English 239-304 online – Fall 2020
Literature and Human Experience: Women’s Literature – Coming of Age
Dr. Mandy Reid
Email:
[email protected] Zoom office hours by appointment
Required Texts:
Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina (ISBN: 9780452297753)
Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train (ISBN: 9780061950728)
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (ISBN: 9780061120060)
Randa Jarrar, A Map of Home (ISBN: 9780143116264)
Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (ISBN: 9780060736262)
Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” (provided on Blackboard)
Course Description:
In this section of English 239 Literature and Human Experience we will examine select works
about coming of age by women authors.
This is a reading-intensive course; please make sure that you have the time and commitment
to successfully complete all the work required of you. If you cringe when you are told to read
or rely on Sparknotes.com and Wikipedia to get you through reading assignments, this course
is not for you. Foundational Studies Credit [Literary Studies] 3 hours.
Course Goals
After students complete English 239, they should be able to
recognize the relative presence and absence of political agendas in literature about
women
apply the principles of close reading in discussions of and in writing about
literature
express themselves clearly in both written and spoken forms
apply critical thinking skills when reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Students will meet these goals through our discussions and written assignments.
For more information on Foundational Studies requirements, course goals, and
credits, please visit: http://www.indstate.edu/fs/index.htm
Writing Assignments:
In addition to the primary text, you are required to use at least two credible, scholarly sources
for each literary analysis. Wikipedia, .com and .net websites, newspapers, blogs, and
magazines are not considered scholarly and will not count; nor will encyclopedia or dictionary
entries.
Papers must be typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins all around, in 12 point, Times New
Roman font. Proper MLA documentation is required for all sources. Page length
requirements do NOT include “Works Cited” pages. Points will be deducted for failure to meet
minimum page length requirements. In order to be graded, all papers must be
submitted in electronic form to Turnitin (Blackboard Assignments
Browse/Upload Save Send) by 11:55 pm EST on the due date in order to avoid late
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penalties. Papers received after the due date will be docked 10 points per day, followed by a
five-minute-grace-period in case you have a slow internet connection.
Papers emailed to me will not be graded.
I reserve the right to fail papers if the author refuses to submit source material when
requested. Extensions must be requested in writing at least 24 hours before the
due date.
Grading:
Grades are earned, not given, and they are not negotiable. I do not offer extra credit
opportunities. Diligently do the reading, participate in class discussions, and put effort into
your written assignments and you should not need extra points. Your grades will be
calculated on the following work:
Literary Analysis/ Paper 1 (5-7pgs+Works Cited) 25%
Literary Analysis/ Paper 2 (5-7 pgs+Works Cited) 25%
Literary Analysis/ Paper 3 (5-7 pgs+Works Cited) 25%
Weekly Blogs (3/wk) 25%
Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism in any form IS NOT tolerated in my classes. It is your responsibility to read and
understand the scope of plagiarism as stated in the ISU Student Handbook. You are welcome
to make an appointment with me to discuss the subject. Students who plagiarize will
automatically fail the course and will be reported to the Office of Student
Conduct and Integrity. No exceptions will be made. Cite all of your sources and do
your own work.
Laptop Use:
This is an online class. Use away.
Academic Freedom:
Professors are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they
should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no
relation to their subject.
ADA Statement:
Indiana State University seeks to provide effective services and accommodation for qualified
individuals with documented disabilities. If you need an accommodation because of a
documented disability, you are required to register with Disability Support Services at the
beginning of the semester. Contact the Director of Student Support Services. The telephone
number is 237-2301, and the office is located in Normal Hall, Room 126. The Director will
ensure that you receive all the additional help that Indiana State offers.
Course Work and Due Dates:
All work must be completed by the date of the assignment. It is always possible to submit a
paper before the due date. Papers must be submitted to Blackboard, and will be docked 10
points for each day they are late; the late penalty goes into effect five minutes after the
deadline. If the class seems unprepared or does not complete the assigned readings I will give
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daily timed pop quizzes, which may not be made up. You are responsible for all material
covered in the readings, whether or not it is explicitly covered by quizzes, weekly work, or
lecture material. If you have questions about anything, please ask.
Title IX:
Please see our Blackboard page for ISU-mandated statement of the University’s policy.
Miscellaneous:
I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus.
E-mail is the best way to contact me: <[email protected]>. I will respond to your
inquiries as soon as I am able, but do not expect an immediate response. I will do my best to
answer all emails within 48 hours, although I do not check my email on the weekends. Please
include your name and course in the body of the email.
Violations of the University’s Code of Student Conduct in this class will result in failure of the
course.
This syllabus is a contract, and you are expected to read and abide by it. Your continued
enrollment in this course after reading the syllabus signals your consent to the course
policies.
Schedule of Assignments:
Note: Assignments are due on Sunday nights at 11:55pm EST to accommodate students’ work
schedules. You are more than welcome to submit your work before the deadline.
Part of your grade for each assignment is based on how well you follow all the directions.
Please be sure to read the directions carefully so that you do not overlook anything.
You need to finish the reading for the week before you completing your blog posts.
Please note: This syllabus may change but if it does, it will always be in your
favor. I will not add additional work. Ours is an asynchronous class. You are
not required to attend Zoom sessions, as the class discussion portion of our
course is done through the blog feature. While this may be helpful in terms of
your daily schedule, it requires that you have good time-management skills. If
you have questions or concerns, please email me. I will not be on campus for
the Fall 2020 semester.
Week 1: 9/14 - 9/20
1. Read Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina, Ch. 1-11
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 9/20, if possible. For our first
week, I will be lenient on the blog deadlines in order to give you ample time to obtain and
read the book. Life is fairly chaotic right now. If you are able to complete the posts on
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time, please do so. If you need more time, you may have until the Sunday following the
second week: 9/27 by 11:55 pm EST.
Week 2: 9/21 – 9/27
1. Read Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina, Ch. 12-17
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 9/27. If you have not submitted
the blog posts for Week 1, do so by the 27th.
Week 3: 9/28 - 10/4
1. Read Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina, Ch. 18-22
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 10/4
Week4: 10/5 – 10/11
1. Read Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (all of it) and Walker, “Everyday Use” (on
Blackboard under tab titled “Reading: “Everyday Use”)
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 10/11
3. Paper 1 due (5 full – 7 pgs + Works Cited; 2 outside scholarly sources in addition to
primary text) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 10/11
Week 5: 10/12 – 10/18
1. Read Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 1-24
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 10/18
Week 6: 10/19 – 10/25
1. Read Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 25-43
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 10/25
Week 7: 10/26 – 11/1
1. Read Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 44-56
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 11/1
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Week 8: 11/2 – 11/8
1. Read Jarrar, Map of Home, Ch. 1-8
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 11/8
Week 9: 11/9 – 11/15
1. Read Jarrar, Map of Home, Ch. 9-20
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55pm EST on Sunday, 11/15
3. Paper 2 (5 full – 7 pgs + Works Cited; 2 outside scholarly sources in addition to primary
text) due by 11:55 pm EST on 11/15
Week 10: 11/16 – 11/22
1. Read Baker Kline, Orphan Train, pp. 1-140
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 11/22
Week 11: 11/23 – 11/29 OFF for Thanksgiving
Week 12: 11/30 – 12/6:
1. Read Baker Kline, Orphan Train, pp. 141-278
2. Submit Blog Posts – One response to my prompt, and two responses to your classmates’
posts (300-500 words each) by 11:55 pm EST on Sunday, 12/6
Final:
Paper 3 (5 full – 7 pgs + Works Cited; 2 outside scholarly sources in addition to primary
text) due by 11:55 pm EST on Wednesday, 12/9. I do not read late submissions
of final papers. Please get it in by or before the deadline.
