http://sites.google.

com/site/engl349/ Spring 2010 / Tu/Th 12:15-1:40 / MYBK 300

ENGL 349: THE AMERICAN NOVEL to 1900

INSTRUCTOR TEXTS
Dr. J. Michael Duvall  duvalljm@cofc.edu Susanna Rowson, Charlotte Temple
22A Glebe St., #103  953-4833 (1794) - Penguin - 9780140390803
Office Hours: TR 3:15-4PM, W 11AM-12, and by Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar
appointment Huntly (1799) - Penguin –
(please note: there will be no Tuesday office hours on the second 0140390626
Tuesday of the month)
James Fenimore Cooper, Last of the
COURSE DESCRIPTION Mohicans (1826) - Penguin -
We will study key examples of the novel as it developed in
9780140390247
the United States from the late 18th century through the
turn of the 20th century. We will read these novels closely, Herman Melville, Moby Dick (1851) -
trying to grasp what makes each a distinctive work of art, Norton - 0393972836
while also paying careful attention to what makes each of Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale
these also part and parcel of the culture, history, and Romance (1852) - Bedford -
literary history in which it was produced. We will attend, 0312118031
as well, to the ways in which these novels implicitly enter
into conversation with one another on key national, William Wells Brown, Clotel, or the
cultural, and literary concerns. President’s Daughter (1853) -
Bedford - 0312152655
Students who successfully complete this course will
demonstrate the ability to Harriet Wilson, Our Nig (1859) -
❖ draw stylistic and thematic Penguin - 9780142437773
comparisons between the novels Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country of
studied the Pointed Firs (1896) - Dover -
❖ define and explain key 0486281965
literary, theoretical, and Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
historical terms and concepts for (1905)- Bedford - 0312062346
the study of the American novel
to 1900
❖ identify and interpret key strands of American thought and ideology as they are developed
within and across the novels
❖ recognize and analyze some of the “conversations” about the novels into which scholars and
critics have entered and, ideally, be able to enter into such conversations themselves in discussion
and writing
❖ develop and articulate a sustained argument about one of the novels in the form of a lengthy
paper that analyzes the novel and synthesizes relevant current criticism.
CLASS WEBSITE
The class website (http://sites.google.com/site/engl349/) will be an invaluable source of information
for assignment sheets, handouts, the course calendar, notices of various sorts, follow-up postings on
our class discussions, and so forth. Be sure to check the site regularly.
ASSIGNMENTS
In-Class Writing, Quizzes, and Other Short Writing Assignments (60 points -- 15% of the
final grade)
You will regularly complete short writing assignments in class and at times outside of class in order

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 1

to help you focus on the assigned reading, think through the issues that we will encounter in the
course, formulate problems and questions for class discussion, respond to the readings, and so on.
There will also be quizzes on the reading assignments.
Class Notes (2) (20 points, each – 10% of the final grade)
Twice in the semester, you will work in a group (of 2 or 3 students, depending on the class date) to
collaborate and prepare a single set of class notes for a class meeting. These notes will be posted on
the class website (address above the masthead) to serve as a record of what was discussed and as a
reference for your preparations for the midterm and final examinations. You may sign up for your
two groups by talking to Dr. Duvall directly, or visiting this site: <
http://doodle.com/7v484q9ndqk7f47x>.
For details on what the notes need to include and instructions on posting the notes, see the
assignment sheet on the course website.
Critical Article Summary and Response (2) (100 points [40 for the first, 60 for the second] or
25% of the final grade)
You will summarize an assigned critical article twice during the semester, once before the mid-term
and once after. Each summary will indicate the rhetorical situation in which the article situates itself
and will reiterate the article’s thesis, central claims, reasoning, and key evidence. Additionally, the
summary will include a thoughtful response to the article. See the course calendar for summary due
dates and the assignment sheet on the course website for details.
Researched Critical Paper (100 points – 25% of the final grade)
You will write a ten-page, thesis-driven, researched essay interpreting some aspect of one of the
novels we are studying in the class this semester. You will sign up for a novel to write on, and the
final version of your paper will be due within two weeks of our completing the novel. You may sign
up by talking to Dr. Duvall directly, or visiting the following site: <
http://doodle.com/pedztukhksauf9k5>.
Leading up to the final version of your paper, you will write a proposal, draft a first version, and
workshop that draft in a group setting with Dr. Duvall and the other students who have signed up to
write on the novel. For more details, see the assignment sheet on the course website.
Midterm and Final Examinations (40 and 60 points, respectively or about 10% and 15% of the
final grade, respectively)
The midterm and final examinations will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and interpretive
skill. We will review for each examination by going over the kinds of questions that will be asked and
discussing strategies for preparation and successful completion of the exams. The midterm will cover
the novels and ideas discussed before the midterm. A portion of the final examination will focus on
texts read since the midterm, but a section of the examination will be cumulative, in that it will ask
you to draw connections across the entire semester’s reading list.
COURSE GRADES
Grades in this class are determined on a point system. The total amount of points available to earn in
the semester will be approximately 400, although the final number may be slightly lower or
slightly higher than that number, depending on how many points are available in the “In-Class
Writing, Quizzes, and Other Short Writing Assignments” category.
For your reference, the table below matches final percentage scores in this section of ENGL 349 with
grades on the College of Charleston plus/minus grading system.

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 2

Grades on individual assignments will be based on criteria that I will announce a sufficient time in
advance of assignment due dates. As a general rule, I try to be as forthcoming as possible about my
expectations for assignments. I am also always willing to discuss grades and grading criteria with
students in person. If you need clarification, you should never hesitate to ask.
Attendance, Preparation for Class, Late
and Missed Assignments, and the Like ENGL 349 FINAL GRADES
There will be no grade penalty for failure to CofC ENGL 349 (Duvall)
CofC
attend a certain number of classes. If you are 4-pt Catalog approx.
%
serious about your education and I am serious Grade scale Description pts.*
about offering something during class periods A 4.0 Superior 94-100 374-400
that goes beyond what you could just as easily A- 3.7 91-93 364-373
do on your own, then the attendance issue, I B+ 3.3 Very Good 88-90 350-363
think, will sort itself out. It’s axiomatic: when B 3.0 Good 84-87 334-349
you don’t attend class (or when you attend class
B- 2.7 81-83 322-333
without reading and otherwise preparing), you
miss things, and when you miss things, you C+ 2.3 Fair 78-80 310-321
cannot expect to do well in the course. Thus, C 2.0 Acceptable 74-77 294-309
attendance is necessary for success, but I do not C- 1.7 71-73 282-293
require it. D+ 1.3 68-70 270-281
Should you miss a class, though, you will lose D 1.0 Barely 64-67 254-269
Acceptable,
the points you might otherwise have earned on Passing
in-class writing, for which I offer no make-ups.
D- 0.7 61-63 242-253
But the problem with not attending class really F 0.0 Failing 0-60 0-241
goes beyond missing “things,” in the sense of
missing material or “content,” per se. When you
are not here, you miss out on the conversation, and thus you miss out on the very process of the
course itself. For me, the process is, in many ways, the real “content” of the course.
Since the conversations we will be having in this class are so important, I feel it’s also worth also
saying a few words here about the kind of class climate we all need to cultivate in order to have
productive (and I hope enjoyable) meetings. We will inevitably broach controversial issues in this
class. Religion, race, gender, ideology, sexuality, and more: when it comes to literary study, it’s all on
the table. I will do my best to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and fairness,
balanced with high intellectual standards for backing up the positions we may take in regard to the
literary texts under discussion. I will ask you to do your part, too.
Late Assignment Policy - You should turn in assignments on time, as specified in the assignment
instructions. I penalize late major assignments at the rate of 10% off the final grade per calendar day
late. Other late assignments may also incur a reduction of some sort in the grade earned. In some
cases, I do not allow make ups for missed assignments.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM
I treat plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty with utmost seriousness. If I suspect an
assignment to be plagiarized or in some other way not the student's own work, I assign the grade of
zero for the assignment and will likely report the violation to the Honor Board for further review and
action. Please consult The Honor System at the College of Charleston, available online at <

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 3

http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/general_info/honor_system/>, for a full statement on the college’s
honor code. For the general statement on academic dishonesty from Dean of Students Jeri Cabot, see
the attachment below.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The College makes appropriate accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students
who would like these accommodations should apply at the Center for Disability Services located on
the first floor of the Lightsey Center, Suite 104. Students approved for accommodations are
responsible for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week before
accommodation is needed. Should you have questions about disability services at the College of
Charleston, please contact the Center for Disability Services at 953-1431 or visit their website at <
http://spinner.cofc.edu.nuncio.cofc.edu/~cds/>.

CALENDAR
This calendar represents a projected plan for the semester but may require adjustments, which will
be announced in class.

DAY # of Note-
of READING ASSIGNMENT FOR THE takers
WEEK class DATE DAY / DUE DATES / ETC. Needed

1 1 Tu 1/12 First Day – Syllabus, Policies, Procedures, --

General Questions

2 Th 1/14 Readings on the novel in Early America: To 3

be Determined (TBD)

2 3 Tu 1/19 Charlotte Temple (CT) – entire novel 3

4 Th 1/21 CT, continued 2

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for CT

3 5 Tu 1/26 Edgar Huntly (EH), pages 1-103 3

6 Th 1/28 EH, continued, pages 104-94 2

4 7 Tu 2/2 EH, continued, pages 195-end 2

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for EH

8 Th 2/4 Last of the Mohicans (LM), pages 10-145 3

5 9 Tu 2/9 LM, continued, pages 145-274 2

10 Th 2/11 LM, continued, pages 275-end 2

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 4

 Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for LM

6 11 Tu 2/16 Moby Dick (MD), title-97 3

[focus on chapters 1, 3-4, 9-10, 16, 19, 23]

12 Th 2/18 MD, continued, pages 97-180 2

[focus on chapters 24, 26-29, 32, 35-38, 41-42, 47]

7 13 Tu 2/23 MD, continued, pages 181-268 2

[focus on chapters 50, 53-54, 67-68, 71-72]

14 Th 2/25 MD, continued, pages 268-end 2

[focus on chapters 78, 85-87, 89. 92-94, 96, 99, 102,
109, 117-119, 123-24, 128-129, 132-epilogue]
Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for MD

8 15 Tu 3/2 Review for Midterm Examination --

16 Th 3/4 Midterm Examination --

3/8 – 3/12 SPRING BREAK

9 17 Tu 3/16 The Blithedale Romance (BR), pages 37-97 3

18 Th 3/18 BR, continued, pages 97-154 2

10 19 Tu 3/23 BR, continued, pages 155-end 2

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for BR

20 Th 3/25 Clotel, or the President’s Daughter, pages 3

45-139

11 21 Tu 3/30 Clotel, continued, pages 139-end 2

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for Clotel

22 Th 4/1 Our Nig (ON), entire novel 3

12 23 Tu 4/6 ON, continued 2

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for ON

24 Th 4/8 The Country of the Pointed Firs (CFP), 3

entire novel

13 25 Tu 4/13 CFP, continued 2

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 5

 Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for CFP

26 Th 4/15 The House of Mirth (HM), pages 25-118 3

14 27 Tu 4/20 HM, continued, pages 118-211 3

28 Th 4/22 HM, continued, pages 211-end 3

Critical Article Summary and Response Due
for HM

15 29 Tu 4/27 Review for Final Examination

Th 4/29 Final Examination (12-3PM)

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 6

College of Charleston Honor Code and Academic Integrity

Recommended Language for Course Syllabi Distributed by Dean Jeri Cabot

Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when
identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception
involved.

Incidents where the instructor determines the student’s actions are clearly related more to a
misunderstanding will handled by the instructor. A written intervention designed to help prevent
the student from repeating the error will be given to the student. The intervention, submitted by
form and signed by both the instructor and the student, will be forwarded to the Dean of Students
and placed in the student’s file.

Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others
having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the
Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course, indicating failure of the course
due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on the student’s transcript for two years after
which the student may petition for the X to be expunged. The student may also be placed on
disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the
College by the Honor Board.

Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration--working together without permission--

is a form of cheating. Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an
assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is
permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which
could include accessing information stored on a cell phone), copying from others’ exams, fabricating
data, and giving unauthorized assistance.

Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for
any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor.

Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at
http://www.cofc.edu/studentaffairs/general_info/studenthandbook.html.

ENGL 349 SYLLABUS - 7