English 352B
Dr. Susanne George Bloomfield
Spring 2005
Survey of
English 352B: WI & CD
1. Course Description:
Survey of United States Literature II will examine the multitude of voices of American writers selected from a time period beginning in the late 1800s until the present day. The class will critically analyze these works and discuss their cultural and historical significance. A special emphasis on primary and secondary research will help students understand the backgrounds of each work.
2. Course Objectives:
The educational goals will help students:
1) cultivate knowledge of representative American writers in a multicultural context;
2) understand the historical, cultural, and social conditions that inform the texts;
3) identify major themes, symbols, and concerns of American writers over the past 150 years;
4) examine what textual qualities create literature of enduring value and what contexts might enhance such literature;
5) heighten appreciation and understanding of literature through close reading, discussion, and critical analysis;
6) develop critical reading and writing skills.
3. Course Requirements and Evaluation:
The required text for the class is the 8th edition of Prentice Hall's Anthology of American Literature: Vol. II Realism to the Present edited by George McMichael et al. Students will complete the reading, writing, and research assignments for each week according to the Assignment Schedule. After two absences, grades will be lowered at the discretion of the professor. Under exceptional circumstances, modifications may be made.
Assignments will be given letter grades which will be translated numerically as follows: A+=99; A=95; A-=91; B+=89; B=85; B-=81; C+=79; C=75; C-=71; D+=69; D=65; D-=61; F=50. The grading scale for this class will be 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D.
My
office is 204 Thomas Hall, and my office hours will be from
English 352B
Dr. Susanne George Bloomfield
Spring 2005
English 352B
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
I. Quizzes and Research Responses--30%
Students will be assigned daily readings and primary research on works and time periods studied in class. The material will be handed in weekly but will be returned to the student to be collected in a Notebook that will be graded at the end of the semester. The grade will take into consideration the quality of the entries, but missing or late entries will also affect the grade.
1) Each class period, students will be given a short-answer quiz question to promote the reading of daily assignments.
2) Students will also write a 250 word discussion of assigned primary research and share findings informally with the class.
The grade for the quiz and research responses will be worth 30% of the final grade and will be due during the last week of regular classes.
II. TWO CRITICAL ANALYSIS PAPERS--total of 70%
A. The first paper will be an approximately 6-8 page (1,500-2,000 words) response to the readings, using any of the critical approaches to literature. The thesis should be narrow enough so that it may be examined in detail. This paper must be supported by textual evidence, but no outside research is required, and will be worth 30% of the grade. Students are encouraged to submit a rough draft to the professor so that revisions may be made for the final, graded draft.
B. The second critical paper will also be a response to a reading but must also be supported with textual evidence, including support from primary sources, if possible, as well as secondary, critical sources (a minimum of three outside sources in addition to the literary text/texts ). These sources will be an important factor in the grade. The critical analysis should be approximately 8-10 pages long (2,000-2,500 words); the specificity of the thesis will determine the length. The student may analyze a particular work or author we have studied in class, or may choose to do a comparative study of one specific aspect of several works read during the semester. It may also be an expansion of the first paper. Students will have one chance to revise this second paper, but the grade may only be raised one letter grade to encourage more polished papers. This paper must include a Works Cited page and must be formatted according to the MLA Handbook. The researched Critical Analysis will count as 40% of the final grade.
Correct grammar, organization, and
style will be considered in determining the grade in both papers. Grammar
errors, awkward or immature sentence structure, incorrect incorporation of
quotations and research, and sloppy editing will adversely affect the grade. Students
must submit their papers, along with all rough drafts and revisions, in a
double-pocket folder.