Course Philosophy and Objectives

From the Mississippi River to the California coast,  Western America and its associated images have inspired generations of writers, artists, and filmmakers. Their work has provided us with impressive and meaningful, and yes, sometimes stereotypical,  images of cowboys, Native Americans, and the Calvary; of  mountains, plains, and deserts; of explorers, pioneers, and gold prospectors. In this course, we will read a small selection of the literature of the West, including fiction, poetry, and drama, and watch four films that characterize a variety of the western genres; we will also discuss and write about the western as a literary form and attempt to craft a narrative of our experience as westerners.

• Recognize the major characteristics of literary genres
• Discuss literature, orally and in writing, with assurance
• Appreciate literary works which are encountered
• Understand the different ways in which literary theme may be treated in literature.

• Read poetry, prose fiction, and drama
• Investigate various methods of approaching and understanding literature
• Write papers, including themes and essay examinations
• Read a variety of works in which a chosen theme is dominant.

• Compare and contrast historical and cultural ethical perspectives and belief systems.
• Utilize cultural, behavioral, or historical knowledge to clarify and articulate a personal value system.
•  Recognize the ramifications of ones’ value decisions on self and others.
• Recognize conflicts within and between value systems.
• Recognize and analyze the effect of context on ethical decisions.

• Identify works in humanities and fine arts.
• Explain historical, cultural, and social contexts in humanities and fine arts.
• Identify aesthetic standards used to make critical judgments in humanities.
• Understand differences and relationships between formal and popular culture.
• Apply aesthetic standards to works in humanities and fine arts

Required Materials

Required Texts:

• L'Amour, Louis. Hondo. New York: Bantam Books, 1997.
• Cather, Willa. O Pioneers!. New York: Dover Publications, 1993.
• Clark, Walter Van Tilburg. The Ox-Bow Incident . New York: The Modern Library, 1968.
• London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York, Dover Publications, 1990.
• Lyon, Thomas J. ed. The Literary West: An Anthology of Western American Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Momoday, N. Scott. The Way to Rainy Mountain . University of New Mexico Press, 1969.
• Sherwood, Robert Emmet. The Petrified Forest . New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1962.

• Lewis, Jon E. The Mammoth Book of the West: The Making of the American West. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 2001.

• Two Computer Disks for revising, saving, backing up, and submitting your work.
• A Binder Notebook with notebook paper and pockets for holding hard copies of your writings and copies of materials gathered and received. I do not like to receive work torn from spiral-bound notebooks. NO raw edges please.
• A hole punch, so that articles and other materials may be inserted into your notebook.
• A Pocket Folder in which to submit disks and hard copies of writings.
• Photocopies of your work and various sources.
• Stamina and Good Humor.

Attendance and Promptness

Attendance is mandatory. School functions, illness, and personal crisis do not absolve you from your classroom obligations. So while due consideration is given to the student struck by lightening on the way to class, an absence cannot be designated as "excused" or "unexcused" --it simply "is." I consider three absences to be reasonable; absences beyond three will likely effect your final grade, as you are not here to participate or turn in your work. Chronic lateness will count toward this total.

Regular attendance is an essential part of the student's educational experience and a requirement for an adequate evaluation of student academic progress. You are responsible for material covered or assignments given which you missed because of absence.

If I should be unable to meet class, you will be notified by a secretary, fellow instructor, or a note on the classroom door. Be sure to note any assignments due upon my return.

You will be expected to make significant contributions to the class in the form of participation and preparation. Participation includes the contributions you make to class discussion and the help you give your fellow students. Preparation includes bringing the appropriate materials to class each day and doing the daily readings, assignments, and papers as scheduled. If you come to class unprepared, you will receive a zero for any work due that day.

Active and insightful contributions to class discussion are not extra credit. Like the written assignments, your substantive comments are part of the minimal requirements for successful completion of the course. If you are a naturally quiet person, force yourself to be more vocal; do not assume that if I do not call on you that you need not participate, as it is your responsibility to voice your observations at appropriate and relevant times. Conversely, if you are a naturally talkative person, you may have to restrain yourself so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute. Since you obviously cannot make up for discussions from which you were absent, attendance is again critical.

Keep in mind that live classroom discussion

gives me an additional indication of how closely and thoughtfully you have read, enabling me to evaluate your knowledge and abilities more fairly and accurately.

gives you practice arguing with others respectfully and professionally.

gives you opportunities to formulate applications of principles.

gives you prompt feedback on difficult or confusing issues and material.

increases your retention of material through explaining, summarizing, and questioning.

Students are expected to be courteous and respectful in all of their exchanges with the instructor and other students and students should be particularly careful to note how tone and language contribute to the overall impression of their words. The college expects all students to conduct themselves so as to maintain an effective environment for learning; to act responsibly in accordance with good taste; and to respect fully the rights of others.

Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me by the end of the first week so that we can discuss class requirements.

All assignments are due at the beginning of the hour on the due date. Learning is a cumulative process and each assignment in this course is designed to build on the last assignment; therefore, late work disrupts this important aspect of the learning process. For this reason, no daily assignments or drafts will be accepted late. Under extraordinary circumstances, you may apply for a time extension of 24 hours on your final narrative or essay before the assignment is due. No work will be accepted after the last class day before final exams.

You will be called upon to use a computer outside of class time for some of your assignments. Further, all final writings for this course must be word-processed according to MLA guidelines. MWSC has a number of computer labs to help you complete this requirement. Learn to use the labs early and plan ahead to get into them during the busy parts of the semester. Save all the work that you do for this class, in both hard and disk copies.

Over the course of the semester, students will read a variety of stories, novels, plays, poems and critical work about western literature, as well as view several films. In addition to the readings and films, students will do in-class writings, will write a western experience narrative of their own, will write a formal interpretative essay, and take a midterm and a final exam. In order to pass the course, you must complete the formal writings and take the exams. In addition, the quality of your work, the percentage of the work that you complete, and your efforts at participation will determine your final grade.

Your Final Grade Distribution is as follows:

• Daily Assignments and Participation = 5%
• Western Experience Narrative = 20%
• Formal Interpretative Essay = 25%
• Midterm Exam = 25%
• Final Exam = 25%

. . . it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. -- Herman Melville

Some Final Thoughts

This syllabus is of a contractual nature, and by remaining in the course you acknowledge your acceptance of its stipulations in their entirety. If the policies or obligations are unclear, then you should speak with me immediately. If they are clear but unacceptable to you, then you should drop the course.

If you choose to remain in the course, be sure to keep a copy of this syllabus with you and to refer to it regularly. Policies are enforced without exception to ensure uniformity and to facilitate fairness for all students. In the interest of efficiency, however, I reserve the right to make necessary alterations to this syllabus and to make announced changes in daily plans.

Life is unpredictable--at least for the most part. I recognize that at times your outside life may interfere with your classroom life. It is up to you to set your priorities and to realize that "doing it all" is not always possible or even desirable. If you are feeling stressed about all you have to accomplish, remember that sometimes you can miss class, sometimes you can come to class unprepared, and sometimes you can really mess up--without it effecting your grade unduly. If, however, what should be an occasional problem completing your work becomes a chronic problem, come see me. If I understand what is going on in your life, I can more easily help you achieve your goal.

Note that this schedule does not list all the assignments; other assignments are made in class.  LW = The Literary West: An Anthology of Western American Literature

January
15 (T)
Introduction to Course, Syllabus
Assign Western Narrative Assignment
Begin Defining the Western Experience and Western Literature

17(Th)
Readings: Font, [Ventura to Santa Barbara in 1776] LW pp 40-45; Lewis and Clark, [North Dakota journals from the spring of 1805] LW pp 46-54; and  Dutton, "The Valley of the Virgen" LW pp 60-64

22 (T)
Readings: Muir, "From the Foothills with a Flock of Sheep" LW pp 55-59 and  Abbey, "The Great American Desert" LW 226-233

24 (Th)
Readings: Snyder, "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" LW p 304, "Marin-An" LW p 305, "True Night" LW pp 306-308; Swenson, "Camping in Madera Canyon" LW pp 348-349; and Jeffers, "Tor House" LW p 142, "November Surf" LW p 143, Signpost" LW p 144, "The Answer" LW p 144

29 (T)
Reading: Garland, "Under the Lion's Paw" LW pp 70-82
Share Western Narrative ideas

31 (Th)
Reading: Cather, O Pioneers! Parts I-II

February
5 (T)
Reading: Cather, O Pioneers! Parts III-V

7 (Th)
Readings: Wister, "Enter the Man" LW pp 83-87 and Grey, "Lassister" LW pp 110-119
Film: Frederic Remington: "The Truth of Other Days"

12 (T)
Film Continued

14 (Th)
Work on Western Narratives - Bring Drafts to share

19 (T)
Reading: L'Amour, Hondo Chapters 1-5
Film: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

21 (Th)
Reading: L'Amour, Hondo Chapters 6-13
Film Continued

26 (T)
Reading: L'Amour, Hondo Chapters 14-22
Film Continued

28 (Th)
Film and Discussion Continued

March
5 (T)
Western Narrative Assignment Due
Review for Exam

7 (Th)
Midterm Exam

12 (T) - 14 (Th)
Spring Break

19 (T)
Reading: Clark, The Ox-Bow Incident Chapters 1-2
Assign Final Paper Assignment

21 (Th)
Reading: Clark, The Ox-Bow Incident Chapters  3-5

26 (T)
Reading:  London, "All Gold Canyon" LW 93-109
Film: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

28 (Th)
Reading: London, The Call of the Wild Chapters I - IV
Film Continued

April
2 (T)
Reading: London, The Call of the Wild Chapters V - VII
Film Continued

4(Th)
Reading: Winnemucca, from Life Among the Piutes LW pp 65-69 and Luther Standing Bear, "Nature" LW pp 145-149

9 (T)
Reading: Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain

11 (Th)
Work on Final Papers - Bring Drafts to share

16 (T)
Film: The Petrified Forest

18 (Th)
Reading: Sherwood, The Petrified Forest Act I
Film Continued

23 (T)
Reading: Sherwood, The Petrified Forest Act I

25 (Th)
Reading: Shepard, True West LW pp 248-290

30 (T)
Final Paper Due
Review for Final Exam

May
2 (Th) Final Exam 11:30-1:20