I. Texts: The books listed below will be available through The Carriage House. All of them may not be the first time you go over, and you might plan to make two trips over there, one now and another after I've announced in class that all of the books are in.

Option 1:

Average of hour tests 35%
Critical Response Paper 10%
Midterm Essay grade 25%
Final Examination 30%

Option 2:

Average short tests 30% (10% of final grade for each test)
Critical Response Paper 10%
Midterm Essay grade 20%
Optional Paper 10%
Final Examination 30%

Note: Much of our class will consist of discussion of the works we are reading. You are encouraged to contribute to class discussions and your participation will be figured into your final grade, particularly in borderline cases. If you miss more than five classes for any reason you will receive a grade of F. From the beginning of week two, a tardy counts as an absence.

III. General Objectives:
The phrase "modern American literature" usually refers to literature published between World War I and World War II. "Modern" or post-war I writers are those, generally, whose first major work appeared in the so-called "Modern Period" (i.e., 1919-1939). In this course we will be concerned primarily with the first of the two decades in this period: the 1920's. This decade has been referred to as "The Full Flowering of American Literature." By reading and studying some of the best writing to come out of this time we will attempt to identify major themes that characterize the writings of the post-war I decade in America, focusing particularly on the image of the wasteland that provides a context for these themes.

IV. Specific Objectives:
A. Close Reading: The short tests are designed to bring your attention to concrete details in the works. The theory here is that in a well-constructed work, no detail is insignificant, though some details are more important than others are. The emphasis in these short tests will be on factual material, but you will also relate the details to thematic concerns. The best way to prepare for these tests is to read the works carefully and to mark the passages and details discussed in class.

B. Abstracting: After reading the works closely, the next objective will be to "abstract" from it major thematic concerns as they are expressed through concrete details, image patterns, etc.

C. Synthesis: We will try finally to relate the themes, characters, etc. in the works to each other. This will be an ongoing process in our class discussions. The midterm essay and the final exam will be aimed at this objective.
 
 

V. Below is the grading scale:  These numerical grades will actually be of concern to you only on the short answer tests. The other assignments will be assigned letter grades.

90-100 A
80-90 B
70-80 C
60-70 D
0-59 F

VI. VCU Honor System:  "Virginia Commonwealth University recognizes that honesty, truth, and integrity are values central to its mission as in institution of higher education."  This class will be conducted in strict adherence to VCU's Honor system policies, which can be found in the VCU Resource Guide.

VII.  Students with Disabilities:  "Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing students with disabilities equal opportunities to benefit from all programs, services and activities offered."  Students with disabilties shold identify to the instructor at the beginning of the course the services that they will need.  For further information on this policy, refer to VCU Resource Guide.

VIII. Miscellaneous:
My office is 307 Anderson House (913 W. Franklin). The telephone number is 828-1255. I will post office hours on my door, but if you need to see me at times other than those posted please feel free to set up a time during which we can meet. There is a voice mail on my telephone, and if you leave word on it, I will call you back within an hour or so. My e-mail address is bmangum@vcu.edu.