Instructor: Robert M. Hogge

Institution: Weber State University

Catalog Course Title: American Literature: Civil War to 1900


Abstract: The primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the literary movements of realism and naturalism by (1) in-depth discussion of the literature of assigned authors and (2) student reports, accompanied by written analyses, of other important authors not assigned in the course outline. By using this two-pronged approach, an instructor can (1) teach the "canon" authors; (2) highlight undervalued women authors; and (3) broaden the canon by exposing students, many for the first time, to the important writings of Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Americans of Chinese ancestry.

Demographics:
This course serves as an introduction to American Literature from the Civil War to 1900. The course has approximately 30 students in it (mostly juniors and seniors) and is run mostly in a discussion format.

Texts and Bibliography:
a. Texts: Lauter, et. al., Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume II
b. Additional Readings: Excerpts from Walt Whitman's Song of Myself; selected poems of Emily Dickinson; Mark Twain's "A Medieval Romance"; selections from the Fantastic Fables of Ambrose Bierce; and excerpts from Joel Chandler Harris, Artemus Ward, Petroleum V. Nasby, and Bill Nye.
c. Bibliography: Wayne C. Booth's The Rhetoric of Fiction; Eugene Current-Garcia and Walton R. Patrick's Realism and Romanticism in Fiction; and Edward Stone's What Was Naturalism?

General Writing and Pedagogy:
Throughout this course students are required to write a daily journal in which they respond to each author studied. At the end of the course, they submit the "best" of the journal (3 typed pages). In addition, students are required to write a creative essay (2-3 pages), a critical analysis (2-3 pages), and a term paper based on guidelines from the D.C. Heath American Literature Student Essay Contest (4-5 pages). Students present an oral report, complete several in-class writing assignments, and do some collaborative work, reviewing each other's papers. And they take two unannounced quizzes and a final examination.

Readings, Pedagogy, and Annotations:

Unit #1; 1 class session.
  • Readings for Unit #1: Excerpts from Walt Whitman's Song of Myself and selected poems of Emily Dickinson (handout)
  • Annotation for Unit #1: I like to begin the course with Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, two poets the students are usually enthusiastic about. In addition to discussing the major themes of each writer, I like to have students point out differences in poetic technique, asking them if these differences might be related to gender. I also give students "Literary History of the United States: Beginnings to 1910," a handout that places this course in its historical and literary context.
  • Writing and Pedagogy for Unit #1: No writing assignments or exercises in this unit.

    Unit #2; 2 class sessions.
  • Readings for Unit #2: Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" and "A Foreigner"; Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's "A Church Mouse," "The Revolt of 'Mother,'" and "Old Woman Magoun" (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #2: I like to discuss these two writers together, pointing out how they were once acknowledged as significant writers of their period (particularly during the Howells era), but then later received less attention from publishers, writers of anthologies, and teachers.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #2: The teaching approach initially is historical and biographical. Then the students are asked to discuss the selections to see in what ways they conform to or depart from expected styles of writing. Particular emphasis is given to the subtle artistry of "A White Heron." Students write journal entries on Jewett and Freeman. I collect the entry on Jewett and prepare a handout, "Sarah Orne Jewett: Excerpts from Students' Journals," as a way of teaching how students can use the daily journal to think about an author's ideas, themes, or style of writing.

    Unit #3; 6 class sessions.
  • Readings for Unit #3: Mark Twain's The Gilded Age (Chapters 27 & 28), "A True Story," Old Times on the Mississippi (Chapters I & II), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and "The War Prayer" (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #3: I like to begin by emphasizing Mark Twain's importance in both history and literature. The shorter selections in the anthology reveal Twain as an expert on riverboat life, a consummate storyteller, and an adept social critic of America's values and preoccupations. In Huck Finn students discover how Twain is a literary craftsman who is able to bring to life the people, culture, and values of pre-Civil War Missouri. I like to also add to the class discussion excerpts from Roughing It and Letters From the Earth. And I begin the discussion of Huck Finn by sharing with the students the ending of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a good way to get them to discuss Twain's evolving style and his increasing level of sophistication and complexity in the later novel.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #3. Students write 5 separate journal entries on Twain, with particular emphasis on Huck Finn. And students write a creative essay which usually is a parody of Twain's style or an extra episode they would like to insert into Huck Finn.

    Unit #4; 2 class sessions.
  • Readings for Unit #4: William Dean Howells' excerpts from Suburban Sketches, The Rise of Silas Latham, The Editor's Study, Criticism and Fiction, along with "Editha" and "Editor's Easy Chair"; Henry James' excerpt from "Hawthorne," plus Daisy Miller: A Study and "The Beast in the Jungle" (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #4: I emphasize with students the essential elements of psychological realism, particularly in the selections from Henry James, and discuss with them the central position of Howells and James and their role in institutionalizing literary realism in America.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #4: Students write journal entries on Howells and James and watch a videotape of the life of Henry James.

    Unit #5: 2 class sessions
    .
  • Readings for Unit #5: Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby," "A Respectable Woman," "The Story of an Hour," "Lilacs," "A Pair of Silk Stockings," and "The Storm" (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #5: In this unit, I like the students to discover for themselves the major themes and motifs in Kate Chopin's fiction. To help them, I provide some biographical and historical information, and I show them one way to read "Desiree's Baby" closely. Then I ask them to search-out additional important concepts in the stories and sketches not discussed in class.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #5: Students write a journal entry on Chopin. They also write a critical analysis (using feminist, psychological, or formalist approaches) of Chopin's short fiction.

    Unit #6; 4 class sessions
    .
  • Readings for Unit #6: Ambrose Bierce's "Chicamauga"; Hamlin Garland's "Up the Coule"; Stephen Crane's "A Mystery of Heroism," "The Open Boat," "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," and selected poems; and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and a chapter from Herland (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #6: The focus in this unit is the shift from realism to naturalism in fiction. To help the students conceptualize that shift more dramatically, I provide a handout, "What Is Naturalism," to generate class discussion of Bierce, Garland, and Crane.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #6: Students write journal entries on Bierce, Garland, Crane, and Gilman. And they write a term paper based on guidelines stated in the D. C. Heath American Literature Student Essay Contest.

    Unit #7; 2 class sessions.
  • Readings for Unit #7: Henry Adams' excerpts from Mont- Saint Michel and Chartres and The Education of Henry Adams; Booker T. Washington's chapters from Up From Slavery (Heath)
  • Annotation for Unit #7: The emphasis in this unit is to help students prepare for the major ideas and themes that will be explored, in great detail, in the next course, "The Modern Period," particularly Adams' concepts of the modern technological world and Washington's writings which will either be added upon or refuted by members of The Harlem Renaissance.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #7: Students write journal entries on Adams and Washington.

    Unit #8; 3 class sessions.
  • Readings for Unit #8: Each student is assigned to read the selections of a specific author who has not yet been discussed in this class.
  • Annotation for Unit #8: Since a primary goal of this class is to help students become aware of different voices in literature (undervalued women writers and writers from ethnic minorities), I assign students an author to report on to the other members of the class. In this way, the students can at least be introduced to many of the lesser known or less appreciated writers.
  • Writing & Pedagogy for Unit #8: Each student will write a brief report on an assigned author, specifically explaining (when possible) each of these areas: (1) key autobiographical details; (2) most important publications; (3) major contributions to the period [Civil War to 1900]); (4) critical reception; and (5) important literary themes, techniques, or innovations. Then each student will present a 5-10 minute oral report on the assinged author.

    This page was prepared by Audrey Mickahail at the Center for Electronic Projects in American Culture Studies (CEPACS), housed at Georgetown University, under the direction of Randy Bass, Department of English.


    CEPACS