L. DeAne Lagerquist
lagerqui@stolaf.edu
Mary Titus
titus@stolaf.edu
DEMOCRATIC VISTAS: 1800-1900
The conversation is about visions, about what is seen, what is dreamed, and what is. One vision of America is that it is a nation in which the people rule. The conversation is about ruling yourself, both when you is singular and when it is plural. The conversation is about who you includes, about who we are, and about what happens if the dream is false or a nightmare, if the mirror we look in cracks, if the nation is divided. The conversation is also about the location in which all this occurs: how does where we live influence who we are and how we live?
Materials:
Norton Anthology of American Literature, 5th edition, Vol. 1. (This is the same volume used in 101.)
Kate Chopin, The Awakening (Dover)
Akexis DeTocqueville, Democracy in America (edited and abridged by R. D. Heffner)
John G. Neihardt and Black Elk, Black Elk Speaks (Bison Books)
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Dover)
Ann Raimes, Keys for Writers
additional materials as assigned
Requirements:
· You must complete all assigned work in order to pass this course.
· Come to class prepared for active and informed participation.
· Regular, constructive participation in in-class and other group activities, including on-line forums.
Writing and presentation assignments:
· Two major projects, one individual and one group: autobiographical essay (see 1. below); utopia research presentation (see 3. below).
· Several smaller projects, including a group presentation on a native group (see 4. below), an individual place description (see 2. below), and
in-class writings exercises.
1) Autobiographical "piece": begins on day one and builds with other assignments through the term. Final version (for this term) due in May,
precise date TBA.
· Day 1: in-class
· Small essay on a place significant to your identity (see 2. below)
· In-class exercise: my relationship with a group
· In-class exercise: the story of a turning point in my life
· In-class exercise: my involvement in social reform
2) Place and identity. A short essay describing a place that is significant to your identity. Due on day 8 along with your drawing done in class
that day.
3) Utopia group project: group of 5 or 6 will investigate a 19th century community and present their findings to the assembled class. Issues to be treated include: the group?s vision of community and individual; its leadership; its membership; its location and its relationship with that
location; its connection with the nation. Use a combination of primary and interpretive sources to inform your presentation. Creative modes of presentation are encouraged. List: Onedia; New Harmony; Amanna; Shakers; Latter Day Saints; others by agreement with instructors.
Presentations March 30 and April 2
4) Native American (group) project: groups of 2 or 3 will investigate a single native group in response to questions provided. Due April 25.
Forum Participation: In the course of the semester, you will be responsible for one official forum entry (we also hope you will add many informal contributions to forum discussions). On your assigned day for posting to the online American Conversations forum, you should write a brief summary of the class (no more than five sentences) and then add a question that you believe will stimulate your fellow conversationalists to respond to the forum.
One student from each section of American Conversations will be posting for each day of class that has an assigned forum posting.
You should feel free to respond to forum questions and discussions at any time. Comments, questions, complexifications, poems and prophecies ? all are welcome. If you would like a new forum to be added to our website, please let us know.
