ENGL 4188 (Individual Authors): “The Many Faces of Benjamin Franklin”
MTWR 5:00pm-7:45pm Pafford 208
DR. PATRICK M. ERBEN OFFICE: TLC 2239 OFFICE HOURS: MWR 4-5PM. AND BY APPOINTMENT E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL.: (678) 839-6144 (OFFICE AND VOICEMAIL) WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.WESTGA.EDU/~PERBEN/ 2
“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.” –John Adams
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Course Description: During the recent tercentenary of his birth, celebrations of the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) reached new heights. How did Franklin become an icon of 21st-century American culture, equally at home in elementary school science classes and university courses? Intriguingly, Franklin’s fame is not merely a product of our modern media machinery. Besides his many occupations as printer, politician, scientist, and philanthropist, Franklin was and is above all the product of his own literary self-fashioning. Perhaps, Franklin is such an inexhaustible topic of present-day imagination, because we never seem to capture the true nature of his public and private personae. Like no other subject of early American literature and culture, the study of Benjamin Franklin links processes of cultural myth-making and literary construction in the 18th century and today.
In this course, we will try to understand why and how Benjamin Franklin came to be regarded—in the words of a recent critic—“America’s most beloved founding father.” This course, in other words, is a semester-long exploration of the meaning and construction of Benjamin Franklin as an icon of American culture and literature. We will study and analyze three different types of sources: a) writings by Benjamin Franklin; b) writings and visual representations by Franklin’s contemporaries; and c) “present-day” representations (including images and literary criticism) of Benjamin Franklin. We ask how Franklin, his contemporaries, and later generations (including our own) participated in creating “Benjamin Franklin” as a cultural icon imbued with many different meanings and cultural “uses.” In this class, therefore, we will treat even “secondary texts” like primary texts—asking what they reveal about scholarly as well as popular notions of BF. Since Franklin was and still is often regarded as the “ideal” representative—maybe even the creator—of what it means to be “American,” all readings and assignments will contribute to understanding this notion, how it came about, and whether it is valid. In this course, therefore, we will act as both literary and cultural critics.
Required Texts: NB: The exact edition listed here is required. In other words, you may not participate in class without the required text. You may purchase your books at the UWG bookstore, any bookstore of your choice, or on the web. If you have problems paying for this book, please discuss with me alternative options for obtaining it!
Walter Isaacson, ed., A Benjamin Franklin Reader. Simon and Schuster. ISBN: 978- 0743273985. Additional readings on website, electronic reserve (library), and handouts provided by the instructor. Course Reserves: login at http://westga.docutek.com/eres/coursepass.aspx?cid=540, then enter “Franklin” as the password!
Recommended Texts: Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th edition. New York: Modern Language Association, 2003. [previous editions are acceptable] MLA style will be required for all assignments turned in for this course. 3 A handbook of literary terms (e.g. Holman/Harmon, A Handbook to Literature, or M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms). A college dictionary (e.g. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary or American Heritage Dictionary; for the etymology and usage of words, however, consult the Oxford English Dictionary, reference section, or http://chaucer.library.emory.edu/oedbin/oed3www).
USEFUL WEBSITE(S): My Website: www.westga.edu/~perben/ Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. http://www.benfranklin300.org/exhibit.htm Teaching Benjamin Franklin. http://teachingbenfranklin.org/ PBS-Benjamin Franklin. http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/ Google Image Search. http://images.google.com/
USEFUL LIBRARY DATABASES FOR PRIMARY RESEARCH (IN THE COLONIAL PERIOD): EARLY AMERICAN IMPRINTS, SERIES I (1689-1800) EARLY AMERICAN IMPRINTS, SERIES II (1801-1819) AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES AMERICAN POETRY I, 1600-1900
USEFUL LIBRARY DATABASES FOR SECONDARY RESEARCH: Worldcat MLA Bibliography America: History & Life JSTOR Google Scholar [not a library database]
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADE BREAKDOWN: (see detailed descriptions in separate handouts!) Reading, Participation, In-class Writing 20% Reading Quizzes (daily) 10% PBS Documentary—Scene Analysis (2-3 pages) 10% Close reading of a section from the Autobiography (2 -3 pages) 10% Secondary Source Analysis (2-3 pages) 10% Oral Presentation—The Uses and Abuses of Benjamin Franklin in Contemporary American Culture 10% Final Project: BF—the complete “icon” analysis (8 pages text, plus images, etc) 30%
COURSE POLICIES:
Attendance and Deadlines: Regular and timely attendance is MANDATORY. You are allowed TWO (2) absences for the entire course, regardless of the reason for your absence. For each absence in excess of that number, I will deduct a grade level from your final grade (i.e., from A to B, etc.). You are responsible for signing an attendance list circulated at the beginning of every class meeting. In case of absence, you are responsible for keeping up with all assignments, readings, and in-class work. I do not make lecture notes etc. available to students who missed class (please get in touch with a fellow student). I can only accept late work if you discussed the issue with me ahead of time. All exceptions and acceptance of excuses are completely at my discretion.
Tardiness: Roll will circulate at the BEGINNING of class. Everyone who is late will be noted as tardy. Three (3) “tardies” will result in one (1) absence! 4 Paper Use Policy: Following the English Department’s new guidelines for paperless teaching, this course strives to reduce paper use as much as possible. Handouts, syllabi, reading/discussion questions, and supplementary readings will be available through my personal website (www.westga.edu/~perben/).
Plagiarism: There are different forms of plagiarism, from blatant theft of entire papers to negligence in acknowledging a source in your writing. However, you will be held responsible for any form of plagiarism—whether intentional or not. Consequences and responses to plagiarism are entirely at the discretion of the instructor. Please pay specific attention to the English Department’s site on plagiarism: http://www.westga.edu/ %7Eengdept/Plagiarism/index.html. I expect all out-of-class work to abide by MLA Format (See: MLA Handbook for the Writers of Research Papers) for proper documentation of sources (primary and secondary).
Communication and E-mail Policy and Etiquette: According to university policy, I can only accept and answer emails you send me from your official West Georgia email account (you can access this remotely through webmail or through “MyUWG.”). I would also like to institute an “email etiquette;” i.e. please observe basic rules of politeness and formality in email messages. These rules include: o any message must include an address line (e.g. “Dear Dr. Erben” or “Dr. Erben”) o use polite and appropriate language, as well as reasonably edited prose (i.e. complete sentences, correct spelling, no text-messaging lingo, etc.) o always sign your name o Please remember that I do have a life outside of the university; thus, allow reasonable time for me to answer your emails.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: NB: Before you read the following, keep in mind that I wouldn’t have to address these issues if they hadn’t caused problems in the past—even in upper-level courses.… I expect everyone to be ready to work at the beginning of class. This means in particular having ALL reading materials assigned for that day on hand and ready to use, as well as any tools for note-taking. You may use laptops, but you may NOT use wireless connections to surf the internet or email. Please turn off all cell-phones or other electronic communication devices before class. If you need to leave earlier for whatever reason, you need to let me know before the beginning of class. Sleeping during class may result in dismissal and count as an absence for that day! You MAY bring drinks and/or non-smelly or noisy food to class. There will be a break roughly half-way through every class meeting, so please confine bathroom breaks to that time. Most importantly: Be respectful toward the opinions, ideas, and personal identity of all members of our class!
Individual Help, Office Hours, and Writing Center: The writing center provides individual tutorials for any writing-related problems, but no proofreading service. The center is located in TLC 1201. However, I am not only available during my designated office hours, but am happy to speak to you about assignments and any other questions by appointment. 5 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
All changes are at the discretion of the instructor and will be announced appropriately. Important: All assignments, including readings, are to be completed for the date listed in the schedule! Other reading assignments may be added during the semester and will be made available electronically or in hardcopy by the instructor (free of charge). All readings are from the Benjamin Franklin Reader unless noted otherwise (“handout” or “e-reserve”).
DATES COURSE TOPICS AND READINGS ASSIGNMENTS DUE Mon 7/7 Introduction to course; syllabus. Video (in-class): Benjamin Franklin: an extraordinary life, an electric mind (PBS, 2006) [NB: start reading “The Autobiography.” See below!] Tue 7/8 Video (in-class): Benjamin Franklin: an extraordinary life, an electric mind (PBS, 2006). Michael Zuckerman, “Food for Thought: America’s Accessible Founder” (e-reserves) Wed 7/9 “The Autobiography,” Part 1 (399-463) Daniel Shea, “The Prehistory of American Autobiography” (e-reserves) Thu 7/10 “The Autobiography,” Part 2; (463-478) PBS Documentary— “Letters written to Franklin” ( paper handout) Scene Analysis D. H. Lawrence, “Benjamin Franklin,” from Studies in [sample oral presentation Classic American Literature (e-reserve) by instructor]
Mon 7/14 “The Autobiography,” Part 3 and 4 (478-551); J. A. Leo Lemay, “The Theme of Vanity in Franklin’s Autobiography” (e-reserves) Tue 7/15 “The Young Apprentice” (9-41); Paul M. Zall, “Franklin’s Comic Environment” (e- reserves) Wed 7/16 “The Philadelphia Printer” (45-90); Close reading of a section Ralph Frasca, “The Emergence of the American Colonial from Autobiography Press” (e-reserves) Thu 7/17 “Poor Richard and Friends” (93-129); Jill Lepore, “The Creed: What Poor Richard cost Benjamin Franklin.” (e-reserves)
Mon 7/21 “The Public Citizen” (133-183); Nina Reyd-Maroney, “‘To Cultivate the Finer Arts, and Improve the Stock of Knowledge’: Benjamin Franklin and Enlightened Science (e-reserves) Tue 7/22 “Lobbyist in London” (187-256) Wed 7/23 “American Rebel” (259-266) Secondary Source Analysis Thu 7/24 “Ambassador in Paris” (269-353) Video (in-class): John Adams (HBO miniseries, part 3).
Mon 7/28 “Constitutional Sage” (357-393) Tue 7/29 Final discussion. 6 Fri 8/1 Final Project Due, by 5 NB: There will be NO final exam. pm, in front of my office!