Date

Topic

T  Jan 15

Course Introduction
Overview of Realism/Naturalism Period: Its Definitions, Historical and Cultural Contexts, and Key Figures

T Jan 22

Twain’s Whittier Dinner Speech, “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses,”  “The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut,”“Old Times on the Mississippi,” and “The Art of Authorship” “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” and "War Prayer" (handouts) 
-Turn in Requests for Discussion Leaders and Oral Reports—Results will be emailed and posted on the website. 

T Jan 29

-Primary Text: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

-Supplemental from Norton: 1) Fisher Fishkin's "Was Huck Black" 2) Morrison's "This Amazing, Troubling Book"
-Discussion Leader: Evan

-Oral Report: Allison (Topic: "Photography")
***Short Papers Due on Twain

T Feb 5

-Primary Text: The Portrait of a Lady (through Volume I)
Oral Report: Robin (Topic: Victoria Woodhull)
***Short Papers Due On Twain

T Feb 12

-Primary Text: The Portrait of a Lady (through Volume II) and “The Art of Fiction”
-Discussion Leader: Jessica

-Supplemental from Norton: 1)Nina Baym's article "Revision and Thematic Change in The Portrait of a Lady" (library--see MLA) 2) Millicent Bell's "Isabel Archer and the Affronting of Plot" (ereserve)
Oral Report: Stephen (Topic: William James and Pragmatism)
***Short Papers Due on James

T Feb 19

-Primary Text: The Rise of Silas Lapham and excerpt from Criticism and Fiction (handout)
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition
1)  G. Thomas Tanselle's "The Architecture of The Rise of Silas Lapham"
2) C. Hugh Holman's "Of Everything the Unexplained and Irresponsible Specimen: Notes on How to Read American Realism"

3) Edwin Cady "The Chief American Realist"
Note: If you did not buy a Norton Critical Edition of Silas Lapham, see below for alternate locations of the articles:

• Tanselle's article can be found through the MLA database

• Holman's article appears in the Georgia Review 18 (1964): 316-24 and is available in our library.

• Cady's article is from his book The Road to Realism pp.201-6 available in our library.

Discussion Leader: Kristen
Oral Report: Jessica (Topic: Realism and Architecture)
***Short Papers Due on Howells

T Feb 26

-Primary Text: Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”; Freeman’s “Old Woman Mangoun” Jewett’s “The Foreigner”: Chesnutt’s “Po’ Sandy”; Zitakla-Sa’s “Impressions of an Indian Childhood”
-Supplemental: Regionalism and Local Color Fiction selection from Donna Campbell's website
Oral Report: Will (Topic: World's Fair)
***Short Papers Due on ONE of the short stories for today

T Mar 4

-Primary Text: Puddn’head Wilson
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition:
1) Gillman's "'Sure Identifiers," pp.445-464
2) Rowe's "Fatal Speculations," pp. 426-445
(It's my understanding that we have all this edition). 
-Discussion Leader: Will

Oral Report: Bob (Topic: Darwinism)
***Short Papers Due on Puddn'head

T Mar 11

-Primary Texts: Maggie, “The Blue Hotel,” “An Episode of War,” “The Open Boat” and London “To Build a Fire”
-Supplemental Texts:
1) Joseph Brennan's "Ironic and Symbolic Structure in Crane's Maggie"  This article is available through JSTOR.  You should be able to access it by clicking here.   
2) Pizer's "Maggie and American Naturalism" (ereserve--Go to the library's home page, and look under "Course Reserves" to find the list for English 611).  
-Discussion Leader: Stephen
-Oral Report: Evan (Topic: Immigration/Jacob Riis)
***Short Paper Due on Crane or London
NOTE: A Paper Prospectus for your longer paper will be due to me via email by Friday March 14. 

W Mar 12

Last day to withdraw from a spring semester course.  (Automatic N grade is issued.)  Students may not withdraw from a course after this date without documented extenuating circumstances. Last day to rescind elected S/U option.  A rescinded S/U will still count toward the maximum of four allowed.

T Mar 18

Spring Break

T Mar 25

-Primary Text: McTeague
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition: 
1)Lawlor's "Naturalism in the Cinema," pp. 389-395.
2) Pizer's  "Late Nineteenth-Century American Naturalism," pp. 306-311
Note: If you did not buy the Norton Critical Edition of McTeague, see below for alternate locations:
-Lawlor's article is available on ereserve because I could not find it in our library.
-Pizer's article is also on ereserve because while we do have in the library it has been excerpted.
Discussion Leader: Allison
Oral Report: Kristen (Topic: "Realism and Religion")
***Short Paper Due on Norris
Note: Paper Conferences will be held this week to discuss prospectus and research plan. 

T April 1

-Primary Text: The Awakening
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition:
1) Nancy Walker's "Feminist or Naturalist," pp. 252-256
2) Cynthia Griffin Woolf's "Thanatos and Eros," pp. 231-241
Note: If you did not buy the Norton Critical Edition of The Awakening, see below for alternate locations:
1) Walker's essay can be found in Southern Quarterly  17 (1979): 95-103 available in the library
2) Woolf's "Thanatos and Eros" can be found through JSTOR  
-Discussion Leader: Robin
***Short Paper Due on Chopin

T April 8

-Primary Text: Sister Carrie
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition:
1) Fisher's "The Life History of Objects: The Naturalist Novel and the City," pp.497-509
2) Gelfant's "What More Can Carrie Want?" pp.554-573
Note: If you did not buy the Norton Critical Edition of Sister Carrie, see below for alternate locations:
1) Philip Fisher's article is from his book Hard Facts: Seeing and Form in the American Novel, pp.162-78, available in our library. 

2) Gelfant's article is on ereserve because I could not find it online or in our library. 
-Discussion Leader: Bob
***Short Paper Due on Dreiser

T April 15

-Wrap up Dreiser and Begin Wharton
-Primary Text: The House of Mirth
-Supplemental from Norton Critical Edition:
1) Ammons's "Edith Wharton's Hard-Working Lily," pp. 345-357
2) R.W. B. Lewis's "The House of Mirth Biographically," pp. 339-345
Note: If you did not buy the Norton Critical Edition of House, see below for alternate locations:
1) Ammons's article is on ereserve because I could not find it in our library. 

2) Lewis's article can be found in his book entitled: Edith Wharton: A Biography pp, 150-156 available in our library.
***Short Paper Due on Wharton

T April 22

Course Evaluations
Paper Presentations
Exam Review

The Final Exam is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 11:30 am.  Winthrop University policy does not accept travel plans or work schedules as reasons to reschedule a final examination.