Professor: Dr. Richard Flynn

Office: Newton 2218 B

Telephone: 681-0150

Email: rflynn@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu

Homepage: http://www2.gasou.edu/facstaff/rflynn

The graduate seminar in the American novel provides a concentrated study of some important American novels from the 19th and 20th centuries. Students will read ten novels and come prepared for seminar-style discussions by writing informal response papers (2-3 pp, designed to raise critical questions for class discussion, and will write a seminar paper of approximately 15-20 pp.

Texts:

• Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance
• Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
• Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Dreiser, Sister Carrie
• Wharton, The House of Mirth
• Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
• Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
• Ellison, Invisible Man
• Morrison, Beloved
• Banks, The Rule of the Bone

In addition to the required readings, response papers, and the seminar paper, students are expected to attend every class meeting and to participate in class discussion.

Grades will be computed at 50% for preparation, response papers, and class discussion and 50% for the seminar paper.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY: Please refamiliarize yourself with the code of student conduct regarding plagiarism and cheating. I take academic dishonesty very seriously. The minimum penalty for cheating is an F for the course, and referral of the case to the Office of Judicial Affairs. I have had to enforce these penalties in the past, and I will not hesitate to do so again.

The syllabus contains hyperlinks to useful webpages. Click on the authors and titles to visit sites with useful information.

Here are some useful general links:

Tentative Schedule:

I reserve the right to make changes, including additions, to this syllabus.

Week 1

5/18: Introduction to the course

5/20: Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance

Week 2

5/25 Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin

Free etext of the novel from Project Gutenberg

Excerpts from The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)

Aboard the Underground Railroad

5/27 Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Free etext of Huck Finn from U.Va.

One reason why (contrary to Jane Smiley's assertion) Jim can't just escape to the "free" state of Illinois.

Week 3

6/1 Dreiser, Sister Carrie

Free etext from U. Va.

6/3 Dreiser, cont.

Week 4

6/8 Wharton, The House of Mirth

Free etext from Project Gutenberg

Edith Wharton Society Homepage

6/10 Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Week 5

6/15 Faulkner, The Sound and The Fury

6/17 Faulkner, cont.

Week 6

6/22 Ellison, Invisible Man

More resources on Invisible Man

More resources on Ralph Ellison

6/24: NO CLASS. I will be out of town for a professional meeting.

Week 7

6/29 Morrison, Beloved

Excerpts from The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)

7/1 Banks, Rule of the Bone

Week 8

7/6 Seminar paper due. Some conclusions.