American Literature II

Over the course of the semester you are required to do a significant amount of weekly reading and weekly to make several thoughtful and insightful posts to the course discussion boards.

Discussion is an important part of this course, and you MUST honor the discussion deadlines. While you may post early to the discussion boards, posts that are up to 24 hours late only earn half credit, and post that are more  24 hours late will not earn any credit.

Assignments due by midnight on this date

For the writing and posting assignments, you will need to click on the light blue underlined words for the assignment directions.
The reading assignments from our text book, Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise Edition, are not hyperlinked.
The links below will help you move quickly around the syllabus.
Scrolling down is your other option

Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four
Week Five Week Six Week Seven Week Eight
Week Nine Week Ten Week Eleven Week Twelve
Week Thirteen Week Fourteen Week Fifteen  

Points

Begin Unit One

ALL of the assigned readings for our first two weeks of class are available online to ensure that students have adequate time to buy their textbook yet still be able to fully participate in the class.    

Reading assignments are followed by a hyperlinked Discussion Guide. Many students find it helpful to skim the Discussion Guide prior to starting their readings, but others prefer to read first and then look at the discussion focus.

Review the Table of Contents in the following link: Literary Terms - especially if this is your first literature class. You are NOT clicking on the links within this document. You are skimming it, so you are aware of it as a resource for understanding literary terms used in the class.

Review: Direction for Printing from the Web especially if you are planning to print your assignments.
 
This is the required textbook for LITE 212.

 The Concise Heath Anthology of American Literature Volume 2: 1865
  to the present by Lauter, Paul
ISBN 9781285080000

If you buy your textbook online, be mindful to buy Volume 2.
There is a different set that divides the stories into books A, B, C, D and E. So you might see a book that is around $20, but that book will be one of the 5 in the A, B, C, D and E series.		  

 

Week One

 Mon. 1/17

KCC is Closed - Martin Luther King Holiday
Log in. Look around the site.
Start working on assignments that are due on Tues., Weds., Thurs., and Fri.		  


 

Tues. 1/18		 Most students find that if they RIGHT CLICK on hyperlinks and then OPEN in a NEW TAB, navigating the course is much easier because they can use the tabs to move between the pacing chart and the course site.

REVIEW: General Requirements for LITE 212 because it has the answers for Quiz #1 that is due today by midnight tonight.

SUBMIT: Discussion Expectations - Quiz #1
 Click on the above link to save the quiz document to your computer. Once you have typed in and saved your answers, you will use the Submit Assignments area of the web site to turn in the file for grading.

 

 

 

10 points
Weds. 1/19 REVIEW: General Requirements for LITE 212 because it has the answers for Quiz #2 that is due today by midnight tonight.

 SUBMIT: General Requirements - Quiz #2  
 Click on the above link to save the quiz document to your computer. Once you have typed in and saved your answers, you will use the Submit Assignments area of the web site to turn in the file for grading.		 10 points

 

Thurs. 1/20

 

READ:
pp. 180-2 Mary Wilkins Freeman
pp. 182-191 "A New England Nun"  or online at "A New England Nun" 

Freeman Discussion Guide

POST: If your last name starts with A-M make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Fri. 1/21 POST: If your last name starts with N-Z, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.
REVIEW: 
How You Earn Discussion Forum Points: Grading Rubric for Discussion Posts		 6 pts for the  forum
Week Two
Sun. - 1/23
Return to Top		 READ:
pp.169-172 Sarah Orne Jewett
pp. 172-179 "A White Heron"  or online at "A White Heron"
Jewett Discussion Guide
POST: If your last name starts with N-Z,  make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines		 6 pts for the  forum

Mon. 1/24		 POST: If your last name starts with A-M, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.
REVIEW: 
How You Earn Discussion Forum Points: Grading Rubric for Discussion Posts		 6 pts for the  forum
Tues. 1/25 READ:  Domesticity at the Turn of the Century
POST: Submit an answer in the Week 2 - Tuesday - Q & A Forum-Domesticity

 Begin working on the Writing Assignment that is due on Thursday.

 

3 pts Q&A forum 
Wed. 1/26

Continue working on the Writing Assignment that is due on Thursday.

 
Thurs. 1/27 SUBMIT:  Response 1 by midnight today 50 points
Week Three
 Sun. 1/30
 Return to Top

Reading Focus - Local Color and the Plantation Tradition

READ:
 Plantation Tradition -
Local Color and Regionalism - these two readings will help you understand the structure of the readings that lead up to writing Response 2

pp. 462   Paul Laurence Dunbar
 Background on Dunbar

The Strength of Gideon - This is an 8 page story
 pp. 465 "We Wear the Mask"
pp. 467 "Sympathy"
 pp. 468-70 "An Ante-Bellum Sermon"

Dunbar Discussion Guide for "...Gideon"

POST: If your last name starts with A-M, make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 1/31 POST: If your last name starts with N-Z, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.
REVIEW: 
How You Earn Discussion Forum Points: Grading Rubric for Discussion Posts		 6 pts for the  forum

Wed. 2/2

Reading Focus - Literature responds to the Civil War, Slavery and the Antebellum South with the Plantation Tradition

READ:

Thomas Nelson Page
 “Marse Chan: A Tale of Old Virginia"


Page Discussion Guide


 POST: If your last name starts with N-Z, make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines

How to do the MLA for online sources

6 pts for the  forum

 

 
Thurs. 2/3 POST: If your last name starts with A-M, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.

REVIEW: 
How You Earn Discussion Forum Points: Grading Rubric for Discussion Posts		 6 pts for the  forum

 

Week Four
Sun.  2/6 Return to Top

 

 

Reading Focus -African American Voices responds to the Civil War, Slavery and the Antebellum South by Refuting the Plantation Tradition

READ:

pp. 338-9 "African American Folktales"

pp. 350-1  Joel Chandler Harris
pp. 351-3 “The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story”   
pp. 353-4 “How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox”


Harris Discussion Guide

POST: If your last name starts with A-M, make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines

PREVIEW:  Response 2 that is due in 2 weeks

6 pts for the  forum

 

Mon. 2/7
POST: If your last name starts with N-Z, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.
REVIEW:     Guidelines if necessary
 		6 pts for the  forum
Wed. 2/9

 

Reading Focus -African American Voices responds to the Civil War, Slavery and the Antebellum South by Refuting the Plantation Tradition

REVIEW:

Plantation Tradition - this will help you when you write Response 2
 Local Color and Regionalism - this will help you when you write Response 2

READ:

pp. 338-9  "African American Folktales"  (review)

Animal Tales
pp. 339-40 "When Brer Deer and Brer Terrapin Runned a Race"
  p. 341        "Why Mr. Dog Runs Brer Rabbit"
pp. 341-3     "How Sandy Got his Meat" 
  p. 346         "Fox and Rabbit in the Well" Story online
pp. 346-8      "The Signifying Monkey"

Memories of Slavery
pp. 348 Malitis

African American Folktales Discussion Guide  


Preview: It may be helpful to preview the assignment for Response 2 prior to completing your reading.

POST: If your last name starts with N-Z, make 1 original post to the appropriate discussion forum that answers one of the prompts from the above discussion guide.   Guidelines

 

 

6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 2/10
POST: If your last name starts with A-M, post a minimum of 3 reply posts in the previous day's forum.
REVIEW:     Guidelines if necessary
 		6 pts for the  forum
  Posting responsibilities by last name for the Sun/Mon and Wed/Thurs forums are the same Week 3 - Week 6.
See discussion area on our class website for exact listing of posting responsibility grouping. 		 
Week Five
 Sun.  2/13
Return to Top

READ:

pp. 418-20 Kate Chopin  (pronounced "Show-PAN")
pp. 420-4 "Desiree's Baby"

Chopin Discussion Guide for "Desiree's Baby"

SKIM if you want - Background and Insights into "Desiree's Baby"

 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

PREVIEW:  Response 2 that is due in 1 week

 6 pts for the  forum
Mon.  2/14 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum
 Wed. 2/16

READ:

pp. 331-2 Grace King
pp. 332-8 "The Little Convent Girl"

King Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 2/17 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum
Week Six

Sun.  2/20
 Return to Top
SUBMIT: Response 2  by midnight today (Sunday)
50 points
Mon.   2/21

READ:   Modernism

pp. 710-1   F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
 "Diamond Big as the Ritz" 

Fitzgerald Discussion Guide

No discussion forum for Sun / Mon. The above reading is 1 of the 2 readings required for the Wed/Thurs discussion.		  
Weds.  2/23

Reading Focus -Literature by Authors of the Lost Generation


 READ:  

pp. 710-1  F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) (review)
pp. 711-27 "Babylon Revisited"

 Fitzgerald Discussion Guide


 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum

Thurs. 2/24
POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines
 		6 pts for the  forum
  Posting Responsibilities for the Sun/Mon and Wed/Thurs SWITCH starting this week.
See discussion area on our class website for exact details BEFORE you do your Week Seven readings.		  

Week Seven

Sun. 2/27

Return to Top

Reading Focus -Literature by Authors of the Lost Generation

READ: People of the Lost Generation
              Background on the Lost Generation
               Themes and Characteristics of the Lost Generation 

pp. 754-5 William Faulkner (1897-1962)
pp.  755-69 "Barn Burning"
 Faulkner Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 2/28

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum


 

Wed. 3/2

Reading Focus -Literature by Authors of the Lost Generation

READ:   Modernism

pp. 742-4   Ernest Hemingway (1899-1932)
pp. 744-8   "Hills Like White Elephants"
 Symbols and Themes in "Hills Like White Elephants"
 Hemmingway Discussion Guide

Read this AFTER you have read the story
 Analysis of "Hills Like White Elephants"

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 3/3
POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines
 		6 pts for the  forum

Week Eight
Sun. 3/6

Return to Top

 SUBMIT: Response 3 by midnight tonight (Sunday) 

No discussion forum for Sun. / Mon.   		50 points
Mon. 3/7

READ:   these readings are important for the Weds/Thurs discussion forum

 Important Features of the Harlem Renaissance
Overview of the Harlem Renaissance
 pp. 783-5 "The New Negro Renaissance" 

No discussion forum for Sun. / Mon.  

 
Weds. 3/9

Reading Focus -The Harlem Renaissance
 The Harlem Renaissance is the name give to the period from just after WWI (1918) and through the 1930's Depression during which a group of talented African American writers produces a significant body of poetry, fiction, drama and essays.

READ:
Make sure you have read the previously assigned background information on the Harlem Renaissance

pp.  805-6 Langston Hughes
pp.  809-13 "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain"

pp. 807  “The Negro Speaks of Rivers" (available both online or in your text book)
pp. 808-9  “The Weary Blues" (available both online or in your text book)
pp. 808   “Dream Variations” (available both online or in your text book)
 p. 808-9 "Harlem"

“Dreams”
“I, Too”
“Let America be America Again”
 “Life is Fine”
“Po' Boy Blues”
“Madam and Her Madam” and “Madam and the Phone Bill”


Hughes Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 3/10 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum

Week Nine

Sun.  3/13
 Return to Top

 Reading Focus -The Harlem Renaissance

pp. 818-9  Zora Neale Hurston

    "Sweat" - this reading is only available online

 Hurston Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 3/14 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum
Weds. 3/16

Reading Focus - Issues and Visions in Modern America

READ:

pp. 922-3 Richard Wright 1908-1960
pp. 924-32 "Ethics of Living Jim Crow"

 "Southern Journey" -Emanuel H. Demby  - this reading is only available online

 Wright Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 3/17 PPOST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum

Week Ten
Sun.  3/20
 Return to Top

Reading Focus -  Issues and Visions in Modern America

READ:

 (review) pp. 909 John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

Important Background on "The Promise" - read this BEFORE you read "The Promise"
pp. 910-22 from The Red Pony - "The Promise"

Steinbeck Red Pony Discussion Guide  

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 3/21 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum

Wed. 3/23

Reading Focus -  Issues and Visions in Modern America

READ:

 pp. 909 John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

 "The Chrysanthemums"  - this reading is only available online


 Steinbeck Chrysanthemums Discussion Guide  

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

  
Thurs. 3/24 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum
Week Eleven
Sun. 3/27
 Return to Top
SUBMIT: Response 4 by midnight tonight (Sunday) 

No discussion forum for Sun. / Mon.  
50 points
 

Spring Break - March 28-April 1, 2022  - Plan Ahead

  
Week Eleven
 Mon. 4/4
No discussion forum for Sun. / Mon.  
Wed. 4/6

Reading Focus - Beat Movement

READ:
p. 1124 “The Beat Movement”   

Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg Discussion Guide - read this prior to starting the readings assigned below
 Lawrence Ferlinghetti (b. 1919)
"I am Waiting"  - audio performance of the poem (I recommend watching this version FIRST)
"I am Waiting" - written version to look at after you view the above video
                             MLA for the above

p. 1125  Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997)
p. 1126  "A Supermarket in California"

p. 1135-8 “America”
Or you can listen to Ginsberg read "America" while you follow in your book
 Gingsberg Reading "America"  - There are several YouTube videos associated with this poem, but I prefer you use this one because nearly all the images are of Ginsberg and NOT images associated with his poem. 

pp. 1127-35 "Howl"   (this poem is very sexual, and the assignments are structured so students can 'opt out' of this reading and still complete the required discussion posts).
 You can also listen to Ginsberg read "Howl" while you follow in your book
 Gingsberg Reading "Howl"
Commentary on Howl


 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum
Thurs. 4/7 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum
Week Twelve
Sun. 4/10
 Return to Top

Reading Focus - Victory Culture

READ:

       pp. 954-8 The Late 1940s and 1950s: Victory Culture

        pp. 1062-1087  James Baldwin  “Sonny’s Blues”

         Baldwin Discussion Guide   

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines		  
Mon. 4/11
POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines

 

6 pts for the  forum

 

Wed. 4/13
READ:

          pp. 994-1011      Saul Bellows “Looking For Mr. Green”

           Bellows Discussion Guide

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines		 6 pts for the  forum

Thurs. 4/14
 

POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum
Week Thirteen
Sun.  4/17
Return to Top
READ:

pp. 1148-9  “The 1960s: Postmodernism and Other Violent Changes”

pp. 1228-42  Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”

Oates Discussion Guide

 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines		 6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 4/18
PPOST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines		 6 pts for the  forum


 

Weds. 4/20

READ:

pp. 1176-81  Kurt Vonnegut “Harrison Bergeron”

Vonnegut Discussion Guide


 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Wed. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum

Thurs. 4/21
POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Wed. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines

 6 pts for the  forum

Week Fourteen

Sun. 4/24
 Return to Top

READ:

pp. 1292-5 The 1970s: Decade of Disillusionment

pp. 1324-34  Maxine Hong Kingston “No Name Woman”

 Kingston Discussion Guide


 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the original posts in the Sun. forums, make an original post based on the discussion guide questions.  Guidelines

6 pts for the  forum
Mon. 4/25 POST: If your group has been assigned to do the Sun. reply posts, make 3 reply posts to the previous day's forum.  Guidelines 6 pts for the  forum

Wed. 4/27

No more assignments - Focus on completing that Response that is due on Sunday

 
Thurs. 4/28 Nothing is due - You may choose to complete the Response 5 and the Week 15 assignments EARLY and be done with this class early if you wish.  

 

Sun. 5/1

SUBMIT: Response 5  by midnight Sunday      

50 points

Week Fifteen
 Mon. 5/2

SUBMIT: Course Evaluation

POST: an original post to the MONDAY discussion forum Discussion Prompt . Reply posts are not required in this forum.
10 points

4 pts for forum
Tues. 5/3
Last Day of our class. 		 POST: an original post to the TUESDAY discussion forum Discussion Prompt
Reply posts are not required in this forum.		 4 pts for forum