Dr. Lucia Knoles
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E-mail: lknoles@assumption.edu
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Text:
The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Fifth Edition
Library of Recommended On-line Resources for the Course:
Course Methods
The Lyceum Resources and Search Engines Page-- locate primary and secondary materials.
The E Pluribus Unum Project
Blackboard.Com -- Share your reflections on readings, send e-mail, collaborate on projects
Assumption College Library Catalogue and Online Databases
Research and Style Guide for Web-based Research: Information on Evaluating and Citing Web Sources for Academic Projects (Note: All this information is linked from Georgetown University's Library Internet Resources Page) See also: Style Sheets for Citing Internet & Electronic Resources; The Atlantic School of Theology's How to cite electronic publications in footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies; and MLA-Style Citations of Electronic Sources Endorsed by the Alliance for Computers & Writing.
MLA Style Explained at Paul Reuben's PAL
Project Two Topics and Resources
What is a Draft: Project Two Advice
Some Key Terms, Quotations, and Concepts:
Literature and the "Conversation of Mankind"
The Significance of the American Conversation
Literature as Rhetoric
Commonplace Books
"A Citie on a Hill"
E Pluribus Unum
Notes on Course Assignments and Guidelines:
Assignments for the course will include the following: 1) a daily reading log along with written and oral discussion of class reading logs; 2) at least two written reports; 3) a final exam.
You should "bookmark" the course syllabus on your classroom computer and on any computer you use regularly outside the classroom. Check frequently for updates on ongoing or upcoming assignments. The fact that this is an online syllabus makes it possible for us to alter our schedule to take into account class needs and interests as well as the availability of new resources.
The reading listed for each date should be completed before the beginning of that day's class. If only one page number is listed, you should read the complete text beginning at the number specified. If no page number is provided but the title is underlined as a link, the text is available online rather than in your book. You are welcome to explore the "Online Resources" listed with assignments, but unless specifically indicated otherwise they are not part of the assignment.
Unless otherwise noted, you should submit a log to the Blackboard Discussion Board before the beginning of each class. Logs posted after the beginning of the class in which they are due will receive reduced credit. Logs submitted more than a week late will not be accepted.
Papers turned in after the class in which they are due will receive a lowered grade. Papers submitted two weeks or more after the due date will not be accepted. Plagiarized work will be handled in accordance with the published college guidelines.
Regular attendance is the only way to keep up with the ongoing "conversation" of the course. It will also be a factor in the final grades. You should not expect to pass the course if any one of the four major areas of the course--report one, report two, logs/attendance/participation, and the final -- missing, incomplete, or unsatisfactory.
Please consult with the professor as early as possible: 1) if there is a good reason why you will not be able to attend class or turn in an assignment on time; 2) if you require special accommodations to proote your success; 3) if you have a question or concern about your grade; 4) if you have a question, concern, or proposal about the course; 5) if you would like to collaborate to devise methods of improving your performance; or 6) if you would like to discuss the readings, the ideas, the assignment in the course. In any of these cases, you can send me an e-mail with information or questions or make an appointment to meet with me to discuss these matters.
Grading:
Report 1 = 20%, Report 2 = 30%, Final Examination = 20%, Commonplace Book and Academic Leadership = 30%.
Academic leadership" includes such factors as the quality of written and oral contribution to course; the willingness to raise useful questions, the display of independence and persistence in pursuing appropriate evidence and answers, and the willingness to take intellectual risks by posing useful questions that don't necessarily have clear or easy answers and/or by exploring and testing hypotheses without assuming the conclusion in advance.
Schedule:
Weeks One-Four |
Weeks Five-Eight |
Weeks 9-12 |
Weeks 13-Final |
| Aug. 28 and 30 | Sept. 25 and 27 | Oct. 23 and 25 | Nov. 20 and 22 |
| Sept. 4 and 6 | Oct. 2 and 4 | Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 | Nov. 27 and 29 |
| Sept. 11 and 13 | Oct. 9 and 11 | Nov. 6 and 8 | Dec 4 |
| Sept. 18 and 20 | Oct. 16 and 18 | Nov. 13 and 15 | Final Exam |
Week One
American Literature as a Conversation about What it Means to Be an American
T Aug. 28
Introduction to the Course: How literature can be understood as a conversation, how reading, writing, and learning allow us to take part in that conversation, and the importance of the "American" conversation for understanding what it means to be an American.
Also, an introduction to Commonplace Books and our commonplace book project, as well as a demonstration of the use of Blackboard to listen closely to the American conversation and join in ourselves.
Th Aug. 30
William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, 89. Read all of the Bradford material included in the Norton.
Online resources: Chapters one through nine of Bradford's history are available online courtesy of the Mayflower Web Pages. The same site also provides a considerable array of other resources including letters and wills of Mayflower passengers. One particularly interesting piece is the farewell letter written to the Puritans on the Mayflower by their pastor. To read a brief description of the village that was set up by those who arrived on the Mayflower and to view a reconstructed version of the settlement, see the 1626 Plymouth Village at the Plymouth Plantation site. In fact, you can see the reconstruction of Bradford's house.
In-Class Workshop: Today's workshop has three stages. First you will submit your first "commonplace" log. (From this point on, you will routinely add one log before coming to class.) Second, you will have a brief in-class discussion with your small group (or any group of no more than four student in the class). Third, the group will need to collaborate in composing a message with your "Class Discussion Suggestions for Bradford." Sign the names of all the participants in your group and post it to the "Class Discussion Suggestions for Bradford" thread on the Blackboard Discussion Board. You will be able to receive expert advice on opening, using, and posting to the Blackboard during the class session. It's up to you to supply the material.
So, begin by opening the Blackboard Discussion Board and writing your own commonplace log. In other words, post the three or so quotation from Bradford that you found most intriguing, surprising, confusing, helpful, or otherwise worthy of attention along with brief remarks regarding your own reflections. After you have submitted your log, meet with your group in class to discuss the readings, and to identify three to five questions that you think it would be useful to discuss in class on Tuesday. You can pose questions about things you found confusing or suggest we talk about issues that you regard as worth further consideration. Finally, as a group, submit one log with your group's questions and main comments. (In other words, if you came to any preliminary conclusions or have thoughts to offer, feel free to share them.)
You have the entire class period in which to complete this work. Be sure to post your response no later than the end of classtime.You can leave before the class period if you feel you have completed all of your own work and group work in a way that demonstrates real thought. Remember that we will be basing Tuesday's discussion on the work you do today.
As for the Bradford Reading: yes, this is difficult reading because of it is the product of a different culture. But it's all right to be confused; just share your questions in your log. It is also all right if you don't find it highly entertaining. Think of it as a clue to a puzzle rather than as a bedtime story.)
Any "new arrivals" who are entering the class for the first time today should read whatever excerpts from Bradford's history (available online at the Mayflower Web Pages) and then participate in the discussion of the group of their choice. Although new additions need not submit a personal log unless they wish to do so, they should certainly collaborate in a group discussion and posting a group log.
If you have questions about the Blackboard, please ask your visiting expert, Lynne Cook, Manager of Assumption College's Student Labs and an advisor to faculty and students on learning and teaching with technology.
NOTE: Be sure to review Bradford before Tuesday's class meeting and see if you can figure out any answers to the questions that your group developed.
Week Two
Puritans and the American Conversation in the 17th and 18th Centuries:
Charters, Compacts, and Covenants in a Wild World of Wilderness
T Sept. 4
William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, 89. Read all of the Bradford material included in the Norton.
Online resources: Chapters one through nine of Bradford's history are available online courtesy of the Mayflower Web Pages. The same site also provides a considerable array of other resources including letters and wills of Mayflower passengers. One particularly interesting piece is the farewell letter written to the Puritans on the Mayflower by their pastor. To read a brief description of the village that was set up by those who arrived on the Mayflower and to view a reconstructed version of the settlement, see the 1626 Plymouth Village at the Plymouth Plantation site. In fact, you can see the reconstruction of Bradford's house. For information on Puritans, see: The American Sense of Puritan, The Puritan Tradition and American Memory; The Mayflower Web Pages (be sure to see Letters To and From the Pilgrims); ; "Fire and Ice", The Cotton Mather Home Page.
Th Sept. 6
John Winthrop's part II of "A Model of Christian Charity," 116; and "Winthrop's Speech to the General Court," 125.
Online Resources: American Literature on the Web: John Winthrop; PAL: John Winthrop; Excerpts from Winthrop's Journal,
Week Three
18th Century Autobiographies: Should Progress be Spiritual or Temporal?
T Sept. 11
Anne Bradstreet's "Before the Birth of One of Her Children," 140, "To My Dear and Loving Husband," 171, "A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment," 141, "In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet," 142, "Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House," 143, and To My Dear Children," 144. Edward Taylor, "Upon Wedlock and Death of Children," 171
Online Resources: Cotton Mather's "A Father's Resolutions"; Baxter's writings on death, marriage, and other challenges in life (Baxter was a very highly respected Puritan theologian); an essay on mortality in Puritan New England, "Death in Early America"; and selected paintings of Puritans and children including works at The Tigertail Virtual Art Museum: Colonial American Paintings, 1660-1775, The Mason Children: David, Joanna, and Abigail, and an interpretation of that painting composed by a student at Reed College entitled "Cultural Artifact: Who were the Puritans? Who is an American?"
Th Sept. 13
Jonathan Edwards' "Personal Narrative, 176-180 (to bottom); 182 (begin at "But sometime after this . . .")-186. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, 224-5, 230-248, 260-264, 268-285.
Online Resources: The World of Benjamin Franklin ; Benjamin Franklin: An Enlightened American; The Will of Benjamin Franklin; The Way to Wealth; Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin's "Apology for Printers." For a brief description of Franklin's life and work and links to a few on-line texts by Franklin (including "Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania") go University of Pennsylvania University Archives & Records Center.
Week Four
The Changing Voice of the American Conversation in the 18th Century
Revelation or Reason?
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Jonathan Edwards' "Application" from "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," 204 (read the whole section). Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," 309.
Online Resoures: Who is this American in the Portrait? A Gallery of One Puritain and Many Founders. Thomas Paine National Historical Association Collections of biographies and Paine's works may be of particular interest.
Thomas Jefferson's account of his draft of "The Declaration of Independence" from his Autobiography, p. 324, and "Query XVII. Religion," 335. Also read J. Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur's "What is an American," ix.
Online Resources: To read the "Declaration of Independence" and find other texts which contributed to the development of individual rights, see the magnificent website, Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics. For more on Jefferson, visit the wonderful Jefferson exhibit at the Library of Congress; be sure not to miss the section on the Declaration of Independence. (By the way, Jefferson is one of many people who kept commonplace books. In his case, he maintained separate books for his literary and legal commonplaces.) To see scans of the original drafts of important American documents including the Declaration of Independence, visit Emory University's U.S. Founding Documents page. To learn more about the culture and living conditions of 18th century immigrants to America, read this letter written in 1737 by immigrants Cleemens Studenbecker and Peder Studenbecker, or the essay written by Gottleib Mittleberger on the Misfortune of Indentured Servants in Pennsylvania in 1754. If you're interested in getting an inside look at life at the outbreak of the Revolution, you can read this letter from Abigail Adams describing the hostilities Around Boston, 1775-1776.
Olauhdah Equiano's The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauhdah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the Afrian, Written by Himself, 343 (include Chapter II in your reading.) Crevecoeur's "Description of Charlestown," 302. Bring a copy of your Commonplace Book to class. We will be using your commonplaces as a way of identifying promising questions for the report due October 11.
In-Class Workshop on the writing of Olaudah Equiano: Use the suggestions on Locating and Selecting Resources to find online resources for our discussion of Equiano.In-Class Project Workshop: Brainstorm possible topics for project one using the commonplace logs and our class discussions as sources for ideas. Break up into groups based on shared research interests to brainstorm the texts that might be pertinent to those topics. As a basis for considering what source materials are available, you can turn to the Norton, the web and print resources recommended in the syllabus as "Resources," the examples offered in our listing of Text and Topic Combinations, the listings in the Assumption online catalogue (available via our Lyceum Search Page), and bibliographies or other recommendations you can find using our Search Page.
In your project you will explore one theme or technique that seemes to have played a role in the American conversation during the colonial and early national period by reading and reflecting on one or more primary texts. (In other words, you will be analysing texts that were written during the period rather than those written about the period. However, you may find it useful to consult secondary texts--those written about the authors, texts, history, and culture of that period--in order to aid you in your investigations.) For advice on how to find what you need for a research project, see our Research Project FAQ: Locating, Evaluating, Choosing, and Using Primary and Secondary Materials.
Your goal is to develop a deeper understanding of one theme or technique that was an important part of the American conversation and early national period, as well as a deeper understanding of the role played by one author or group of authors or one text or set of texts in contributing to that conversation. You need not come up with a "perfect," error-free, all-questions-answered interpretation. Instead, you should aim to ask questions that genuinely promote deep thought and a consideration of the tensions and complexities of a particular thread of the American conversation. Instead, aim to: construct a probing question; collect and examine evidence that demonstrates the complexity of the question and invites deep consideration; generate one or more thought-provoking hypotheses that offer answers worthy of consideration; and test your hypothesis (or hypotheses) by weighing your evidence and arguments. You need not come to any final conclusion about the "right" answer to the question. Instead, consider whether it is possible to come to one reliable answer, whether a "true" answer would require you to combine several hypothesis, or whether your investigation has led you not to an answer but to a new set of questions.
Because this project is framed as an inquiry, you will not be able to assess your results by asking whether you have provided a conclusive and correct argument. Instead, you should consider whether your inquiry has led you and could lead a relatively informed reader to think about your topic and texts in a deeper and more serious way. Would a person who read your report read texts on this subject or by this author in a new way in the future, or would s/he have a different and/or expanded sense of the nature and meaning of the American conversation?
