English 350-224
American Writers: The Twentieth Century
Instructor: Thomas Wetzel

Required Texts--
Paul Lauter et al. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume II; Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio (Dover Press); William Faulkner, The Reivers (Vintage Books); Course packet (available during the second week of classes at CDP Copy Center in the Union)

Course Overview--
Many twentieth century writers--including Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway--have claimed that "real" American literature has its source in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. However, many recent critics (most notably, Jane Smiley in Harpers' Magazine) have vehemently debated or decried this claim, given the controversial interpretations and ideas about ethnicity, gender, art and politics swirling about in and around Twain's book. Whether one agrees with the claims about it, Huck Finn nonetheless seems a good place to start any discussion of twentieth century American literature, even if only to reject its "claims to fame." Although the overriding goal of a survey course like this one is to introduce the student to a broad range of American writers and writings, I would like to add a very real, and very much communal, investigation to our work this term. In addition to Twain, I propose to hinge our reading on two other highly influential writers: Sherwood Anderson (who often is credited with founding American literary modernism) and William Faulkner (arguably America's most respected and most celebrated writer). Using these three writers as signposts, we will investigate two broad themes that may very well run throughout American literature: first, the "intertextuality" of narrative voice (how different cultures "speak" in a single writer's texts); second, the discordant, yet possibly reconciling, perceptions of independence and the meaning of "America" found throughout this literature. Time permitting, we also will look at the emergence of ethnic and folk musics, art and cultures over the period, and attempt to discover connections between these and the literature of the time.

Course Requirements--
1. Biweekly quizzes: these will last only fifteen to twenty minutes, covering the ideas and readings of the previous two week period. Each quiz will be 4-5 short answer-identification questions, covering themes, connections, and historical context of the works discussed. The student will be able to drop his or her two lowest quiz grades.
2. Papers: the student will submit one short (5-7 page) and one longer (10-12 page) essay. The papers will develop an interpretation of a work or works from the period, or look at historical or critical issues relevant to the course's themes or historical period. The 10-12 page essay will also serve as the final. Papers will be graded in terms of both content and style.
3. A midterm exam: this exam will contain short answer-identification and essay questions. The exam will be cumulative in terms of themes and ideas covered in the first half of the course.
4. Final grades will be based on the following percentages: quiz average=10%; papers=50%; midterm=20%; class participation=20%.
5. Although there will be no strict attendance policy, students who are consistently absent from class will be downgraded. Also, late papers will be downgraded, and make-ups for exams or quizzes will only be allowed in extreme circumstances.