Furui 1 ENG 181 (SPPRING 2013)

Geographies and Identities in American Literature

Instructor: Yoshiaki Furui Time: TuTh 4:00-5:15 Classroom: Callaway Center N 204 Office Hours: after each class and by appointment Contact & Assignment Submission: geoamlit@gmail.com Course Description: Will you tell me, Bartleby, where you were born? I would prefer not to. Will you tell me anything about yourself? I would prefer not to. (Herman Melville, Bartleby, the Scrivener) American literature offers an intriguing arena where ideas about an American identity as well as an individual identity keep being generated through geographical imaginations. Any fiction is invariably set in a specific location. Fictional characters sometimes move across geographical boundaries to explore what lies outside the physical space of the Unites States of America. In some cases, they hesitate to cross the borders and withdraw into secluded space because such a border-crossing can trouble their sense of national and individual identities. Through a close examination of how American literature has represented its geographical settings and contours, we will explore questions such as how does the idea of place contribute to the creation of an American identity? What would be the difference between being an American and being an individual? How does a consideration of the setting of a novel affect the way we understand its meanings? By venturing together into the Pacific Sea, battle zones, claustrophobic spaces, the Deep South, and a foreign island, we will ponder these questions to hone our critical reading and writing skills. A reading list includes works by Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Jamaica Kincaid, Tim OBrien, Alice Walker, and others. Goals: Since this course is designed as an introduction to academic writing, you will learn various basic skills necessary for writing successful college-level, academic papers. By the end of this course, you should be able to: -differentiate between what they say and what you say -be keenly aware of who you are writing to -read texts closely, analytically, and critically -summarize information accurately and concisely -structure your writing with a clear thesis and strong evidence -cite sources in MLA style

Furui 2 -comprehend academic writing as a recursive process (i.e. understand the importance of drafting and revising) TEXTS: (1) Required Texts: You are required to purchase five textbooks listed below. All of them are available at Emory Bookstore. Another option would be that you get them through online vendors such as Amazon and ABE Books. It is vital to purchase the correct editions of the assigned texts. If you decide to purchase them online, please make sure that you get the correct editions. To ensure that you get the correct editions, please refer to the ISBN numbers: 1. Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010. (ISBN: 978-0-393-93361-1) 2. Ed. Paul Negri, Great American Short Stories (Dover Thrift Edition). New York: Dover Publications, 2002. (ISBN: 978-0486421193) 3. Herman Melville, Melvilles Short Novels. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010. (ISBN: 0-393-97641-6) 4. Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988. (ISBN: 978-0-374-26638-7) 5. Alice Walker, The Color Purple. New York: A Harvest Book Harcourt, Inc., 1992. (ISBN: 978-0-15-603182-0) (2) PDF In addition to the required texts, reading materials will be made available as PDF files on Blackboard. You are required to print and bring them to class. Printers are plentiful in the Woodruff Library if you do not own one. (3) Handouts Additional materials will be distributed as handouts in class. I will use (or borrow) many materials available online at university writing centers. You are also advised to utilize these resources for your own reference. The following are some of the websites that you would find of great use: -Purdue Owl: owl.english.purdue.edu.owl/ -Dartmouth Writing Center: www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/index.html -UNC Writing Center: writingcenter.unc.edu Particulars: Active participation in class discussion, four essays, and three presentations. Grades: The grade distribution for the course is as follows: Participation: 20% Essay 1 (short personal narrative): 5%

Furui 3 Essay 2 (on The Color Purple): 15% Essay 3 (comparative analysis): 20% Essay 4 (research essay): 25% Presentations: 15% *Since participation is highly valued in this course, I urge you to participate in class discussion as frequently and actively as possible. Looking at your mobile phone slyly will negatively affect your participation grade. Due Dates for Essays: Three of the first essays are due on each designated date by midnight. The final essay is due on a given examination date (TBA). This course has no final examination. The due dates for all the essays are as follows: Essay 1: Mon 1/28 by midnight Essay 2: Fri 3/8 by midnight Essay 3: Tue 4/9 by midnight Final Essay: Thu 5/2 by midnight Presentations: Throughout this semester, youre going to make a total of three 10-minute long presentations (two on literary texts and one on your research topic). These presentations are graded on a check plus/check/ failure basis. For each of these presentations, youre required to make a handout and distribute it to the whole class. In the two presentations on literary texts, you're also required to pose critical questions on a given text and lead the class discussion. Your presentation dates are assigned by the instructor. Paper Format: All essays should use the following format: -Times New Roman 12 point font -Double-spaced -1 margins on all sides -Pages should be numbered -On the first page in the upper left include the following information: [Your name] ENG 181 [Date of Submission] Late Work: Any late work will not be accepted. However, late work can be turned in only under certain conditions (such as illness or unexpected emergencies). If these occasions happen, please do contact me ASAP. Depending on circumstances, I might ask for written proof.

Furui 4 Laptop Policy: Unless otherwise noted, students are not permitted to bring laptops to class. As for the materials available online, please print and bring them to class. Plagiarism: Academic integrity is a basic principle that requires the student to take credit only for ideas and efforts that are his/her own. Any suspicion of plagiarism will be immediately turned over to the Honor Council. For further information, please consult http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/policy/honor_code.html. We will discuss this issue more in depth in our class. Attendance: Students are permitted two absences without penalty. If you exceed two absences from class, your final grade will drop by 1/3 of a letter (i.e. a final grade of a B will become a B-). Missing 5 or more classes will result in an F for the course. If you arrive 10 minutes late, you will automatically be counted absent. If you have any excusable reason for your absence (sickness etc.), youd be required to submit a document to justify your absence. Even if you notify me of your absence in advance (e.g. Im going on a trip to see my family next week), it still counts as one absence. If you have an excusable reason for your absence, please contact me beforehand so that I can keep a record of it. Your Responsibility as a Writer: Id like you to be responsible for your own writing. Although Ill try to assist the process of your writing in conferences and other myriad ways, I have to admit that my helpfulness in classroom is limited: the class time is limited, and the time I can spend reading your draft in conferences is accordingly limited. Therefore, the final responsibility for your writing rests on you as a mature college student. Compare this situation with what I do in grading your papers: I spend hours reading, re-reading, and commenting on your papers before finalizing your grades. Given this, it is natural that what I can do in conferences and quick conversations we have before and after class has its own limits. If you find the oral communication with me not enough, then you are welcome to email me to ask for more detailed suggestions or advice. Remember: just because I say fine or great after reading a couple of paragraphs in class doesnt guarantee that youll end up getting a good grade on your paper. I make my judgment by evaluating the quality of your entire paper. Also, when I read your draft in conferences, I limit myself to reading just a couple of paragraphs. Resources: -The Emory Writing Center: Located in Room 212 Callaway North, the Writing Center provides support for writers through individual consultations with trained tutors. http://writingcenter.emory.edu/index.html -English as a Second Language (ESL) Support: If you are an international student for whom English is a second language, do take advantage of the resources that Emorys ESL center provides. You can get fuller

Furui 5 information at: http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/learning/esl/. If you have any inquiries, contact Jane OConnor, Director: jcoconn@emory.edu -Emory Counseling Center Free and confidential counseling services: 404-727-7450 http://studenthealth.emory.edu/cs/index.php -Office of Disability Services Any student who, because of a disability or any other circumstances, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should let the instructor know and must register with the Office of Disability Services. http://www.ods.emory.edu Course Schedule (subject to change) The schedule below is divided into two portions. One component is intended to get you to familiarize yourself with basic knowledge about academic writing, mainly through the readings of TSIS and in-class activities. In the second component of the course, you will read fiction in American literature (mostly from the nineteenth-century period) as the subject of your critical analysis. Each writing assignment is intended to give you a chance to synthesize these two components in your writing practices. Depending on circumstances, the schedule below is subject to change. If I make any changes to the syllabus, I will upload a revised version on Blackboard. *Abbreviations: TSIS: They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing GASS: Great American Short Stories

1. INTRODUCTIONS
Week 1 Tu 1/15 -Topic: Course Introduction and Syllabus Review Thu 1/17 -Topic: Short Self-IntroductionsWhere/What Is Your Home? Week 2 Tu 1/22 -Topic: What is an American? What is Home? -Fiction Reading: 1. J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer (PDF: 604-14). 2. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Wakefield (PDF: 396-401; the authors bio (369-73) is optional)

Furui 6 3. William Faulkner, Barn Burning (PDF: 800-12; the authors bio (695-98) is optional). *SCHEDULE CHANGE ENDS ON THIS DAY

2. THE DEEP SOUTH & A SEARCH FOR HOME

Thu 1/24 -Topic: SummaryWhats the Point? -Reading: They Say/I Say (TSIS), Chapter 2 Her Point Is: The Art of Summarizing (30-41) -In-Class Reading 1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From a Birmingham Jail to the Fellow Clergymen 2. Frederick Douglass to His Old Master *Mon 1/28 by midnight1st Essay Due: Submit to geoamlit@gmail.com Week 3 Tu 1/29 -Topic: The Color Purple (1) & They Say & I Say Moves -Fiction Reading: The Color Purple (Preface-64) -Reading: They Say/I Say (TSIS): Preface, Introduction, and Chapter 1, Starting with What Others Are Saying (xvi-29) Thu 1/31 -Topic: The Color Purple (2) & Academic Writing as a Conversation -Fiction Reading: The Color Purple (65-125) -Reading: TSIS, Chapter 4, Yes/No/Okay, But (55-67), Chapter 5, And Yet: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say (68-77), & Chapter 6 Skeptics May Object (78-91) -Presentations: Three presenters on the novel Week 4 Tu 2/5 -Topic: The Color Purple (3) & How To Cite Your Sources (MLA style) & Plagiarism

Furui 7

-Fiction Reading: The Color Purple (126-92) -Reading: 1. MLA: Writers Manual (PDF; just skim thisyoull need to read this carefully when you actually write a paper. This is indeed a manual.) 2. As He Himself Puts It (TSIS, Chapter 3, 42-51) 3. Using Sources (Style, 232-40) 4. On Plagiarism, Utah Valley University Writing Center (just two pages) -Presentations: Three presenters on the novel Thu 2/7 NO CLASS (the instructor on leave for conference presentation) Week 5 Tu 2/12 -Topic: The Color Purple (4) & Writing about Literature -Fiction Reading: The Color Purple (193-295) -Reading: From A Writers Reference, Writing about Literature (PDF) -Presentations: Four presenters on the novel Thu 2/14 -Topic: The Color Purple Wrap-Up Day *No reading is required for today. *(Maybe) a film viewing of The Color Purple directed by Steven Spielberg. Week 6 Tu 2/19 -Topic: Writing as a ProcessDrafting, Developing & Revising Your Essay -Reading: 1. Anne Lamott, Shitty First Drafts (PDF) 2. From Writing in Response, Developing an Argument & Revising: A Recursive Process (PDF: 110-39) *(Maybe) a film viewing of The Color Purple directed by Steven Spielberg.

Furui 8

3. IN STASIS: CLAUSTROPHOBIC SPACES

Thu 2/21 -Fiction Reading: 1. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper (GASS 115-29) 2. Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, A New England Nun (GASS 104-14) -Reading: TSIS, Chapter 10 The Art of Metacommentary (129-38) -Presentations: Two presenters on each short story Week 7 Tu 2/26 -Fiction Reading: 1. Herman Melvilles Biography (PDF) 2. Herman Melville, Bartleby, the Scrivener (Melvilles Short Novels 3-34) -Presentations: Three presenters on the story Thu 2/28 Film Watching Day: Bartleby directed by Jonathan Parker *No reading is required for today Week 8 Tu 3/5 -Topic: Conferences on the 2nd paper * No reading is required for today. * Youre welcome to bring your laptops. * Your attendance is not mandatory: you can come and leave at any time during the class period.

4. IN MOTION: GOING OUTSIDE THE U.S.

Thu 3/7 -Topic: Comparative Analysis & Workshop on Sample Essays -Reading: 1. From A Writers Reference, Comparison and Contrast (PDF) 2. Comparison Analysis, Harvard University Writing Center (PDF) 3. Compare and Contrast Paper, UNC Writing Center (PDF) *Fri 3/8 by midnight2nd Essay Due: Submit electronically to geoamlit@gmail.com Week 9 Tu 3/12 NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)

Furui 9 Thu 3/14 NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK) Week 10 Tu 3/19 -Topic: Literary Travelogue -Fiction Reading: Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place (entire book) -Presentations: Three presenters on the book Thu 3/21 -Topic: The Pacific and the Empire (1) -Fiction Reading: Melville, Benito Cereno (Melvilles Short Novels, 1st half: 34-68, to the end of the page 68, . . . to have it struck at the ships large bell.) -Presentations: Three presenters on the first half of the story Week 11 Tu 3/26 -Topic: The Pacific and the Empire (2) -Fiction Reading: Melville, Benito Cereno (Melvilles Short Novels, 2nd half: 69-102, from Master, said the servant. . . to the end) -Presentations: Three presenters on the second half of the story Thu 3/28 -Topic: Discussion on the 3rd Essay *No reading is required for today. * Bring your proposal to class in hard copy.

5. BATTLE ZONES
Week 12 Tu 4/2 -Topic: Battle Zones (1) -Fiction Reading: 1. Mark Twain, The Private History of a Campaign that Failed (GASS 68-83) 2. Ambrose Bierce, An Occurrence at Owl Bridge (GASS 171-78)

Furui 10 -Presentations: Two presenters on each short story Thu 4/4 -Topic: Conferences on the 3rd paper * No reading is required for today. * Youre welcome to bring your laptops. * Your attendance is not mandatory: you can come and leave at any time during the class period. Week 13 Tu 4/9 -Topic: Battle Zones (2) -Fiction Reading: 1. John Crawford, The Last True Story Ill Ever Tell (PDF) 2. Tim OBrien, On the Rainy River (PDF) -Presentations: Two presenters on each short story Tue 4/9 by midnight3rd essay due: Submit electronically to geoamlit@gmail.com

6. In Nature
Thu 4/11 -Topic: Nature -Fiction Reading: 1. Sarah Orne Jewett, A White Heron (GASS 84-92) 2. Jack London, To Build a Fire (GASS 157-70) -Their bios are available in course documents on Blackboard. -Presentations: No presentations for today. Ill lead class discussion.

7. PRESENTATION & FINAL PAPER

Week 14 Tu 4/16 -Topic: Student Presentations Thu 4/18 -Topic: Student Presentations Week 15 Tu 4/23

Furui 11 -Topic: Student Presentations Thu 4/25 -Course Evaluation/ Conferences on the Final Essay LAST DAY OF CLASS: Your Attendance Is Mandatory *Essay 4 Due on Thu 5/2 by midnightsubmit electronically to geoamlit@gmail.com