AML 4170 (Sec. 6059)
 Realism, Naturalism, Local Color
Spring 2009

This course will survey some of the narrative fiction—novels and short stories—of the United States in the period 1880 to 1915. The literature of this moment is categorized using a number of different labels, especially “realism,” “naturalism,” and “local color,” but it is also indebted to other artistic movements of the time, including aestheticism, decadence, and modernism. We will discuss the process by which literary historians categorize works of literature as we examine the overlapping themes, forms, settings, and contexts that went into the creation of both novels and short stories. In particular, we will be interested in how authors of this exciting period of American history grappled with the experience of being “modern.”

Professor Susan Hegeman

Tuesdays period 4 (10:40-11:30); Thursdays periods 4 and 5 (10:40 to 12:35) in Turlington 2342		 Whistler's Mother

Required Texts
The following books have been ordered for this class at Goering's Textbook Store (1717 NW 1st Avenue; Tel. 352-377-3703). If you purchase your books elsewhere,  please try to get the editions ordered for the class.

Additionally, some readings have been placed on electronic reserve (Ares). If you need help getting access to the readings, please consult me or a librarian at Library West.
Mary Austin, “The Land of Little Rain”
Hamlin Garland, “Up the Coolly”
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, “A New England Nun”
Sui-Sin Far (Edith Eaton), “Its Wavering Image”
Willa Cather, “Paul’s Case”
Charles Chesnutt, “The Wife of his Youth” 

Course Requirements

1. You are required to attend class and participate in discussions. Eight or more absences will result in an E grade for the course. You are also expected to have read the material to be discussed on a given day, and you are expected to bring the assigned material to class.  Ares documents should be downloaded and brought to class.  I reserve the option of holding unannounced quizzes if I feel students are inadequately prepared for class discussion.

2. You will write two papers of 7 to 10 pages each on topics generated from the assigned course materials.  An in-class paper workshop will be held well before the due date to allow an opportunity to refine paper topics and get feedback on the writing from your professor and peers. 

Course grades will be determined as follows:
1/3 of grade: attendance, participation, any quiz grades, and participation in paper workshops
1/3 of grade: first paper
1/3 of grade: second paper

Please make a note of the paper due dates.  They are at the beginning of class Thursday, March 5 and 4 pm on Friday, April 24.


Academic Honesty Policy

You are required to review the university's Academic Honor Code and the Academic Honesty Guidelines, especially the discussion of plagiarism, found in the Undergraduate Catalogue. Plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in an automatic failure of the assignment and the filing of a report in your academic file.

Types of plagiarism include (but are not limited to):
Please take a moment to consider the second category of plagiarism.  Many students fail to fully understand that even such possibly innocent mistakes as paraphrasing the work of others or failure to give proper citation is a serious form of plagiarism.  Because such mistakes are potentially serious, you should  talk to me if you have any questions about plagiarism, academic honesty, or proper research and citation methods.


Course Schedule
1/6 Course Introduction

The Problem of Regions
1/8 Mary Austin, “The Land of Little Rain” (Ch. 1)
1/13 Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, “A New England Nun” (Ares)
    Realism
    Naturalism
    Local Color
1/15 Garland, “Up The Coolly” (Ares)
1/20 Sui Sin Far (Edith Eaton), “Its Wavering Image” (Ares)

The Experience of Being “Modern”
1/22 Willa Cather, “Paul’s Case” (Ares)
1/27 Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware
1/29 Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware
2/3 Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware
The Burned-Over District
2/5 Harold Frederic, The Damnation of Theron Ware 
2/10 London, The Call of the Wild
2/12 London, The Call of the Wild
Theodore Roosevelt, "The Strenuous Life"

Those Modern Women
 2/17 London, The Call of the Wild
2/19 James, The Bostonians
2/24 First paper workshop  First paper information
2/26 James, The Bostonians
The Vanderbilt Wedding
Faust, This Republic of Suffering, Ch. 1
3/3 James, The Bostonians 
3/5 James, The Bostonians First paper due

3/10-12  SPRING BREAK

3/17 Crane, Maggie A Girl of the Streets
        Documenting "The Other Half:" The Social Reform Photography of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine
3/19 Crane, Maggie A Girl of the Streets
3/24 Crane, Maggie A Girl of the Streets

Immigration, Assimilation, and the Color Line
3/26 Cahan, Yekl
3/31 Cahan, Yekl
4/2 Cahan, Yekl
"The New York Hat,"(1912)
 4/7 Chesnutt, “The Wife of his Youth” (Ares, or online)
4/9 Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man
4/14 Second paper workshop Second paper information
4/16 Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man
Ragtime sheet music collection
 4/21(last class meeting)  Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man
4/24 Second paper due, 4 pm


updated 4/1/09