Professor Wilson joined the USD English faculty in 1978. She completed a Ph.D. in English with an emphasis in American literature at the University of Oklahoma in 1978. She has published numerous articles on American literature, including "Heartbeat: Within the Visionary Tradition" in Walt Whitman of Mickle Street, ed. Geoffrey Sill (Knoxville: Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1994): 224-35. Her book The Nature of Native American Poetry was published by the University of New Mexico Press (2001).

Course description:
This course surveys American literature from the indigenous oral literature to the post-Civil War era poetry of Whitman and Dickinson. The historical and geographical contexts, literary and social movements, environmental settings and the cultural diversity of American literature of this period will be considered, providing a background for 20th century literary studies. This course should lead to a greater awareness of the ways in which American culture and literature have evolved. Our text will be supplemented with additional literature, films, speakers and other resources.

Text: Lauter, Paul, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004.

Requirements: Attendance, completion of reading assignments, written and oral responses to readings and presentations, including a 250-word response to a related cultural experience, in-class written responses, a mid-semester exam, an abstract, a critical essay of 1,000 words and a final examination. Suggested cultural events are marked with an asterisk. Requirements are specified at the end of this syllabus. Your participation is important to this class; you are encouraged to take part in discussing the assigned literature.

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encourages to contact both your instructor and Dr. Elaine Pearson, Director of Disability Services (Service Center, 119; 677-6389) as early as possible in the semester.

Schedule of classes subject to revision

September

W 3 Introductions. “Remaking the World” told by Leonard Crow Dog (Brule Lakota) From American Indian Myths and Legends, ed. Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. Lakota narrative about Spirit Mound. Discussion.

F 5 “Colonial Period to 1700,” 1-11. Film: More than Bows and Arrows.
*Wheels of Justice, CSC, Hoy A & B, 9-5

M 8 “Native American Oral Literatures,” 14-16. “The Origin of
Stories,” 30-32, “Iroquois or Confederacy of the Five Nations,” 33-36 and Handsome Lake, “How America Was Discovered,” 363-65.

W 10 Spanish colonization and Native Resistance, 46-47. The writings of
Columbus, 49-57, "The Coming of the Spanish and the Pueblo Revolt" (Hopi), 95-99.

F 12 The arrival of the French and English: Champlain, 101-6, Smith, 125-34.

M 15 The writings of Morton, 140-46, Bradford, 164-78, and Williams, 179-86.

W 17 The poetry of Anne Bradstreet, 187-97. The poetry of Edward Taylor,
232-42.

F 19 King Philip's War and A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of
Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, 206-31.

M 22 The Witchcraft hysteria. Sewall, 243-52; Mather, 253-60.

W 24 "Settlement and Religion" and The Journal of Madam Knight, 275-94.

Th 25 *Hear Ed Archie Noise Cat, 7 p.m., Farber Hall

F 26 William Byrd, from “The History of the Dividing Line betwixt Virginia
and North Carolina” and “The Secret History of the Line,” 295-314.

M 29 Edwards, Personal Narrative and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, 315-38.

October

W 1 Writings by Quakers Ashbridge and Woolman, 339-55.

F 3 The writings of Benjamin Franklin, 365-67, “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America, 374-80 and from The Autobiography, 381-34.

M 6 Thomas Paine's Common Sense and The Age of Reason, 453-61, 467-71.

W 8 Jefferson's Declaration, Notes on the State of Virginia, & letters, 478-502.

F 10 “Contested Visions, American Voices, 513-14. Equiano’s The Interesting
Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,, 526-53.

M 13 Native American Day. No classes. Wacipi*

W 15 Wheatley's poetry, 569-78. Selecting a topic for your 1000-word essay.

F 17 Readings from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, August 25th - August 28th, 1804. Class meets at the W.H. Over Museum.

M 20 Delphine Red Shirt speaks to the class about the importance of the
Lakota oral tradition to her writing and her life. * She will read at 1 pm in Frankenfeld A & B, CSC.

W 22 “Native America,” 636-37 and Jane Johnston Schoolcraft’s “Mishosha,
or the Magician and His Daughters,” 639-43. “Speech of Chief Seattle, 658-59. . Prepare for mid-semester exam.

Th 23 Hear Karen Lone Hill, Farber Hall, Old Main, 7:30.

F 24 “Spanish America,” Tales from the Hispanic Southwest: “La Camadre
Sebastiana,” “Los tres hermanos,” “La Llorona,” 663-73.

M 28 “The Development of Narrative,” 937-39. Irving's "Rip Van Winkle,"
940-51

W 29 Mid-semester Exam

F 31 The poetry and fiction of Poe, 988-89, “The Fall of the House of Usher,
1001-13 “To Helen,” 1028 and “Annabel Lee,” 1032. Writing an abstract.

November

M 3 The fiction of Hawthorne, 953-87.

W 5 Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," 1055-83.

F 7 Emerson's prose and poetry, 689-93, 724-26. Abstracts due (2%).

M 10 Fuller's Woman in the Nineteenth Century, 726-48.

W 12 Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American
Slave, 866-930. Film.

F 14 Douglass continued.

M 17 Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 841-60.

W 19 Sarah Moore Grimke, “Letters,” and Angelina Grimke, “Appeal to the
Christian Women of the South.”

F 21 Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills, 2761-88.

M 24 The writing of Thoreau, 749-64. “Resistance to Civil Government”

W 26 The writing of Thoreau continued, from Walden, 765-800.

Thanksgiving break. Work on your essay.

December

M 1 Cary's "Uncle Christopher's," 1141-57.

W 3 1,000-word essay due. Whitman's poetry, "Song of Myself," 1209-10,
1225-75.

F 5 Whitman's poetry, “When I heard at the Close of the Day,” 1278, "Out of
the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," 1279-84 and “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” 1284. Preparation for final examination.

M 8 Emily Dickinson’s poetry, 1295-1321.

W 10 Dickinson's poetry continued.

F 12 Discussion of the course as a whole.

Final examination , 7:30-9:30 a.m., Monday, December 15 in our classroom

Requirements and Evaluation Criteria Specified:
Class attendance is required. Three absences are permitted. After these three, 2% will be deducted from your grade for each unexcused absence.
Daily work: You will receive credit for writing done for daily assignments, which include 3, in-class written responses to assigned literature (6%), a 250-word response to a related cultural experience (2%) and an abstract (2%). Total 10%
Mid-semester examination: This exam will be made up of matching, short answer and essay questions related to class lectures and readings prior to the exam. 30%
1,000 word essay: You should focus in this essay on an aspect of the writing of an author whose work is included in the Heath Anthology. You will be expected to demonstrate a thoughtful reading of the author’s work. You should include at least two entries in your Works Cited. Your essay should be typed according to the MLA format. When you use the words and ideas of other authors, cite your source/s, and quote when appropriate. Plagiarized writing is unacceptable and will receive no credit. Students may not re-do plagiarized essays. 30%
A: This grade is reserved for an essay that demonstrates the highest competence. The thesis is clear and well supported with accurate references, in the form of specific details, to primary and secondary texts, as required. Well organized and coherent, this essay is free of grammatical, mechanical and spelling errors. It features varied sentence patterns and precise diction appropriate to its purpose. Documentation, Works Cited, quotations and other items are done properly, according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, sixth edition. An unusually creative expression, this essay provides insights that illuminate the literature discussed.
B: This grade is for an essay that demonstrates competence; however it does not meet all the expectations mentioned above.
C: This grade is for an essay that demonstrates a degree of competence; however, its creativity, substance and/or technique are not above average.
D: This grade is for an essay that is below average in competence.
F: This grade is for an essay that demonstrates incompetence.
Plus or minus grades indicate slight variations from these standards.
Final Examination: This exam will be made up of matching, short-answer and essay questions related primarily to the literature studied following the mid-semester exam. 30%
Averaging of Final Grades
Since it is impossible to convert your performance in the course precisely into
numbers, these percentages are approximate; they provide guidance for evaluating your work.
Daily work 10%, Mid-semester Exam 30%,
1,000 word essay 30%, Final examination 30%
Grading Scale 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, 0-59% F