20th Centuary American Lit EGL 226 Syllabus PDF

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English 226: Twentieth-Century American Literature (3 credits) Instructor: Brian Hartwig Department of English, Stony Brook University Extended Summer Session I, 2019 Contact Information: [email protected]

Office Hours: By appointment via SBConnect or Humanities Building 1028 Class Schedule: Online, Asynchronous 28 May-19 July

Course Description: English 226: Twentieth-Century American Literature introduces students to the major literary works and artistic movements of the Twentieth Century, paying particular attention to the post-1945 period. The course begins with a brief overview of the literary scene in the United States during the Nineteenth Century and quickly launches into an exploration of American Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance before addressing Postmodernism and the rise of Ethnic-American literature during the later years of the century. Throughout the semester, we will consider the historical moments and cultures from which these works emerged, paying close attention to issues of style and genre. Together, we will attempt to make meaning of a century of American life by considering each of these works as representative of a particular movement/ mode of artistic expression. Particular attention will be paid to what American Studies scholars would call, “coefficients of Identity”: gender, race, nationality, class, sexuality, and religion. Famously, the publisher Henry Luce declared, “Throughout the seventeenth century and the eighteenth century and the nineteenth century, this continent teemed with manifold projects and magnificent purposes. Above them all and weaving them all together into the most exciting flag of all the world and of all the history was the triumphal purpose of freedom. It is in this spirit that all of us are called, each to his own measure of capacity, and each in the widest horizon of his vision, to create the first great American Century” (from Life magazine, 17 February 1941). In this course, we will measure Luce’s argument against the literature on this syllabus and question the extent to which these writers were working alongside this notion of “The American Century” or, perhaps, the extent to which they contested the very existence of an “American Century.” Prerequisite: WRT 102 or equivalent (for more information regarding enrollment and prerequisites, contact Ms. Margaret Hanley, Assistant Directory of Undergraduate Studies in English and Academic Advisor, at [email protected] or (631) 632-7400.

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Required Texts*: *Please note that the texts below are the editions I will be referencing throughout the course. Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. Vintage, 1991 [1929]. (ISBN: 9780679732242) Treadwell, Sophie. Machinal. Theatre Communications Group, 1995 [1928]. (ISBN: 9781854592118) Albee, Edward. Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox, and The American Dream. Abrams, 2013 [1961]. (ISBN: 9781468303384) Mailer, Norman. The Armies of the Night. Penguin, 1995 [1968]. (ISBN: 9780452272798) Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. Vintage, 1989 [1976]. (ISBN: 9780679721888) Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Algonquin Books, 2010. [1991]. (ISBN: 9781565129757) Course Objectives: English 226 satisfies Stony Brook University’s “HUM” requirement. More specifically, students in this course will be asked to: 1. Understand the major principles and concepts that form the basis of knowledge in the humanities. 2. Understand the theoretical concepts that undergird one or more of the humanities. 3. Develop an awareness of some of the key historical themes of one or more of the humanities. 4. Develop an awareness of the multi- or interdisciplinary nature of issues within the humanities. 5. Develop an awareness of the contexts (historical, social, geographical, moral) in which these issues emerged. 6. Develop the verbal and written skills to articulate valid arguments on these issues. English 226 also satisfies the following Learning Outcomes for the B.A. in English: 1. Read texts closely with attention to nuances of language, content, and form; such texts include published works and drafts of student writing for the purposes of peer review. 2. Write focused, organized, and convincing analytical essays in clear, standardized English prose, making use of feedback from teachers and peers. 3. Locate, evaluate, synthesize and incorporate relevant primary and secondary source materials into thesis-driven, interpretive essays of increasing length and complexity. 4. Understand conventions of literary study, including: familiarity with literary terms, genres, devices; knowledge of poetic, dramatic, narrative and rhetorical forms; awareness of literary criticism and theory. 5. Participate in discussions by listening to others’ perspectives, asking productive questions, and articulating ideas with nuance and clarity. 6. Communicate complex ideas clearly in formal presentations through speaking, writing and use of digital media. 7. Know a broad range of English and American literatures with an understanding of how texts emerge from, respond to and shape historical and cultural contexts.

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Finally, English 226 satisfies the University’s “USA” requirement. More specifically, this course addresses the following Learning Outcomes for “Understanding the Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural History of the United States”: 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and society. 3. Demonstrate knowledge of a subculture or relationships among subcultures within U.S. society. Communication: I am available to communicate with you directly using email; please only email me from a Stony Brook University email account. I will reply promptly, but not immediately. I am also happy to meet with students via SBConnect (accessible through Blackboard). If you have a question about the course or assignment expectations, it’s likely that others have similar questions and concerns. For this reason, I have set up a “General Questions” Discussion Board on Blackboard. Please make use of this resource and try to be as courteous and as helpful to your colleagues as possible. Technical Requirements: The following list details a minimum recommended computer set-up. I recommend using Firefox as your browser since it is the most compatible with Blackboard. - PC with Windows XP, Vista 7 or 8 - Macintosh with OS 10.4 or higher - 2 GB RAM - Cable modem or DSL are recommended (a 56.6 Kbps modem with also work, but will run slowly) - Word processing software (Microsoft Word is preferred) - Speakers (either internal or external) or headphones - A microphone - Ability to download and install free software applications and plug-ins (please note: you must have administrator access to install applications and plug-ins) - Adobe Flash Player with the latest update is needed for playing multiple videos throughout the course Technical Assistance: If you require technical assistance at any time during the course or would like to report a problem with Blackboard you can: - Call (631) 632-9602 (technical support and Blackboard issues) - Call (631) 632-9800 (computer support, WiFi, software and hardware) - Contact the Open SUNY help desk at 1-(844) 673-6786 or [email protected] (for assistance after 5pm weekdays or over the weekend) - Submit a help ticket on the web at http://it.stonybrook.edu/services/itsm - Contact Stony Brook IT Support, whose staff is available to provide technical support with issues relating to Blackboard logins, your Stony Brook email account, and limited assistance with SOLAR logins. They can also assist you with laptop problems if you are able to bring yours to campus. If, however, you are having problems with your own home computer or personal Internet Service Provider, you are responsible for finding a solution.

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Discussion Board: Each module will require you to post responses to at least one Discussion Question related to that module’s reading and viewing assignments. In addition to posting your responses to these questions, you are required to reply thoughtfully to TWO of your peers’ posts. Specific due dates for these posts and responses will be listed under each Learning Module. For all Discussion Questions, you are expected to include at least one direct reference to the text (direct quotation) and cite it according to MLA guidelines. For more information regarding MLA style, visit: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ A quick note on replying “thoughtfully”: In your responses to your peers, you should engage critically with the claims they make. Do not simply “agree” or “disagree” with their ideas and arguments; rather, offer additional evidence or perhaps offer a counterargument (you do not have to quote directly from the text, but I strongly encourage you to do so). The objective here is not to “disprove” someone else’s argument; the goal is to create a sophisticated dialogue that resembles a class discussion in an upper-level literature course. Grading Rubric for the Discussion Board: Levels of Achievement Criteria

Response to Questions

No credit

Partial Credit

Full Credit

0%=0 points Did not respond to any of the Discussion Questions

50%=0.5 points Responded to some questions, but not all. Some responses are cursory. Limited or no responses to followup questions posted by instructor or peers. 50%=0.5 points Responded to at least one peer.

100%= 1 point Responded to all questions with thoughtful, substantive answers. Responded to followup questions posted by instructors or peers.

(Each response is worth up to 1 point)

Response to Peers (Each response to a peer is worth up to one point)

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0%=0 points Did not reply to peers

.

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100%=1 point Responded to more than one peer with thoughtful, substantive comments that fosters further discussion. Responded to followup questions/comments posted by peers.

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Writing Assignments: There will be two short essays in this course. The first essay will be due at the end of Module 3; the second essay will be due at the end of Module 7. Final Exam: The final exam will be cumulative and will require you to put works from the course into conversation with one another. Late Assignments: Because this is a shortened semester and because this upper-division course is delivered online, NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THIS POLICY. BY REMAINING IN THE COURSE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO RESPECT THIS POLICY. Grading: Discussion Board Posts Essay #1 Essay #2 Final Exam

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35% 15% 20% 30%

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English 226: Twentieth-Century American Literature B. Hartwig Preliminary Course Schedule (as of 5 March 2019, likely to change) NOTE: With the exception of the first module, all readings are expected to be completed by the time students begin responding on Blackboard. As the course progresses, I will include under each Learning Module a series of recommended readings, resources, and a working bibliography. I encourage you to check out these additional resources and to bring them into your responses to Discussion Questions whenever possible. DQ=Discussion Question Each learning module will include a short lecture and at least one discussion question to be posted on Blackboard. GETTING STARTED: Tuesday, May 28 1. Please read this syllabus thoroughly and refer back to it frequently. 2. Watch the Welcome Video 3. Before beginning Learning Module #1, please post in the “Introductions” Discussion Board. Please tell us your name, your major, your interest in taking this course, and describe your favorite live performance that you have attended (it doesn’t have to be a play). Learning Module #1: Course Introduction—Entering a Broken World Tuesday, May 28-Wednesday, May 29 Learning Module #2: Modernist Poetics I Thursday, May 30-Friday, May 31 Learning Module #3: Modernist Poetics II (The Harlem Renaissance) Monday, June 3-Tuesday, June 4 Learning Module #4: The Sound and the Fury Part I Wednesday, June 5-Thursday, June 6 Learning Module #5: The Sound and the Fury Part II and Part III Friday, June 7-Tuesday, June 11 Learning Module #6: The Sound and the Fury Part IV Wednesday, June 12-Thursday, June 13 Learning Module #6: Machinal Thursday, June 13-Monday, June 17

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Learning Module #7: The American Dream Tuesday, June 18-Thursday, June 20 Learning Module #8: The Armies of the Night Part I Friday, June 21-Monday, June 24 (Short Essay #1 Due) Learning Module #9: The Armies of the Night Part II Tuesday, June 25-Friday, June 28 Learning Module #10: The Woman Warrior: “No Name Woman,” “White Tigers” Monday, July 1-Wednesday, July 3 Learning Module #11: The Woman Warrior: “Shaman,” “At the Western Palace,” and “A Song for Barbarian Reed Pipe” Friday, July 5-Monday, July 8 Learning Module #12: “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison Tuesday, July 9-Wednesday, July 10 Learning Module #13: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Part I Friday, July 12-Monday, July 15 Learning Module #14: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Part II Tuesday, July 16-Wednesday, July 17 Learning Module #15: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Part III Thursday, July 18-Friday, July 19 Final Exam Completed by Wednesday, July 24 (on Blackboard; instructions to follow)

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