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ENGL 400

LITERATURE IN SOCIETY

NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.

This Semester:

Between the Wars: Reading & Culture in France & America, 1918-1939

This is the first course offered under the rubric of "Literature in Society," a new series designed to explore how and why literature is a product of and mirror on the manners and mores of the period it depicts and in which it was created. Even as the best art can and must stand alone, outside time and place, it is nevertheless not quite a meteor that drops from the sky out of nowhere. This series of courses examines the context in which a particular body of literature develops; asks students to study texts as cultural artifacts and social indicators; and looks at literature not only as art and but also as the product of and potential guide to a specific time and place. Other courses focusing on other periods will be offered as faculty members have time to propose and prepare them.

COURSE CONTEXT AND DESCRIPTION

This particular course examines American and French literature written during and about the period between World Wars I and II. By reading selected fiction and poetry of the era, students will examine how social and cultural life is, or possibly is not, reflected in the works; how, and/or if, the times helped shape the literature; and how literature can help us understand the social history of the period and the places. For background and reference, students will also read about the social and cultural conditions of the period.

Why this particular period and these two countries? For many Americans of the day, France represented the seat of all that was artistically and culturally sophisticated and desirable. Numerous American artists took up residence there in search of the inspiration and freedom they felt were not available at home. At the same time, some of these very expatriates were writing what later came to be seen, by some, as the most authentic American literature yet. Meanwhile, French writers and artists were smitten with American imports, from jazz to Josephine Baker.

These two countries in this period were, arguably, the twin seats of "the new," with much cross-cultural intermingling that produced both mutual admiration and distrust. The seeds of anti-Americanism were being sown precisely while France welcomed American art and artists. And Americans in France were discovering a peculiarly American identify and voice even as they came to know and love their adopted country.

This course considers all the above and should help to address the oft-leveled charge that literary studies in America tend to be Anglo-centric, giving too little attention to the work and writers of European countries. In the spirit of the course, too, the texts typically will be "popular," i.e., the books read not primarily by the literati or intelligentsia so much as by the so-called common reader.

COURSE STRUCTURE & READINGS

The course will be divided into three segments. Each student will choose one of the three as a focus of his/her concentration and read, in addition to the required texts, at least one additional text and other pertinent materials. (Recommended additional texts are listed below. The instructor will recommend others although students are encouraged to come up with original ideas for both research and their presentations.)

At the end of each segment, the students who have chosen it as their area of concentration will present to the class a research or other project designed to inform us all, in some depth and with maximum inventiveness, about an aspect of the literature and society in question. At the end of each segment, students not making a class presentation will write a short paper (five to ten pages) on some aspect of the subject matter considered. Therefore, all students will produce a paper OR a make a presentation at the end of each segment. Those making the presentations will not be required to turn in a formal paper. In short, all students will write two papers and make one presentation.

Please note: The instructor will make sure that one third of the class (about seven students) chooses one of the three segments for a concentrated project and presentation. No bunching of all projects at the end!

EXPECTATIONS

The Presentations

For the class presentations, each to be about 15 minutes, students will complete projects designed to explore in depth one tightly focused theme developed from the concentrated study of one of the three segments. This project may be a classic research paper and/or may include various media (film, video, music, etc.) or other approaches. We invite the inventive, the dramatic, the offbeat. But the project MUST demonstrate an understanding of the methodological approach of the course, show evidence of thorough research, original thinking, and wide-ranging reading and study of some aspect of how literature in the period reflects society, and the reverse.

Students making presentations are not required to hand in a formal, written version of their project but may do so. Extra credit for this paper is possible but not guaranteed.

The Papers

All students will write two papers, from seven to ten pages, on some aspect of the material covered in two of the three segments. These MUST be classic research papers with a standard research format and careful source citations using MLA or University of Chicago style. Students have great latitude in the choice of topics, and, again, we encourage the inventive, the wide-ranging, and the offbeat. But the papers must have carefully argued points, tightly focused themes, and reflect an understanding of the required texts as well as other reference and source materials. (See below for section on plagiarism.)

Only hard-copy papers are acceptable. Students may not submit any materials electronically.

Attendance

Attendance in class is very important because lectures and other materials provide essential background and analysis of the material in question. Repeated absences will result in a lowering of a studentÍs grade.

If a student must miss a class, he or she is expected to get notes and assignments from another student, not from the instructor.

GRADES

Grades are based on the quality of students' analytical, research, and writing skills, on the degree to which they demonstrate an understanding of the material covered in class, and on the extent to which they build on this material in their own reading, research, papers, and presentations. Creativity is welcome and will be rewarded.

In general, grades will be assigned as follows, with plus or minus grades indicating more or less of same:

A Exceptionally wide-ranging research; highly creative, scholarly, lucid, elegant articulation of ideas and/or findings, both in the presentations and papers.

B Good research and creative presentations demonstrating a thorough understanding of the materials and ideas of the course.

C Adequately demonstrated understanding of the materials and the ideas.

D Below average work (in writing, research, analysis) throughout the course; evidence indicating a failure to read the texts or study the materials.

F A clear demonstration of failure to understand the material; excessive absences; failure to hand in papers.

PLAGIARISM

Students are expected to write and to turn in their own work. To use someone elseÍs papers or words without properly and fully crediting the source/s is unethical and illegal. It is always better to over-cite than to take any chances on illegitimate use of othersÍ work. If any student is uncertain about the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, imitating, borrowing, and copying, and/or about how to cite sources or to give proper credit, he or she should consult the instructor.

The instructor will be vigilant about inspecting papers for any evidence of having been downloaded from the Internet or copied from anywhere else.

There are NO exceptions to the absolute ban against unauthorized and/or unattributed use of material from any source whatsoever or in any fashion whatsoever. If any student plagiarizes material, the instructors will follow the University's policies regarding academic integrity. The consequences resulting from infringements of these regulations are severe. They include failure of the course and possible expulsion from the University. Violation of copyright laws is even more serious.

CLASS SCHEDULE

WEEKS 1-5

Segment I: The Jazz Age: How the Twenties Roared in Two Languages

The post-World War I era and how the Great War, with its terrible toll, also ushered in a new era of morals, mores, music, and art.

Required Texts

´ This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald

´ Chúri and The Last of Chúri, Colette

Additional Text

´ Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, Frederick Lewis Allen

WEEKS 6-10

Segment II: Harlem & Montmartre: Cross-Cultural Swing

African-Americans at home and in France.

Required Texts

´ Selected poems of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and others (hand-outs)

´ Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

Additional Text

´ When Harlem Was in Vogue, David Levering Lewis

WEEKS 11-14

SEGMENT III: The Gamy, Grimy Paris of the Thirties

The Great Depression and falling darkness, at home and abroad.

Required Texts

´ Maigret and the Man on the Bench and Maigret Sets a Trap, Georges Simenon

´ Henry Miller: The Paris Years, Brassa

´ Selected readings from Henry Miller (hand-outs)

Additional Text

´ The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s, Eugen Weber




			ENGL 400 LITERATURE IN SOCIETY NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester. This Semester: Between the Wars: Reading & Culture in France & America, 1918-1939 This is the first course offered under the rubric of "Literature in Society," a new series designed to explore how and why literature is a product of and mirror on the manners and mores of the period it depicts and in which it was created. Even as the best art can and must stand alone, outside time and place, it is nevertheless not quite a meteor that drops from the sky out of nowhere. This series of courses examines the context in which a particular body of literature develops; asks students to study texts as cultural artifacts and social indicators; and looks at literature not only as art and but also as the product of and potential guide to a specific time and place. Other courses focusing on other periods will be offered as faculty members have time to propose and prepare them. COURSE CONTEXT AND DESCRIPTION This particular course examines American and French literature written during and about the period between World Wars I and II. By reading selected fiction and poetry of the era, students will examine how social and cultural life is, or possibly is not, reflected in the works; how, and/or if, the times helped shape the literature; and how literature can help us understand the social history of the period and the places. For background and reference, students will also read about the social and cultural conditions of the period. Why this particular period and these two countries? For many Americans of the day, France represented the seat of all that was artistically and culturally sophisticated and desirable. Numerous American artists took up residence there in search of the inspiration and freedom they felt were not available at home. At the same time, some of these very expatriates were writing what later came to be seen, by some, as the most authentic American literature yet. Meanwhile, French writers and artists were smitten with American imports, from jazz to Josephine Baker. These two countries in this period were, arguably, the twin seats of "the new," with much cross-cultural intermingling that produced both mutual admiration and distrust. The seeds of anti-Americanism were being sown precisely while France welcomed American art and artists. And Americans in France were discovering a peculiarly American identify and voice even as they came to know and love their adopted country. This course considers all the above and should help to address the oft-leveled charge that literary studies in America tend to be Anglo-centric, giving too little attention to the work and writers of European countries. In the spirit of the course, too, the texts typically will be "popular," i.e., the books read not primarily by the literati or intelligentsia so much as by the so-called common reader. COURSE STRUCTURE & READINGS The course will be divided into three segments. Each student will choose one of the three as a focus of his/her concentration and read, in addition to the required texts, at least one additional text and other pertinent materials. (Recommended additional texts are listed below. The instructor will recommend others although students are encouraged to come up with original ideas for both research and their presentations.) At the end of each segment, the students who have chosen it as their area of concentration will present to the class a research or other project designed to inform us all, in some depth and with maximum inventiveness, about an aspect of the literature and society in question. At the end of each segment, students not making a class presentation will write a short paper (five to ten pages) on some aspect of the subject matter considered. Therefore, all students will produce a paper OR a make a presentation at the end of each segment. Those making the presentations will not be required to turn in a formal paper. In short, all students will write two papers and make one presentation. Please note: The instructor will make sure that one third of the class (about seven students) chooses one of the three segments for a concentrated project and presentation. No bunching of all projects at the end! EXPECTATIONS The Presentations For the class presentations, each to be about 15 minutes, students will complete projects designed to explore in depth one tightly focused theme developed from the concentrated study of one of the three segments. This project may be a classic research paper and/or may include various media (film, video, music, etc.) or other approaches. We invite the inventive, the dramatic, the offbeat. But the project MUST demonstrate an understanding of the methodological approach of the course, show evidence of thorough research, original thinking, and wide-ranging reading and study of some aspect of how literature in the period reflects society, and the reverse. Students making presentations are not required to hand in a formal, written version of their project but may do so. Extra credit for this paper is possible but not guaranteed. The Papers All students will write two papers, from seven to ten pages, on some aspect of the material covered in two of the three segments. These MUST be classic research papers with a standard research format and careful source citations using MLA or University of Chicago style. Students have great latitude in the choice of topics, and, again, we encourage the inventive, the wide-ranging, and the offbeat. But the papers must have carefully argued points, tightly focused themes, and reflect an understanding of the required texts as well as other reference and source materials. (See below for section on plagiarism.) Only hard-copy papers are acceptable. Students may not submit any materials electronically. Attendance Attendance in class is very important because lectures and other materials provide essential background and analysis of the material in question. Repeated absences will result in a lowering of a studentÍs grade. If a student must miss a class, he or she is expected to get notes and assignments from another student, not from the instructor. GRADES Grades are based on the quality of students' analytical, research, and writing skills, on the degree to which they demonstrate an understanding of the material covered in class, and on the extent to which they build on this material in their own reading, research, papers, and presentations. Creativity is welcome and will be rewarded. In general, grades will be assigned as follows, with plus or minus grades indicating more or less of same: A Exceptionally wide-ranging research; highly creative, scholarly, lucid, elegant articulation of ideas and/or findings, both in the presentations and papers. B Good research and creative presentations demonstrating a thorough understanding of the materials and ideas of the course. C Adequately demonstrated understanding of the materials and the ideas. D Below average work (in writing, research, analysis) throughout the course; evidence indicating a failure to read the texts or study the materials. F A clear demonstration of failure to understand the material; excessive absences; failure to hand in papers. PLAGIARISM Students are expected to write and to turn in their own work. To use someone elseÍs papers or words without properly and fully crediting the source/s is unethical and illegal. It is always better to over-cite than to take any chances on illegitimate use of othersÍ work. If any student is uncertain about the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, imitating, borrowing, and copying, and/or about how to cite sources or to give proper credit, he or she should consult the instructor. The instructor will be vigilant about inspecting papers for any evidence of having been downloaded from the Internet or copied from anywhere else. There are NO exceptions to the absolute ban against unauthorized and/or unattributed use of material from any source whatsoever or in any fashion whatsoever. If any student plagiarizes material, the instructors will follow the University's policies regarding academic integrity. The consequences resulting from infringements of these regulations are severe. They include failure of the course and possible expulsion from the University. Violation of copyright laws is even more serious. CLASS SCHEDULE WEEKS 1-5 Segment I: The Jazz Age: How the Twenties Roared in Two Languages The post-World War I era and how the Great War, with its terrible toll, also ushered in a new era of morals, mores, music, and art. Required Texts ´ This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald ´ Chúri and The Last of Chúri, Colette Additional Text ´ Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, Frederick Lewis Allen WEEKS 6-10 Segment II: Harlem & Montmartre: Cross-Cultural Swing African-Americans at home and in France. Required Texts ´ Selected poems of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and others (hand-outs) ´ Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston Additional Text ´ When Harlem Was in Vogue, David Levering Lewis WEEKS 11-14 SEGMENT III: The Gamy, Grimy Paris of the Thirties The Great Depression and falling darkness, at home and abroad. Required Texts ´ Maigret and the Man on the Bench and Maigret Sets a Trap, Georges Simenon ´ Henry Miller: The Paris Years, Brassa ´ Selected readings from Henry Miller (hand-outs) Additional Text ´ The Hollow Years: France in the 1930s, Eugen Weber home \| bs, corporate communication \| ba, english \| ma, publications design \| mfa, integrated design \| mfa, creative writing & publishing arts \| people \| portfolio \| facilities \| classes \| undergraduate applications \| graduate applications \| contact \| site index \| university of baltimore