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Dr. Laura Nicosia Spring 2010 Modern American Fiction ENG337-01 MW, 1:00-2:15 PM University Hall 3050 __ **Syllabus** __ "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read but not curiously [thoroughly], and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention." —Sir Francis Bacon Dickson 464 __ nicosiala@mail.montclair.edu __ Office Hours: M 11:30-12:30 and 2:30-4:00 W 11:30-12:30 and by appointment. **__Primary Readings:__** Chopin, Kate. //The Awakening.// 1899 Anderson, Sherwood. //Winesburg, Ohio.// 1919 Toomer, Jean. //Cane.// 1923 Fitzgerald, F. Scott. //The Great Gatsby.// 1925 Hemingway, Ernest. //The Sun Also Rises//. 1926 Faulkner, William. //Sanctuary.// 1931 O’Connor, Flannery. //The Complete Stories.// 1950s Nabokov, Vladimir. //Lolita.// 1955 **__Secondary Critical Reading(s):__** Materials available on Blackboard and on the class Wiki @ [] **__Course Description:__** This course focuses on several key American novels, short stories and sequences that have come to represent the American contribution to the “modernist” literary movement in the 20th century. These texts will be considered in the context of the massive social, political, cultural, and aesthetic upheavals associated with this era. One midterm, one final, and an analytic paper are required. Each is worth 25% of your course grade. The final 25% is earned pro-rata based on your active, constructive, and positive participation (which assumes regular attendance) and the successful completion of any class work/homework that may be assigned. **__Attendance and Lateness Policy:__** Be here. Be here on time. If you are ill or have an emergency, e-mail me. Three absences for any reason will result in a drop in your final grade. Six absences may result in your automatically failing the course. I require a high level of commitment for this course; please do not give anything less than your best honest effort.

It has become increasingly necessary for me to specifically state the following things: 1) Your cell phones should be off (or on vibrate //if// you are expecting an extremely important call). 2) You should not text message or receive messages from anyone at any time. 3) You should not listen to your iPod™ or any other branded MP3 player, including the iPhone™. 4) You should not be checking your email through any electronic device. 5) You //should// give everyone in this classroom exactly the respect you expect them to give to you. This includes active listening, respectful responses, and not huffing or rolling your eyes when people say something you disagree with. **__Assignment Directions:__** Avoid self-sabotage. Assignment deadlines are absolute, regardless of your attendance.  __Statement on Plagiarism:__ Definition of Plagiarism – the use, without proper acknowledgment, of the ideas, phrases, sentences, or larger units of discourse from another writer or speaker. This definition includes the following inescapably simple concepts: 1) If you didn’t make it up, cite a source. 2) If the language isn’t yours, put it in quotation marks (or block form, if long enough) and cite your source. 3) If it’s a “fact,” cite a source. 4) There is no such thing as “common knowledge.” Cite your source(s). Plagiarism falls under the category of Academic Dishonesty (please consult your Undergraduate Catalog for a definition of and the University’s policy on Plagiarism). Plagiarism is never acceptable. You will fail the course if you submit a paper that has any evidence of plagiarism.

Trust your own instincts, impressions, insights, responses to the literature we are reading. Exploring other thinkers’ ideas and theories is part of our work as readers and critics; give appropriate credit to those writers by citing their work when you draw upon it.

If you need assistance in documenting your sources or if you just have questions about when a citation is necessary, ask in class (so others who have the same question can benefit from the answer) or refer to the //MLA Handbook.// **Note:** if you have special needs owing to a legally recognized disability, please consider letting me know as early in the course as possible so that I can support your work appropriately throughout the semester. Your confidence will be kept absolutely.