the English Department and the University on
plagiarism. Undocumented use of someone else's material (including "borrowing" their language
or their ideas) will result in an F on the paper or for the
course--or worse for the most egregious cases.
See me if you have questions about what is or is not plagiarism. I'm always happy
to help students who are making a good-faith effort to do things right.
Course Web Pages
You can quickly access our online syllabus by typing in one of the following addresses:
You can also access my home page (which links to all my web pages) by going to the
PSU home page and then typing "Nichols Home Page" in the "PSU Search" box (top of page) or
by going the faculty listings on the English Department web page and clicking on my name.
Instructor's Office Hours
My office is in Grubbs Hall, Room 450. I can be available at the following times to talk with you about our course or related matters. If that time does not fit your schedule, let me know. We can arrange a more convenient time.
MWF 11:00-12:00; 1:00-2:30 or by appointment
The best ways to contact me are to leave a note taped to my office door or, even better, email me at the following address: knichols@pittstate.edu.
Return to Nichols Home Page
