University of Waterloo | Department of English
English 346 : Making American Identity
Fall 2021 | Asynchronous, Online
Instructor Information
Instructor: Victoria Lamont
Office: HH 226 (no on-campus meetings)
Office Phone: n/a
Office Hours: by appointment on Teams
Email: vlamont@uwaterloo.ca
Land Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that I liveand workon the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.
Learn more about Land Acknowledgements here: https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/about-territorial-acknowledgement
Course Description
What does it mean to be an American, and what role has fiction played in this process? This course explores this question through the study of four books by American authors writing from different perspectives of race, class, and gender.
Course Goals and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
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Explain how American fiction participates in the construction of American Identity
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Compare how authors from different backgrounds construct American identity
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Contextualize literary texts historically
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Write persuasive arguments about the construction of American identity in literary texts.
| Required Texts |
|---|
|
Turner, Frederick Jackson, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” 1893, Excerpted, and images and numbered footnotes added, by the National Humanities Center, 2005. |
|
Cather, Willa, O Pioneers!, 1913, Willa Cather Scholarly Edition, University of Nebraska Press, 1992, Willa Cather Archive, ed. Andrew Jewell, Updated 2021. |
|
Ahearn, Amy, “Willa Cather: A Brief Biographical Sketch,” Willa Cather Archive. |
|
Guy Reynolds, “Willa Cather and the Pioneer Myth,” O Pioneers!, Norton Critical Edition, 2008, 441-451. On e-reserve. |
|
Davidson, Cathy, Introduction to American Indian Stories, Penguin, 2003, pp. xi-xxxv. On e-reserve. |
|
Zitkala-Sa, American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings (1921), Project Gutenberg edition, 2003. |
|
James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-colored man (1912), Penguin, 2003. Ebook available from Amazon.ca at above link; Paper edition available in UW bookstore. |
|
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby (1925), Broadview Press, 2007 Ebook at above link; Paper edition available in bookstore |
Course Requirements and Assessment
|
Assessment |
Date of Evaluation |
Weighting |
|---|---|---|
|
Discussion Posts |
Weekly |
20% |
|
Reflection paper #1 |
Oct. 18 |
15% |
|
Reflection paper #2 |
Nov. 17 |
15% |
|
Essay Proposal |
Nov. 19 |
10% |
|
Peer Review |
Nov. 29-Dec. 3 |
10% |
|
Essay |
Dec. 7 |
30% |
|
Total |
100% |
Discussion Posts
You will be working in small groups of 4-5. Each discussion lasts two weeks. For the first week of each discussion, you will be asked to post a thread responding to one of the prompts provided in the lecture for that week. For the second week of each discussion, you will be asked to post a response to the threads of two other members in your group. This process will be repeated for each of the four books studied in the course. Each post should be about 75-100 words. When you respond to a thread, you should move the conversation forward in some way. Each discussion (initial thread plus two responses) will receive a mark out of ten. To receive full marks, discussion contributions should respond thoughtfully to prompt or thread and include references to specific passages in the assigned texts beyond those discussed in lectures.
Reflection papers (2 @ 750-1000 words)
For each reflection paper, you will be asked to reflect on a question or topic through a comparative analysis of two literary texts studied in the course. Reflection papers should attempt to develop an idea in some depth, they should be written coherently, and they should include close textual analysis. Reflection papers differ from essays in that they can be exploratory in nature and are not expected to be as tightly argued or formal as an essay, but they should be thoughtful and professional.
Essay Proposal (150 words plus annotated Works Cited)
Develop your own original research topic relevant to course topic and materials. Your topic should be specific and arguable. In about 150 words, summarize your topic, working thesis, and supporting primary evidence. Using correct MLA format, list the 4-6 peer-reviewed articles or scholarly books you will consult to contextualize your essay. For each entry, write a one or two-sentence rationale explaining the relevance of the source to your topic. Submit your proposal and annotated Works Cited in one document to the drop box on Learn.
Peer-Review
Submit a draft of your final paper for feedback from your peers. In groups of four, read drafts of your peers and provide constructive feedback. Use your peers’ feedback to to revise your draft for final submission.
Research Essay (2000-2500 words plus Works Cited)
Write an essay on any aspect of American Identity in the literary text on the course syllabus. Your essay should engage with recent relevant peer-reviewed scholarship related to the topic. You should consult 4-6 peer-reviewed articles and/or scholarly books.
Course Outline
Unless announced otherwise, recorded lectures will be released by Tuesday each week on Learn. There will be a voluntary live Q&A held weekly on Teams. I will survey the class to schedule the Q&A. It will be recorded for everyone’s benefit.
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Readings Due |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
8-10 Sept |
Introduction to Course |
|
|
2 |
13-17 Sept. |
Willa Cather, O Pioneers! |
O Pioneers!, parts I and II; Ahearn, “Willa Cather: A Brief Biographical Sketch”; Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier…” |
|
3 |
20-24 Sept. |
Willa Cather, O Pioneers! |
Cather, O Pioneers! To end; Reynolds, “Willa Cather and the Pioneer Myth.” |
|
4 |
27 Sept.-1 Oct. |
Zitkála-Šá (Yankton Dakota), American Indian Stories |
Impressions of an Indian Childhood, The School Days of an Indian Girl, An Indian Teacher Among Indians, The Great Spirit; Davidson, “Introduction…” |
|
5 |
4-8 Oct. |
Zitkála-Šá (Yankton Dakota), American Indian Stories |
American Indian Stories to end. |
|
11-15 Oct. |
Reading Week |
||
|
6 |
18-22 Oct. |
James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. |
Autobiography, Introduction, chapters 1-6. |
|
7 |
25-29 Oct. |
James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. |
Autobiography to end. |
|
8 |
1-5 Nov. |
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby |
The Great Gatsby, Introduction, Chapters I-III, Appendix C. |
|
9 |
8-12 Nov. |
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby |
The Great Gatsby to end, Appendix E. |
|
10 |
15-19 Nov. |
Essay Proposals Due |
Week 10 readings |
|
11 |
22-26 Nov. |
Essay preparation |
Week 11 readings |
|
12 |
29 Nov. – 3 Dec. |
Essay Peer Review |
Week 12 readings |
|
Dec. 7 |
Essays due |
Late Work
Late penalty is 2%/day unless you have been granted an extension or have a documented medical excuse. To request an extension, contact me before the deadline.
Information on Plagiarism Detection
Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit an alternate assignment. Normally, this will consist of any notes made during assignment preparation, in addition to at least one early draft of the assignment.
Academic Integrity
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. Check the Office of Academic Integrity webpage for more information.
Discipline
A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for their actions. Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Grievance
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Appeals
A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Note for Students with Disabilities
The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (NH 1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.