POLITICAL SCIENCE 650:  AMERICAN POLITICAL NOVELS

Spring, 2008

Larry Arnhart

Office: Zulauf 404

Office Hours:  Tuesday and Thursday, 12:30-2:30, other times by appointment

larnhart@niu.edu

 

TEXTS

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (Oxford World's Classics, 1998)

Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (University of California Press, 2001)

Any Rand, The Fountainhead (Plume/Penguin, 2005)

Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men (Harcourt/Harvest, 1974)

Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow (Counterpoint, 2000)

 

GRADING

 

The final grade will be based on the grades for the journal writing (30% for journal entries #1-7 and journal responses #1-6, 30% for journal entries #6-14 and journal responses #7-13), class participation (15% for the first half of the semester and 15% for the second half), and a final paper (10%).  Grades for the first half of the semester will be handed out in class on March 24.

 

For the journal writing, you will be put into a journal group with two other students.  (The journal group assignments will be changed at the middle of the semester.)  You must bring to class three copies of your journal entries and journal responses—one for the professor and two for the other two members of your group.

 

The journal entry should be at least two double-spaced typed pages on the reading for the week.  The point of the journal entry is for you to set down your thoughts about anything in the reading.  This will be your attempt to struggle with any issue that comes up in the reading.  Usually it is best to take up one issue that you can develop a little in two pages.

 

You will write journal responses for each of the two journal entries you have received.  Each journal response should be at least one double-spaced typed page.  The point of the journal response is for you to respond in some fruitful way to the thoughts of your journal group members.

 

The final paper should be at least ten double-spaced typed pages.  The point of the final paper is for you to elaborate your thinking about some topic related to the readings and discussions in the course.  You might build upon something that has come up in your journal writing.  The final paper will be due at the last class meeting on May 5th.

 

 

 

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

Jan  14:  Introduction

 

Jan  21:  No class (MLK birthday)

 

Jan  28:  Cooper, chaps. 1-18, pp. 1-215

               Journal #1

 

Feb   4:   Cooper, chaps. 19-33, pp. 216-394

               Journal #2

               Response #1

 

Feb  11:  Twain, chaps. 1-18, pp. 1-155

               Journal #3

               Response #2

 

Feb  18:  Twain, chaps. 19-31, pp. 156-275

               Journal #4

               Response #3

 

Feb  25:  Twain, chaps. 32-43, pp. 276-362

               Journal #5

               Response #4

 

Mar   3:   Rand, Part 1, pp. 3-200

               Journal #6

               Response #5

 

Spring break

 

Mar  17:  Rand, Part 2, pp. 203-401

                Journal #7

                Response #6

 

Mar  24:  Rand, Parts 3-4, pp. 405-727

                Journal #8

                Response #7

 

Mar  31:  Warren, chaps. 1-3, pp. 1-234

                Journal #9

                Response #8

 

Apr    7:   Warren, chaps. 4-7, pp. 235-468

                Journal #10

                Response #9

 

Apr  14:   Warren, chaps. 8-10, pp. 469-661

                Journal #11

                Response #10

 

Apr  21:   Berry, chaps. 1-12, pp. 3-138

                Journal #12

                Response #11

 

Apr  28:   Berry, chaps. 13-24, pp. 139-272

                Journal #13

                Response #12

 

May   5:   Berry, chaps. 25-32, pp. 273-363

                Journal #14

                Response #13

                Final Essay