Winter
Session 2003
Dr. Dan Margolies
Office: Blocker 31
Email: dmargolies@vwc.edu
Phone: 455-5716
Office Hours: By Appointment during Winter Session—Come on by!
Class meeting: Monday-Friday, 1:30-4:30
Blocker 216
Course Overview:
This course is an intensive exploration of an underutilized masterpiece of American literature as well as a rumination on the tenor of life, politics, culture, and history in the United States during the first three decades of the twentieth century. The core of this seminar is John Dos Passos’ great trilogy U.S.A.: The 42nd Parallel; 1919; The Big Money. If this trilogy is not the “Great American Novel,” it surely is A Great American Novel, and it should be read by anyone hoping to understand modern American history, thought, and creative energy. Reading U.S.A. provides an especially useful means of approaching many of the important issues of this time period while simultaneously engaging directly with a challenging and interesting work of art. Together we will read and discuss these fascinating and complicated books, explore and evaluate Dos Passos’ innovative narrative and experimental styles, his political agenda and social critique, his understanding of the flow of American history, his enduring appeal to the fan of a good read, and his great utility to the student of American history. Using the books as a guide and a lodestar, we will construct an understanding of the American experience before, during and after the First World War, and gain a unique insight into the connections between literature and history and between art and memory.
Course Requirements:
Each week we will inaugurate the week’s seminar by reading and discussing one of the novels as a whole. After this introduction to the overall work, we will break down our approach and explore the many different, interlocking facets of each. This will involve, among other important topics, developing an understanding of early twentieth century modernist expression, radical politics, social change, and the broader flow of American history at the time. We will concentrate on his very explicit uses of history and biography in building the context for Dos Passos’ narrative, and we will compare this technique with more formal and traditional historical interpretations of the time. Students will chose particular sketches to explore in greater detail in the larger literature. At the end of each week we will produce, and discuss as a class, evaluative essays that interpret and critique the novels as well as present the results of these historical investigations. At the end of the semester, students will produce and present a final synthetic essay on the trilogy as a whole, using the skills and perspectives developed during the whole session.
Required Texts:
John Dos Passos, USA.
(Any edition is fine, whether two volume or one volume)
Attendance and
Participation:
Regular attendance in class is mandatory, as is prompt completion of all readings and assignments by the date assigned. This course meets everyday and, given the amount and complexity of the readings and ideas we are covering, it is vital that you attend all of the meetings. Your active participation in all aspects of the class, especially discussions, is expected and required, and your final grade will reflect your level of involvement and commitment.
Because we will cover a fairly large amount of reading over the course of the semester, you should be prepared to spend the time it takes to complete the reading thoroughly and thoughtfully. You are expected to read and reflect upon the assigned materials before coming to class each week so you can get the most out of lectures and so you are prepared for the discussions. Discussion of the readings is a critical component of the class, and your ability to participate is directly dependent on completion of work outside of class. Plan ahead and complete the assigned reading in time! This course has several different opportunities for you to demonstrate what you have learned in writing in addition to the seminar discussions.
Quizzes and Tests:
We will start each class meeting with a reading quiz. There will be at least one in-class essay exam each week.
Grades:
Class Participation: 40%
Paper and discussion of them: 60%
The following grading point scale will be used in determining your grade, subject to the discretion of the instructor: A= 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 88-89; B = 83-87; B- = 80-82; C+ = 78-79; C = 73-77; C- = 65-69; D = 50-64; F = less than 50
Email policy:
Email is a vital tool of communication for educators and scholars and all students must be familiar with its effective use. I encourage you to contact me via email whenever you have questions or comments about the course or the assignments. We will have at least one homework assignment that will be submitted in the form of an email attachment. This will be discussed later in the semester. However, please do NOT send me assignments or papers through email as a general policy, unless it is part of an assigned exercise, or prior arrangements were made.
ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
In accordance with Title 5, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, reasonable accommodation will be
provided to any student who has followed the College's procedures as outlined
in the current Academic Bulletin. It
is best to begin this process by contacting the disability services
coordinator, Fayne Pearson (455-3246) at the beginning of the semester.
Once the need for accommodations has been officially established, the student
should consult with the instructor to insure that the student's needs can be
met as effectively as possible.
Reading Schedule:
Week One: The
42nd Parallel
Essay test on Friday
Week Two: 1919
Essay test on Friday
Week Three: The
Big Money
Essay test on Friday