University of Toronto - St.

George Campus
ENG250H1-S
Introduction to American Literature
2021

Instructor: Daniel Direkoglu (He/Him)

Lectures: Mondays and Wednesdays 6pm - 9pm, (Eastern Standard Time); Recordings Available
Office Hours: Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:00pm, or by appointment
Email: dan.direkoglu@mail.utoronto.ca

Teaching Assistant: Kyle Murdock

Email: kyle.murdock@mail.utoronto.ca

Description

This course provides a survey of American literature, examining a variety of genres,

including novels, autobiographies, short-stories, poetry, slave narratives, and plays. For
centuries American has been a nation full of contradictions: one the hand, it has been celebrated
as a land of freedom, prosperity, and social mobility—at the same time, however, its history has
been rife with racism, sexism, social hierarchies, and violence. We will examine an array of
influential texts to see the different ways they represent what it means to be an American. Our
reading list will include writers such as Benjamin Franklin, Herman Melville, Harriet Jacobs, F.
Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, and Claudia Rankine (among many others). These
authors raise questions that are important to all Americans. What does individualism and “self-
reliance” look like? What is the relationship between one’s private and public life? How does
gender, race, and class influence someone’s experience in society? What is the “American
Dream”? How does one narrativize violence and trauma? By the end of the course we will be
familiar with some of the strategies used by American writers to represent these issues.

Texts

Some materials have been ordered to the UofT Bookstore. Please visit
uoftbookstore.com/buy_textbooks.asp and look up our course for further instructions on
having the UofT Bookstore deliver to your residence.. You may also want to order books online
through Amazon.ca, or purchase e-book versions through the Apple “Books” app or a similar
one. Any edition is fine if it is complete and not abridged.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass

Leaves of Grass (1855), Walt Whitman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Storyteller, Leslie Marmon Silko
Citizen: An American Lyric, Claudia Rankine

Available on Quercus:

“Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The Birth-Mark,” Nathaniel Hawthorne
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Excerpts), Harriet Jacobs
“Bartleby, The Scrivener,” Herman Melville
“The Language of the Brag,” Sharon Olds
“The Yellow Wall-paper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“Mrs. Spring Fragrance,” Sui Sin Far
“Chickamauga,” Ambrose Bierce
“Defender of the Faith,” Philip Roth
“A Cayote Columbus Story,” Thomas King
“Recitatif,” Toni Morrison
“Face Time,” Lorrie Moore
“Inventory,” Carmen Maria Machado

Evaluation

Short 2-Page Passage Analysis (20%)

5-6 Page Essay (30%);
Informed Class Participation (20%);
Final Take-Home Assessment (30%)

Online Lectures

Lectures will be held online via the BB Collaborate function on the course’s Quercus page.
Lectures will be conducted in real time every Monday and Wednesday from 6pm – 9pm (ET).
This is an online-synchronous course, which means that students are expected to attend lectures
regularly. In order to do so, click on the “BB Collaborate” tab on the left-hand side of our
course’s Quercus home page, and then select the session for that day’s lecture. Students are
asked to turn their cameras on during lectures so that we can interact in a meaningful way and
get to know each other. Being able to see one another during our classroom conversations is a
great way to create a sense of community and engagement. With that said, I realize that there are
technological limitations for some folks (e.g., hardware issues, internet bandwidth), privacy
concerns, shared living/working spaces, and comfort with electronic devices. What is most
important is that students read the materials each week and stay engaged with lectures.
Recording Lectures:
The English department understands that some students are in different time zones, some have
added responsibilities during the global pandemic, while others may have to miss a class due to
any number of reasons. Lectures will be recorded and made available on Quercus for students
enrolled in the course. Recordings are not to be used or posted elsewhere. I take student privacy
very seriously and want everyone to feel fully comfortable participating in lectures. In order to
access these recordings, go to our course’s Quercus page and click on “BB Collaborate,” then
select the “menu” tab (shaped like three lines) on the top left corner, and then click on
“recordings.”

Office Hours
Office hours will be held every Thursday from 4:00pm – 5:00pm (ET), and I encourage students
to drop in to talk about the course. These office hours are a great opportunity to discuss any
specific questions or ideas you have about the readings, assignments, or the course in general.
Each week I will create a BB Collaborate online session in which students can drop in to chat
with me one-on-one. If you are unable to drop in at the scheduled time, feel free to email me and
we can arrange another time to meet online that works for you.

Email Policy

Always use your UofT email to contact me. Be sure to check the syllabus and assignment
instructions to make sure that your questions are not already answered there. I will sometimes
send emails about information relevant to the course. Students are welcome to ask specific
questions; however, for lengthy conversations students are encouraged to virtually attend office
hours. Material discussed in class will not be sent via email.

Participation and Respectfulness

There are two ways of getting participation credit in this course. One way is to attend live
lectures and participate in our classroom conversations. I will often stop to ask questions about
the readings during lecture. Responding to my questions, as well as responding to the comments
and questions from your peers, is a great way to receive participation marks. Please make sure
that your responses are respectful of others. The classroom must have a welcoming, open
atmosphere in which everyone feels free to express their ideas.

Discussion Board: Another way to receive participation marks is to contribute to the online
discussion board. Every week I will post several open-ended questions about the readings onto
the Quercus discussion board. Students will then have the opportunity to post their responses, as
well as engage with the thoughts of their peers. You must post on the discussion board at least 5
out of the 7 weeks (even if you attend live lectures). Your contributions to these virtual
discussions can be as short (a few lines) or as long as you wish. This virtual discussion is a great
way to interreact with your peers and get a sense of what others are thinking. I understand that
speaking up during an online lecture in front of 65 students is not ideal or possible for everyone,
and so I highly encourage you to utilize the discussion boards. They will be divided up
alphabetically into 20-person groups. Students are expected to have read the materials each
week and have them on hand while participating.

Schedule

Week 1
July 5: “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson (Quercus)

July 7: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass

Week 2
July 12: “The Birth-Mark” (1843), Nathaniel Hawthorne; Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
(Excerpts), Harriet Jacobs (Quercus)

July 14: “Bartleby, The Scrivener,” Herman Melville (Quercus) (2-Page Passage Analysis Due)

Week 3
July 19: “Song of Myself” from Leaves of Grass (1855), Walt Whitman; “The Language of the
Brag,” Sharon Olds (1980) (Quercus)

July 21: “The Yellow Wall-paper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman; “Mrs. Spring Fragrance,” Sui Sin
Far (Quercus)

Week 4
July 26: “Chickamauga,” Ambrose Bierce (Quercus); “Defender of the Faith,” Philip Roth
(Quercus

July 28: The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Week 5
 August 2: Holiday (No Class)

August 4: Storyteller, Leslie Marmon Silko

Week 6
August 9: Storyteller, Leslie Marmon Silko (Continued…); “A Cayote Columbus Story,”
Thomas King (Quercus); “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison (Quercus) (Essays Due)

August 11: Citizen: An American Lyric, Claudia Rankine

Week 7
August 16: “Face Time,” Lorrie Moore (Quercus); “Inventory,” Carmen Maria Machado
(Quercus)

August 20: Final Take-Home Assessment (30%) (Instructions posted August 10)

Accessibility Needs: It is the University of Toronto Scarborough’s goal to create a community

that is inclusive of all persons and treats all members of the community in an equitable manner.
In creating such a community, the University aims to foster a climate of understanding and
mutual respect for the dignity and worth of all persons.
In working toward this goal, the University will strive to provide support for, and facilitate the
accommodation of individuals with disabilities so that all may share the same level of access to
opportunities, participate in the full range of activities that the University offers, and achieve
their full potential as members of the University community. For more information please visit:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ability/

Academic Integrity Statement: Academic integrity is fundamental to learning and scholarship

at the University of Toronto. Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this
academic community ensures that the U of T degree that you earn will be valued as a true
indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and
recognition it deserves. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, and students found guilty will be
disciplined by the university. Familiarize yourself with the University of Toronto’s Code of
Behaviour on Academic Matters (https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academic-advising-
andsupport/student-academic-integrity/academic-misconduct) It is the rule book for academic
behaviour at the U of T, and you are expected to know the rules.

Late Penalty for assignments: 3% per day. No assignments accepted that are more than a week
late unless an extension has been discussed in advance.