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Freshman English 101:

Literatures, Places, and Identities of the American Midwest

Fall 2015: Tuesday/Thursday Dr. Anna Thompson Hajdik

Office: Laurentide Hall, #3261 Office Hours: W Noon-4 p.m.

E-mail: hajdika@uww.edu

 Dairy  Farming,  WPA  Mural,  Post  Office  in  Reedsburg,  Wisconsin  

Artist:    Richard  Jansen,  1940  

 Latino  Gothic,  2004  

Artist:    Alejandro  García-­‐Lemos  

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The images shown above illustrate two very different, yet also very familiar visions of the American Midwest. For anyone from Wisconsin (even if you’ve never encountered a dairy cow up close) you know that the state is “America’s Dairyland,” home of cheese curds and cheese heads and that the painting from Reedsburg reflects this heritage. In contrast, “Latino Gothic” is a much more contemporary take on the well-known artistic work “American Gothic.” The 2004 painting illustrates a much more inclusive and diverse vision of the Midwest updated for the 21st century. This first year course provides an introduction to a range of writing techniques and compositional approaches through the regional lens of Midwest identity. Throughout the semester, we will read a variety of literary and scholarly texts that challenge conventional understandings of Midwestern places, boundaries, experiences, and ethnicities. You will also compose a variety of written assignments, from response papers to analytical essays. It is hoped that these papers will allow you to demonstrate a sustained knowledge of the course readings, insight into the key themes of the course, and personal creativity.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

1) Develop skills to read critically, think creatively, and synthesize information with the goal of presenting original ideas through writing and oral communication

2) Compose engaging, thoughtful prose that is grammatically sound, concisely written, and creatively executed.

3) Gain an appreciation of and understanding for cultural diversity

REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS

D2L Readings – Access these through the D2L page for the course.

The books listed below are available for purchase in the University Bookstore. All titles have also been placed on 3-hour reserve in the library. You may also order these books on your own.

*My Antonia by Willa Cather

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Picturing Indians: Photographic Encounters and Tourist Fantasies in H.H. Bennett’s Wisconsin Dells by Steven D. Hoelscher

*The full text of My Antonia has also been posted to our D2L page. The PDF available was downloaded from Project Gutenberg.

FILMS

Chicago: City of the Century (2003)

Willa Cather: The Road is All (2011)

ASSIGNMENTS

Attendance and In-Class Participation (20%): Students will be expected to engage with the reading material and the class by contributing thoughtful comments and discussion throughout the semester. Note: In order to better facilitate class discussion, I will occasionally ask you to free write on a question or theme related to the day’s assigned reading. You should be prepared to then share what you’ve written with the class. I may also collect your responses from time to time as both an additional way to take attendance and gauge how closely you are keeping up with the reading. The quality and content of your responses (both written & oral) will be factored into your participation grade.

**Attendance will be taken regularly. If you have more than four unexcused absences throughout the semester, your final course grade will drop by one level. If you miss more than eight classes, you will fail the class.

Prairie Landscape Observation Essay (20%): In association with your close analytical reading of Willa Cather’s writing, and you will compose a 3-4 page observational essay of the prairie landscape, specifically the Prairie Restoration Area on campus, located just north of the Wellers and Tutt Residence Halls. More details will be forthcoming. Due October 1st 4-5 Page America and the ‘White City’ Analytical Essay (30%): For this assignment you will pick one aspect of the Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition and research its significance in

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more depth. You have creative leeway in what you choose – it may be a person, a place, or a form of amusement. You must be able to include an image of what you choose and you must explain why your choice is significant. We will spend a good deal of time in class discussing this event, appropriate sources, and potential ideas. Due November 12th

Revised Essay (Optional): Choose one of the essays listed above for revision. Consequently, this opportunity will allow you to effectively replace/improve the grade on whichever essay you select. You may turn in your revised essay at any point during the latter half of the course, but it must be submitted no later than December 3rd

6-8 Page Wisconsin Tourist Site Analysis (30%): In the vein of Steven Hoelscher’s Picturing Indians, for this assignment you will pick a tourist site in the state of the Wisconsin and analyze its history and cultural significance. Your site may hold historic, ethnic, kitschy, and/or sentimental meaning. In addition to your written essay, please attach at least three representations of your site and provide a visual analysis of your chosen images. These may include photographs, postcards, travel brochures or some other form of tourist ephemera. Be creative, but clear your chosen site with me first. Due December 10th

GRADE VALUES

A 95-100 C 75-77 A- 90-94 C- 70-74 B+ 87-89 D+ 67-70 B 83-85 D 65-66 B- 80-82 D- 60-64 C+ 78-79 F 0-59

***CLASS SCHEDULE***

Date

Theme/Topic

Readings

(Complete before class)

In-Class Activities, Films, & Assignments

9/3

Introduction to the course

“10 Things This Instructor Loves” – Hand Out in Class

Literacy Narrative Assigned

Begin My Antonia

9/8

Assignment Expectations and Reading Texts

Effectively

“A Catalog of Reading Strategies” (D2L)

Literacy Narratives Due

Grading Rubrics Handed Out

Instructor Introduction to

My Antonia

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9/10

The Pioneer and the Prairie in the fiction of

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Book I “The Shimerdas”

Prairie Observations Essay Assignment Discussion

9/15

The Pioneer and the Prairie in the fiction of

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Book II and Book III

“The Hired Girls and “Lena Lingard”

9/17

The Pioneer and the Prairie in the fiction of

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Book IV “The Pioneer Woman’s Story”

9/22

The Pioneer and the Prairie in the fiction of

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Book V “Cuzak’s Boys”

9/24

“Willa Cather’s Women: Gender, Place, and Narrativity

in Oh Pioneers and My Antonia” (D2L)

In-Class Viewing of

Willa Cather: The Road is All

9/29

College Writing: Strategies to Stay on Task

and Meet Assignment Expectations

No Required Reading:

Come Prepared to Write and Ask Questions

Meet in the Computer Lab

10/1

No Required Reading:

Be Prepared to Discuss Your Essays With the Class

Prairie Observation/Cather Literary Analysis Due

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10/6

Chicago: History of a Dynamic, Pulsing

Metropolis

No Assigned Reading But Take Notes on the Film

Chicago and the White City Assignment Discussion

In-Class Screening of

Chicago: City of the Century

10/8

Chicago: History of a Dynamic, Pulsing

Metropolis

No Assigned Reading But Take Notes on the Film

In-Class Screening of

Chicago: City of the Century

10/13

Chicago and the Literary Imagination

Excerpts from Sister Carrie (D2L)

10/15

Chicago and the Literary Imagination

Selected Poems of Carl Sandburg (D2L)

In-Class Analysis of Carl Sandburg’s Poetry

10/20

The Windy City and the World’s Fair:

Background and Context

“White City Pilgrimage” and “Chicago – Its Splendor and

Squalor” (D2L)

10/22

Representing the Midwest in the Historical

Novel: Chicago in the 19th Century and the

White City

Devil in the White City

“Evils Imminent” and Prologue

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10/27

Devil in the White City

Part I and II

pp. 9-191

10/29

Devil in the White City

pp. 192-316

11/3

Devil in the White City

pp. 317-370

11/5

Devil in the White City

Wrap Up and Review

Finish Devil in the White City

Class Will Meet in Computer Lab

11/10

Chicago History on Your Own, Continued:

Primary and Secondary Research Day

No Assigned Reading:

Class Will Meet in the Library

11/12

No Assigned Reading:

Be Prepared to Discuss Your Essays

Chicago and White City Essay Due

11/17

No Assigned Reading: TBA

11/19

The Wisconsin Dells: The Commodification of Midwestern Places and

Ethnicities

Picturing Indians

Prologue, Chapters 1-2

In-class discussion of tourism site assignment

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*Course Content Presented on the Syllabus is Subject to Change

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Required Reading is Required Reading: Every effort has been made to keep the cost of books for this course down. This includes making a variety of the readings available to you through D2L and the library’s reserve system. You are not required to buy or pay full price for any of the books for the course. However, you are required to bring the readings for the day with you to

11/24

Picturing Indians

Chapters 3-4-5

11/26

NO CLASS:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(But finish Picturing Indians and you may want to conduct

any field research for your tourist site analysis over break)

12/1

Picturing Indians

Wrap Up Discussion

Tourism Analysis Topic Check-In

12/3

A Day in the Library:

Conduct Secondary Research for Your Tourist Site Analysis

Class Will Meet in the Library

Revised Essays Due

12/8

Tourism Analysis Paper Presentations

12/10

Tourism Analysis Paper Presentations

Last Class Day:

Tourist Site Analysis Essays Due

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class each and every time, whether in a printed or electronic form. If you fail to bring the readings to class, you will not be able to participate in the activities of the day, and thus it will be a waste of both my time and your time. If you have any difficulty obtaining the required readings, please come see me.

Scholastic Dishonesty: Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty and a letter sent to the Dean of Students that stays in your permanent file. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or about how to use outside sources in your assignments, please see me before you turn in the project.

Policy on Technological Courtesy: The overwhelming abundance of smart phones, iPads, and laptops in daily life has led to their increasingly intrusive presence in the classroom. I realize that you may need to use a device to take notes or examine an assigned reading in class, which is both expected and encouraged. However, texting, scrolling, or surfing when the activity is obviously not related to the content of the course is extremely disrespectful to me and your classmates. After the 10-minute grace period, phones must be put away. If you repeatedly violate this policy, you will be asked to leave the class.

Arriving Late and Leaving Early: Please avoid tardiness, but if you must arrive late, please enter the classroom as inconspicuously as possible. If you must leave class early, please notify me a week ahead of time. Out of respect to me and your classmates do not ask to leave class early for other course study sessions, doctor’s appointments, or parking issues. Plan ahead and set aside this time for this course.      

Inclement Weather Policy: In the case of bad weather and/or hazardous road conditions, I will notify you all through e-mail by 9 a.m. (at the latest) if class on campus is canceled for the day. If this occurs, we will use D2L’s online discussion format to review the day’s readings and themes. Participation through D2L is mandatory and will be used to take attendance on those days.

E-mail Policy: Because of time constraints in my life, I will only answer student e-mail during the working day (roughly 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Please plan ahead if you have questions about an assignment and don’t wait until the last minute to contact me.

Format of Papers: All papers must be typed in 12-point Times or Times New Roman Font with double spaces between lines and 1-inch margins all the way around the text. Papers should conform to MLA standards for format and citation of sources. DO NOT FORGET TO STAPLE ALL ASSIGNMENTS IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER! Late Assignments: No work will be accepted after the assignment has been graded and returned. No exceptions. You will be allowed a paper extension in the event of a family or medical emergency, religious holiday, or official University business (with documentation).

University Policy Statement: The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive, and non-discriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of all students to familiarize themselves with university policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodations, Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events. Please refer to Undergraduate Timetables; the ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ section of the Undergraduate Bulletin; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Bulletin; and the ‘Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures’ and the ‘Student Non-Academic Disciplinary Procedures.’