ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

Spring  2013  /  MWF  2-­2:50  PM  /  Parkes  Hall  213 Instructor:  Garrett  Morrison Office:  University  Hall  420 Office  Hours:  M  12-­1,  W  3-­4,  or  by  appointment Email:  [email protected]

Our  Purposes Our  purposes  will  be  to  read  critically,  to  listen  actively,  to  speak  fluently,  and  to  write  with clarity  and  grace. To  quote  the  official  university  literature,  freshman  seminars  “are  small,  writing-­  and discussion-­oriented  courses  geared  to  the  investigation  of  a  specific  theme  or  issue  and  intended  to hone  your  abilities  as  a  critical  thinker  and  effective  writer.”  (Whew.  How  ironic  that  the  phrase “effective  writer”  appears  in  that  sentence.) But  in  a  couple  of  ways,  our  freshman  seminar,  “The  Many  Wests  of  the  United  States,” will  be  distinctive: 1) It  is  an  English  course.  In  fact,  it’s  “English  101.”  So  we  will  spend  much  of  our  time analyzing  literature,  even  if  we  take  frequent  detours  into  history  and  film  studies. 2) It  is  focused,  as  you  know,  on  the  American  West. Our  Theme

What  comes  to  mind  when  you  think  of  “the  American  West”?  Cowboys  in  saloons playing  cards  and  brandishing  pistols?  Surfboards  abandoned  on  the  white  sand,  framed by  the  blue  ocean?  Do  you  envision  plains  or  mountains?  The  Gateway  Arch  or  the Golden  Gate? In  the  American  imagination,  the  West  comprises  an  important,  powerful  set  of myths  and  images.  When  examined,  however,  these  myths  and  images,  these  “many Wests,”  are  revealed  to  be  heterogeneous,  even  contradictory—and  for  precisely  this reason  they  deserve  our  critical  attention. Our  Method This  course  requires  three  kinds  of  work: 1) Reading.  Readings  will  include  primary  (short  stories,  novels,  films)  and  secondary (historical  scholarship,  literary  criticism,  critical  theory)  texts.  Occasionally  in  class  I  will hand  out  instructional  readings  on  writing  technique. 2) Discussion.  During  our  class  meetings,  you  will  not  only  talk,  but  also  practice  engaged listening.  I  believe  students  learn  best  when  they  consider  unfamiliar  points  of  view. 3) Writing.  You  will  hone  your  writing  skills  by  completing  a  variety  of  assignments, including  a  description  of  a  keyword,  an  argumentative  article  review,  a  literary-­critical essay,  and  two  close-­reading  examinations.

ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

Required  Books ● In  order  to  remain  in  this  course,  you  must  possess  these  books  in  hard  copy.  E-­books  not allowed. ● I  will  trust  you  to  purchase  the  books  on  your  own  (online,  preferably).  Norris  is  a  rip-­off. ● You  must,  however,  obtain  each  book  in  the  edition  I’ve  indicated  below. ● Not  having  a  book,  or  having  the  wrong  edition,  counts  against  your  participation  score. ● On  most  bookselling  websites,  you  can  find  a  specific  edition  by  entering  its  ISBN  into  the search  box. Fante,  John.  Ask  the  Dust.  1939.  New  York:  Harper  Perennial  Modern  Classics,  2006. -­ ISBN-­10:  0060822554 Proulx,  Annie,  Larry  McMurtry,  and  Diana  Ossana.  Brokeback  Mountain:  Story  to  Screenplay.  New  York:  Scribner, 2005. -­ ISBN-­10:  0743294165

Other  Required  Texts ● I  will  provide  the  rest  of  the  readings  as  PDFs,  which  you  will  be  responsible  for  printing. ● Don’t  waste  your  own  ink:  print  at  a  Northwestern  library.  Black-­and-­white,  two-­sided sheets  cost  12  cents  each.  So  to  print  an  average-­sized  reading,  you  will  spend  one  to  two bucks. ● Yes,  printing  is  a  pain  and  an  expense.  But  it’s  better,  I’d  wager,  than  paying  $150  for  a course  pack.

Required  Videos ● You  can  acquire  these  movies  in  a  few  different  ways: o I  have  a  USB  thumb  drive  containing  all  of  them  in  QuickTime-­playable  files. o For  about  three  dollars  a  pop,  rent  them  from  Amazon  or  iTunes  or  any  streaming service. o Find  a  classmate  who  owns  or  has  rented  one  of  the  films  and  organize  a  viewing party. o The  library  might  have  copies,  but  don’t  count  on  it. Brokeback  Mountain.  Dir.  Ang  Lee.  Screenplay  by  Larry  McMurtry  and  Diana  Ossana.  Focus  Features,  2006. L.A.  Confidential.  Dir.  Curtis  Hanson.  Screenplay  by  Brian  Helgeland  and  Curtis  Hanson.  Warner  Bros.,  1997. “Premiere.”  The  O.C.  Dir.  Doug  Liman.  Teleplay  by  Josh  Schwartz.  Warner  Bros.,  2003. Red  River.  Dir.  Howard  Hawks.  Screenplay  by  Borden  Chase  and  Charles  Schnee.  United  Artists,  1948. The  Searchers.  Dir.  John  Ford.  Screenplay  by  Frank  S.  Nugent.  Warner  Bros.,  1956.

Recommended  Supplementary  Texts ● These  books  are  important  and  useful,  but  not  required  for  this  course. Graff,  Gerald  and  Cathy  Birkenstein.  “They  Say  /  I  Say”:  The  Moves  That  Matter  in  Academic  Writing.  2 nd  ed.  New York:  Norton,  2010. Modern  Language  Association  of  America.  MLA  Handbook  for  Writers  of  Research  Papers.  7 th  ed.  New  York:  MLA of  America,  2009. Williams,  Raymond.  Keywords:  A  Vocabulary  of  Culture  and  Society.  Rev.  ed.  New  York:  Oxford  University  Press, 1985.

ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

Elements  of  the  Course →  Keyword  Presentation  and  Essay  (10%  of  your  final  grade) ● Briefly  define,  describe,  and  contextualize  a  keyword  of  your  choice. ● Presentation:  5  minutes    Essay:  400  to  500  words ● Various  due  dates →  Argumentative  Article  Review  (20%) ● Summarize  and  evaluate  a  scholarly  article,  then  state  your  own  informed  opinion. ● 1,000  to  1,250  words ● First  draft:  4/18    Final  draft:  4/25 →  Two  In-­Class  Close-­Reading  Exams  (Each  10%) ● Demonstrate  your  knowledge  of  readings/viewings  and  display  your  analytical  skills. ● Exam  1:  5/10    Exam  2:  5/31 →  Critical  Essay  (30%) ● Enter  a  scholarly  debate  by  responding  to  a  piece  of  cultural  criticism  and  analyzing  a work  of  literature  or  cinema. ● 1,750  to  2,250  words ● Topic:  6/3    Final  draft:  6/10 →  Participation  and  Attendance  (20%) Standards  for  participation: ● Read  the  texts  and  watch  the  videos  before  class. ● Speak  up  regularly.  Listen  intently. ● Bring  hard  copies  of  the  readings  to  class. ● Mark  up  the  readings  in  pencil,  pen,  or  highlighter. ● Put  away  phones  and  laptops  during  class. Rules  for  attendance: ● You  may  miss  one  class—no  penalty  given,  no  excuse  necessary.  Maybe  you  fall  sick. Maybe,  God  forbid,  you  get  blindsided  by  a  family  emergency.  Or  maybe  you  just  feel lazy.  No  worries!  You  have  a  freebie  absence. ● Here’s  the  catch:  each  additional  absence  reduces  your  participation  score  by  five  points (100  to  95).  This  rule  applies  even  to  absences  that  you  may  not  be  able  to  avoid. o If  you  miss  a  class,  set  up  an  appointment  with  me,  preferably  during  office  hours. Your  initiative  and  diligence  will  mitigate  any  harm  done  to  your  grade. ● Five  total  absences  =  a  failing  participation  score. ● One  tardy  =  ½  of  an  absence. ● I  believe  in  rewarding  consistency  and  professionalism.  So  if  you  show  up  on  time  and prepared  for  every  class,  I  will  boost  your  participation  score  by  five  points  (100  to  105).

ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

General  Guidelines  for  Writing  Assignments Good  writers  do  far  more  than  simply  write.  In  this  course,  you  will: 1) Plan,  draft,  and  revise  three  essays.  For  each  essay,  I  will  provide  an  assignment  sheet. This  sheet  will  describe  a  specific  process  of  brainstorming,  planning,  drafting,  and revising.  Sometimes  I  will  require  you  to  meet  me  in  person  before  producing  a  final draft.  Other  times  I  will  give  you  written  feedback  and  ask  you  to  revise  and  resubmit. After  every  final  draft,  you  will  turn  in  a  “Postmortem  Checklist  and  Self-­Assessment,” the  template  for  which  will  be  available  on  Blackboard.  Your  grade  will  be  based  not  only on  the  quality  of  your  final  draft,  but  also  on  the  effort  you  put  into  the  entire  writing process. 2) Submit  your  work  on  time.  Email  your  writing  assignments  to  my  university  address, [email protected],  as  .doc,  .docx,  or  .pdf  attachments.  No  extensions.  Late papers  will  be  penalized  one  third  of  a  letter  grade  (“A”  to  “A-­”).  If  a  paper  is  more  than 24  hours  late,  it  will  be  docked  two  thirds  of  a  letter  grade  (“A”  to  “B+”);;  if  more  than  48 hours  late,  a  full  letter  grade;;  if  more  than  72  hours  late…  you  get  the  idea. 3) Format  your  papers  professionally.  Use  12-­point  Times  New  Roman  font,  double  spacing, one-­inch  margins,  and  page  numbers.  Come  up  with  a  title  that  communicates  a  sense  of your  essay’s  topic  and  argument.  When  citing  evidence,  follow  the  rules  of  the  MLA Handbook  for  Writers  of  Research  Papers. 4) Be  honest.  The  work  you  hand  in  must  be  your  own.  Any  plagiarism  will  be  handled according  to  the  Weinberg  College  Honor  Code. Course  Website I  have  set  up  a  Blackboard  site,  where  I  will  post  announcements,  scheduling  details,  PDFs  of readings,  assignment  sheets,  and  other  important  stuff.  Check  Blackboard  regularly. Everyday  Communication When  we  are  not  in  class,  email  will  be  our  official  mode  of  communication,  so  keep  track  of everything  I  send  to  your  “u.northwestern.edu”  address.  Feel  free  to  email  me  anytime,  but  expect up  to  a  24-­hour  delay  before  I  reply.  Don’t  try  to  get  in  touch  the  night  before  a  deadline. Writing  and  Exam  Schedule 4/18 4/25

Review:  First  Draft Review:  Final  Draft

5/10 5/31

Exam  1 Exam  2

6/3 6/10

Critical  Essay:  Topic Critical  Essay:  Final  Draft

Grading  Breakdown Keyword  Presentation  &  Essay 10% Argumentative  Article  Review 20% Critical  Essay 30%

Close-­Reading  Exam  1 Close-­Reading  Exam  2 Participation  &  Attendance

10% 10% 20%

ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

COURSE  SCHEDULE UNIT  1:  THE  ACADEMIC  WEST;;  OR,  HISTORICAL  AND  THEORETICAL  FRAMEWORKS Week  1 Tu  4/2 W  4/3 F  4/5 Week  2 M  4/8 W  4/10 F  4/12

Introductions Frederick  Jackson  Turner,  “The  Significance  of  the  Frontier  in  American  History” Alan  Trachtenberg,  “The  Westward  Route” Patricia  Nelson  Limerick,  “Closing  the  Frontier  and  Opening  Western  History” Richard  White,  Introduction  to  “The  Origins  of  the  West” Richard  Slotkin,  “The  Significance  of  the  Frontier  Myth  in  American  History” Susan  Johnson,  “On  the  Eve  of  Emigration” Reading  Quiz:  Weeks  1-­2 UNIT  2:  THE  GOLD  RUSH  WEST;;  OR,  STUFF  WHITE  PEOPLE  LIKE

Week  3 M  4/15 W  4/17 Th  4/18 F  4/19

Michael  Kowalewski,  “Imagining  the  California  Gold  Rush” Bayard  Taylor,  “San  Francisco  by  Day  and  Night” Louise  Clappe,  “A  Trip  to  the  Mines” Bret  Harte,  “The  Luck  of  Roaring  Camp” Draft  Due:  First  draft  of  article  review NO  CLASS

Week  4 M  4/22 W  4/24 Th  4/25 F  4/26

Mark  Twain,  “The  Celebrated  Jumping  Frog  of  Calaveras  County” Twain,  excerpts  from  Roughing  It Paper  Due:  Final  draft  of  article  review Twain,  excerpts  from  Roughing  It UNIT  3:  THE  WILD  WEST;;  OR,  IT’S  RAINING  MEN

Week  5 M  4/29 W  5/1 F  5/3

Jane  Tompkins,  “Introduction”  to  West  of  Everything Owen  Wister,  excerpt  from  The  Virginian Jack  Schaefer,  excerpt  from  Shane Howard  Hawks,  dir.,  Red  River John  Ford,  dir.,  The  Searchers

Week  6 M  5/6 W  5/8 F  5/10

Annie  Proulx,  “Brokeback  Mountain” Ang  Lee,  Brokeback  Mountain Close-­Reading  Exam  1:  Weeks  3-­6

ENG  101-­6-­22  /  Spring  2013  Syllabus

UNIT  4:  THE  UTOPIAN/DYSTOPIAN  WEST:  OR,  LOS  ANGELES  IS  THE  WORST Week  7 M  5/13 W  5/15 F  5/17 Week  8 M  5/20 W  5/22 F  5/24 Week  9 M  5/27 W  5/29 F  5/31

Mike  Davis,  “Sunshine  or  Noir?,”  pp.  15-­30 Excerpts  from  The  Land  of  Sunshine Songs  by  The  Beach  Boys,  The  Mamas  and  the  Papas,  and  The  Best  Coast John  Fante,  Ask  the  Dust,  pp.  11-­59 David  Fine,  “Nathanael  West,  Raymond  Chandler,  and  the  Los  Angeles  Novel” Fante,  pp.  60-­90 Davis,  pp.  30-­46 Fante,  pp.  91-­165 Curtis  Hanson,  dir.,  L.A.  Confidential NO  CLASS NO  CLASS  (Memorial  Day) Joan  Didion,  “Some  Dreamers  of  the  Golden  Dream”  and  “The  White  Album” Thomas  Pynchon,  excerpt  from  The  Crying  of  Lot  49 Close-­Reading  Exam  2:  Weeks  7-­9

Reading  Week M  6/3 Doug  Liman,  dir.,  “Premiere,”  The  O.C. Topic  Due:  Description  of  topic  for  critical  essay Finals  Week M  6/10 Paper  Due:  Final  draft  of  critical  essay