Syllabus - American Literature

 COURSE SYLLABUS

Second Semester, School Year 2014-2015

Course Code/Course Title : SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

Pre-requisite                       : World Literature

Pre-requisite to                   : Literary Criticism

Type of Course                   : English Major

Course Credit                     : 3 units

Course Description :

A survey of representative works from various genres of early to contemporary American authors.

The PCU vision/mission and CASTE values are integrated in the course.

General Objectives:

 

At the end of the course, the students are expected to:

1. summarize and outline the plot of the various pieces of  American literature

2. interpret literary pieces by investigating its historical background, subject matter, author’s biography;

3. identify and discuss the human situation depicted in the various piece of literature;

4. react to literature in various ways;

5. reflect on the theme of the various pieces of literature; 

6. express appreciation of the informative and entertaining value of American literature; and

7. integrate the PCU and CASTE values

 COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1
I.    Introduction to the Course
      A. Getting to know the instructor, the students, and the course
      B. Distribution of course syllabus
      C. Introduction to American Literature

Week 2
II. Poetry
     A. Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee”

Week 3
     B. Emily Dickinson: “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain”, “After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes”, and “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died.”

Week 4-5
     C. Robert Frost: “After Apple-Picking”, Nothing Gold Can  Stay” & “Stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening”,

Week 6 - PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Weeks 7
     D. e. e. cummings: “Somewhere I Have Never Traveled” “if everything happens that can't be done” and “nobody loses all the time”

Week 8
III. Short Stories
      A. Edgar Allan Poe: “The Cask of Amontillado”

Week 9
      B. Ernest Hemingway: “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” and “Hills Like White Elephants”

Week 10
      C. William Faulkner: “A Rose for Emily”

IV. Essays
       A. George Orwell: “Shooting an Elephant”

Week 11
       B. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “I Have a Dream”
       C. Mitch Albom: “The Fourth Tuesday: We Talk about Death” from Tuesdays with Morrie

Week 12 - MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Week 13
IV. Political pieces
      A. The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson

Week 14
      B. “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Week 15
      C. Inaugural Address and The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

Week 16
      D. First Inaugural Address and “The Day of Infamy” speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt

Week 17
      E. Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy & of William Jefferson Clinton

Week 18 - FINAL EXAMINATION

Textbook/References:

Abcarian R. & M. Klotz. (2000). Literature: Reading and writing the human experience (7th shorter ed.) Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Tomeldan, Y. V. (general ed.), et al. (1986). Prism: An introduction to world literature. Mandaluyong City: National Bookstore.

Guerrero, G. T. (2013). Instructional minutes.URL:  http://instructionalminutes.blogspot.com Label: “American     Literature”