English 573
Seminar in Prose Fiction: English 573
Regionalism, Race, and Nationalism
Spring 2006: M 3:10-6 p.m. Avery 110
Donna Campbell
Avery 357; 335-4831; campbelld@wsu.edu
Office Hours: M W 11:30-1 and by appointment
Virtual Office Hours: Send an instant message at any time to drcampbell6676@hotmail.com, drcampbell6676@aol.com, or drcampbell6676@yahoo.com.
Course materials available at http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/engl573/index.html and in WebCT
American literature
Printable .pdf version of this syllabus (.doc version)
Texts
Course Description
This seminar explores late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American regional literature from several perspectives: as a literary movement that responded to realism and became a conduit to major publishing outlets for those marginalized by class, race, and gender; as a response to political debates over the Civil War, woman suffrage, race relations, and Reconstruction; as a reaction to concerns over industrialization, Gilded Age capitalism, urbanization, and the emergence of literary professionalism; and as a means of engaging in national debates over immigration, imperialism, and nationalism. We’ll explore the texts’ creation of regional myths, including those that seek to codify particular kinds of race-based social control (as in fiction of the plantation tradition), those that use nostalgia to enshrine an imagined past and idealize the primitive, and those that contribute to a national narrative that enshrines and naturalizes certain kinds of racial and class power.
Here are some of the themes and issues we’ll consider:
Note: These readings are tentative; others will be added.
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1 |
1/9 |
Introduction: Historical and Literary Backgrounds |
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2 |
1/16 |
No Class: Martin Luther King Day |
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3 |
1/23 |
Romance and Realism in Western Regional Fiction
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4 |
1/30 |
New England Communities
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5 |
2/6 |
Regionalism: “Queer Consciousness,” “Minor Literature”
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6 |
2/13 |
Regional Objects, Cultures, and Histories
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7 |
2/20 |
No Class: Presidents' Day (University Holiday) |
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8 |
2/27 |
Fictions of the Color Line
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9 |
3/6 |
Plantation Myths
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10 |
3/13 |
Spring Break 3/14-3/18 |
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11 |
3/20 |
Technologies of Seeing, Technologies of Representation
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12 |
3/27 |
Defining Region, Nation, and Empire
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13 |
4/3 |
Ethnography and Appropriation
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14 |
4/10 |
Ethnography and Appropriation, continued
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15 |
4/17 |
Paper 2 due Note: Class today will be held from 4-6 p.m. Note: The paper presentations each day will be arranged in two sessions: three papers, a discussion period, and a break. Remember that you won't be presenting your whole second paper; you'll be presenting a shorter, conference-length version that will take no more than 15-20 minutes to read (about 8-10 typed, double-spaced pages).
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16 |
4/24 |
Paper Presentations 2
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Course Requirements
Attendance and Participation. Attendance and good class participation are essential.
Papers . You’ll write two papers in this course, the first a conference-length (8-9 pages) treatment of a topic, and the second an extended paper (15-18 pages; page limits are flexible) suitable for submitting to the journal of your choice or for using as the basis of a dissertation chapter. The first paper can be based on your presentation topic, if you wish, or it can form the basis for your longer paper. The presentations at the end of the course will be based on the longer paper, which you’ll need to edit down to conference length.
Plagiarism Policy . Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else's words or ideas. This definition includes not only deliberately handing in someone else's work as your own but failing to cite your sources, including Web pages and Internet sources. Penalties for plagiarism range from an F on the paper to failing the course. If you turn in a plagiarized paper, at a minimum you will receive a grade of F (0 points). You will not be allowed to rewrite the paper, and the incident must be reported to the Office of Student Conduct (http://www.conduct.wsu.edu/academicIntegrity.asp).
Presentations. Each member of the class will give a 30-minute presentation at one point during the semester. This might take any one of several forms: preparing information about the author or authors assigned for that day and presenting a set of new ideas or questions for the class to consider; giving a new interpretation of the work; providing a contextual overview of an author or work; or analyzing and critiquing current critical perspectives. You will need to provide a brief handout for the class, preferably one that includes a short annotated bibliography of your sources, an outline, and relevant quotations or information from your sources. During the last week of class, you'll present a conference-length version of your second paper to the rest of the class.
Approximate weights for grades : Paper 1, 15%; Presentations, 20%; Paper 2, 50%; Attendance and Participation, 15%
WSU Statement on Academic Integrity. As an institution of higher education, Washington State University is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining and supporting these principles. When a student enrolls in Washington State University, the student assumes an obligation to pursue academic endeavors in a manner consistent with the standards of academic integrity adopted by the University. To maintain the academic integrity of the community, the University cannot tolerate acts of academic dishonesty including any forms of cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication. Washington State University reserves the right and the power to discipline or to exclude students who engage in academic dishonesty.
WSU Statement on Disabilities . Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations must be approved through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) located in the Administration Annex Room 205, 335-1566.