AJ45011 American Literature (20th Century)

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2009
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Prajznerová, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Timetable
Fri 9:10–10:45 G31
Prerequisites (in Czech)
AJ40999 Qualifying Examination && AJ44001 Intro. to Literary Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course traces the development of US literature in the twentieth century. Reading a variety of genres, we will examine works by authors from different geographical regions and ethnic backgrounds, including Willa Cather, Charles W. Chesnutt, Sandra Cisneros, David Guterson, Ron Rash, Scott Russell Sanders, Alice Walker, and Zitkala-Sa.
Syllabus
  • Week 1 / Orientation
  • Week 2 / Introduction, course policies and assignments Class session I on Oct. 2
  • Week 3 / Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
  • Week 4 / David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars Class session II on Oct. 16, response paper due on Wednesday Oct. 14 by noon
  • Week 5 / Alice Walker, Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth
  • Week 6 / Scott Russell Sanders, Hunting for Hope
  • Week 7 / Ron Rash, One Foot in Eden Class session III on Nov. 6, response paper due on Wednesday Nov. 4 by noon
  • Week 8 / Willa Cather, O Pioneers!
  • Week 9 / Zitkala-Sa, American Indian Stories
  • Week 10 / Charles W. Chesnutt, The Conjure Woman Class session IV on Nov. 27, response paper due on Wednesday Nov. 25 by noon
  • Week 11 / Key-word definition due on Wednesday Dec. 2 by noon
  • Week 12 / Conclusion, course evaluation Class session V on Dec. 11, paper proposal and annotated bibliography due on Wednesday Dec. 9 by noon
Teaching methods
Class sessions will include short presentations, team-work, audio-visual learning, and discussion.
Assessment methods
Participation (10%) Response papers (30%) Keyword definition (20%) Paper proposal and annotated bibliography (10%) Research paper (30%) For more information on each assignment please read the assignment guidelines. Please keep in mind that you need to pass (earn at least 60% on) each assignment in order to pass the course.
Assignment Guidelines
Participation
You are expected to attend all class sessions and actively participate in class discussion. If you must miss a class, please send me a note.

Response papers
Purpose: to read critically, notice details, take notes, make connections, return to key passages, gain a deeper appreciation of the assigned texts, clearly formulate one’s own thoughts in writing, get personalized feedback from the instructor, be prepared to participate in class discussion, gradually build up a course portfolio.
Content: a comparison of or a balanced commentary on all the readings assigned for the particular session, no research, “only” your own creative / critical thoughts, discoveries and opinions based on the primary readings, analytic mini-essays rather than records of personal impressions, narrow focus (particular themes, images, narrative techniques, characters, relationships, issues, contexts, and so on).
Form: four to five pages (about 1500 words), double spaced, MLA format, creative title.
Style: clear argumentation, logical organization (introduction, main body, conclusion), coherent paragraphs, integrated citations, academic language.
Due dates: submit as echo-assignments in elf on the Wednesdays preceding the class sessions by noon (Oct. 14, Nov. 4, Nov. 25).

Key-word definition
Purpose: to begin the first stages of research related to the course and potentially to the research paper.
Content: your own definition of a particular concept, place, relationship, phenomenon, event, feature, etc., inspired by the primary readings and supported by information from at least four secondary sources.
Form: four to five pages (about 1500 words), a works cited list, double spaced, MLA format.
Style: a fully developed paragraph, integrated citations, academic language.
Due date: submit as an echo-assignment in elf on Wednesday, Dec. 2 by noon.

Paper proposal and annotated bibliography
Purpose: to organize your materials and your ideas in preparation for the research paper, to receive feedback on your research before you start writing.
Content: a concise introduction to your topic, a list of your research questions, a preliminary version of your main argument, an outline of structure, a list of the primary as well as secondary sources you have consulted so far and plan to integrate into your paper, a seven-sentence summary of each source highlighting why it is useful to you.
Form: title, a full paragraph or a detailed outline (about 300 words), an annotated list of sources, MLA format, double-spaced.
Style: precise, academic language, careful and complete bibliographic information.
Due date: submit as an echo-assignment in elf on Wednesday, Dec. 9 by noon.

Research paper
Purpose: to examine some aspect of twentieth-century US literature that interests you, to develop your ideas with the help of a variety of sources, to formulate an argument and support it by convincing evidence.
Content: Preferably, your paper will focus on one (or two or three) of the works we have studied. You may also discuss an author whose work we have not looked at but who is in some way connected to the issues we have covered. You may analyze various literary features (the use of imagery, sources, style) through one critical approach or another, but I especially welcome interdisciplinary perspectives that in some way connect literature with history, geography, anthropology, psychology, and other fields. You are encouraged to draw on the themes that emerged (and re-emerged) in your response papers.
Form: ten to twelve pages (about 3800 words, excluding the works cited list), double-spaced, MLA format.
Style: strong argument, clear organization, coherent paragraphs, integrated citations and references, academic language.
Due date: submit as an echo-assignment in elf Wednesday, Jan. 20 by noon (1st re-sit Feb. 3, 2nd re-sit Feb. 17).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 5x2.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2009, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2009/AJ45011