Postwar American Fiction

LIT 383-01, Thursday, 4-6:45 p.m., Bunting 433

Paul Jaskunas: pjaskunas @ mica .edu , 202.253.4077, Bunting 413

Office Hours: Thursdays, 1-3

In this course we will study salient works of American literature published during a period of about thirty-five years after the conclusion of the Second World War. During this time, the United States emerged as a global superpower. It waged a Cold War with the Soviet Union and far bloodier wars in North Korea and Vietnam. The Civil Rights movement struggled to overcome the legacy of Jim Crow, and the feminist movement and “sexual revolution” altered the relationships between men and women. How did our literature engage with the currents of this turbulent time? What do the resulting fictions reveal about the state of the body politic, its culture, and the place of the artist in postwar American life? What, if anything, is uniquely American about these works of literature? We will keep such questions at times at the forefront of discussion, at times in the back of our minds as we work through the complex particularities of the following readings.

● Selected stories by Flannery O’Connor (packet in post office downstairs) ● Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin ● One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey ● Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut ● Mr. Sammler’s Planet by Saul Bellow ● Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion (1970) ● Sula by Toni Morrison ● The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth

Course work requirements:

Prep Papers

In advance of six of our class meetings, you will be required to post on ‘Moodle’ a close reading of a passage in the assignment that you found especially significant and interesting.

Your analysis of the passage should introduce some intellectual problem or difficulty presented by the literature. It should reflect rigorous engagement with the text and close attention to detail. Attend to style, diction, imagery and the relation of these elements to the larger themes of the fiction at hand.

What you submit will form the basis for class discussion, so consider the work you put into drafting these ‘close readings’ a high priority. At least three of the seven required submissions must be submitted before Spring Break; aside from this requirement, I leave up to your discretion when you do the work. Presentations

In advance of each class session, a pair of students will research a question concerning the author up for discussion. (I will provide research prompts from which you can choose.) The two presenters will prepare a brief talk in which they offer the fruits of their research. They will also bring in discussion questions and lead the ensuing conversation in the classroom. Your professor will do his best to keep quiet! It will be your task to challenge and engage the group, and your peers’ task to advance the discussion toward a richer appreciation of the literature.

Midterm Exam

On March 10 there will be an in-class essay exam.

Final research essay

On the last day of class, you will turn in a six to ten page essay on one of the texts we are reading this semester. The essay should address a challenging analytical problem and reflect limited research into related scholarship. The focus will be on the interplay between authors, their texts, and historical forces that demonstrably influenced their thought and work.

Plagiarism

Submitting work containing plagiarism is grounds for failure of an assignment or failure of the course. Repeat offenses will be brought to the attention of the Chair. To be responsible when summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting, include a citation like:

“I read in yesterday’s New York Times that…” “As Simone de Beauvoir famously asserts: ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.’” “My roommate Pete noticed that…”

Document your citations in a bibliography at the end of your paper and follow standard guidelines such as MLA or Chicago manual style. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines in Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual, and always check with your instructor before turning in questionable work.

Evaluation

Prep Papers: 20 percent of final grade / Participation: 10 percent / Midterm exam: 20 percent / Presentation: 10 percent/ Final research essay: 40 percent

Class Attendance

Four unexcused absences will result in failure of the class. If you need to discuss your attendance with me at any time, e-mail me at Jaskunas @ hotmail .com.

Office Hours: 1-3, Thursdays. You can always drop by my office for an unscheduled conference during office hours when MICA classes are in session. If you’d like to schedule a meeting at another time, contact me at the above email address or see me before or after class.

ADA Compliance Statement Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact the Learning Resource Center at 410-225-2416, in Bunting 458, to establish eligibility and coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http :// www . mica . edu / learningresourcecenter /. Health and Safety Compliance

From the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

The Office works to provide EHS support for all members of the MICA community. The primary goal of the Office is to be proactive in establishing a culture of safety in which each member of the community shares ownership responsibility that allows each person to be involved in maintaining a healthy work and studying environment. EHS uses several methods to achieve this objective.

First, the EHS office looks at the totality of the EHS requirements by combining campus needs with state and federal requirements and clearly communicating the shared policies and procedures. Second, EHS identifies training needs and develops guidelines for the use of equipment, material and procedures. Third, we ensure compliance with policies through evaluations, inspections, and committees.

It is the responsibility of faculty and students to understand health and safety policies relevant to their individual activities and to review MICA's Emergency Action Plan, as well as to participate in training, drills, etc. It is also each faculty member's responsibility to coordinate with the EHS Office to ensure that all risks associated with their class activities are identified and to assure that their respective classroom procedures mirror the EHS and Academic Department guidelines. Each of the Academic Department's also publish EHS procedures and policies such as a dress code, the use of personal protective equipment, fire safety, training, and how to properly dispose of chemical waste. Each of these policies and procedures must be followed by all students and faculty. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the faculty to review, test, and assess each student's awareness of basic safety procedures, such as evacuation routes, use of chemicals, fire prevention, and all other guidelines posted by the Environmental Health and Safety Office, (e.g., smoking policy, independent studio policies, pet policy, disposing of hazardous and chemical waste, etc).

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