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Module 2: Realism: Mark Twain and Bret Harte

Expected Student Outcomes:

REALISM: MARK TWAIN and Bret Harte

OUTCOMES:

  • Students will understand and apply the characteristics of realism to the works of Twain and Harte and be able to distinguish realism in Twain's work from naturalism in Harte's.
  • Students will recognize grotesque humor in literature.
  • Students will be familiar with the plots and characters of assigned work of Twain and Harte.
  • Students will recognize and explain the major themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with examples from the novel.
  • Students will be familiar with the major events and movements of the historical period corresponding to the published works of writers studied.
  • Students will examine the arguments presented in video for and against the inclusion of the N word in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and then determine their own judgement as to whether  the N Word is used appropriately in the novel.

Assignments include

  • reading the historical introductory material in the text book,
  • reading links on realism from internet and from PAGES, PAGES links on naturalism and themes in Huck Finn,
  • reading selections from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," and "The Luck of Roaring Camp."

Assessments include one written assignment on the three works, two discussion posts on the Discussion Board, and one 60-point quiz (not proctored).

(All assignments are due by midnight on the due date and are considered late after that. So it works best to try to get them submitted a day ahead when possible, certainly several hours ahead of the midnight deadline in case you have a problem submitting it.)

Discussion-- Realism: Due Jan. 19

Print out and study the PAGE on Realism. The characteristics of this literary movement are listed under "Plot and Character."  You’ll need to understand these characteristics well enough to apply them to several works of literature at the midterm exam, so go to the Discussions tab to comment, read what I have written and respond to others. Although these discussions are awarded several points credit, they don’t affirm your participation in the class after the first week. You must submit the written assignments each week to be considered in class.

Assignment 1: Due Jan. 19

 Read the historical/literary information in the introduction starting on page 1265 of your textbook.  Answer the questions below in no more than about two sentences, and turn them in at the Assignment 1 link by the due date. Also, study them because they will be part of the fill-in-the blank answers on the midterm exam. 

If you don’t have your textbook yet, just Google them and read something to help you understand the terms. Do NOT cut and paste from the internet.  That’s plagiarism.

  1. Name three events or processes that had the effect of increasing the population in the U.S. dramatically. (page 1265-66)
  2. What were the dates of the Civil War and The Emancipation Proclamation (look up)? Faulkner wrote about people in the 1920s – 1940s mostly. So how many of these characters would have been slaves and why?
  3. What was the significance of the Transcontinental Railroad? (page 1266)
  4. Who were three of the robber barons, and what did that term mean? (page 1268)
  5. What position did Native Americans have in the nation in the 1800s? Explain. (page 1267)
  6. How did the rise of newspapers and magazines in the 1800s affect literature? (page 1270)
  7. Who was Joseph Pulitzer?
  8. Name two characteristics of naturalism (page 1272).

Submit this list of answers through the Assignment 1 link.  IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED IN THE ASSIGNMENT due this week by midnight Jan. 19, you will be considered absent. If the assignment is late four days, it will receive a grade of zero. If no assignments are turned in, no email sent to me, and/or no orientation survey done by the end of the second week, you will be considered a no-show and will be removed from the roll for non-attendance.

 

Quiz 1: Due Jan. 26--All the assigned readings and linked documents, plus the identification in Asmt 1 will be on the test.

  Part 1: Read Mark Twain’s head note and then “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” p. 1285+. Look for several examples of grotesque humor (quiz question).  (Grotesque humor means that something funny arises out of something tragic or painful. Read over this link for further information: http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/humor.html Links to an external site. 

 Part 2: Read the first four chapters of Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on 1277+. You should know the basic plot of the story and the major characters:  Huck, Tom, Miss Watson, Jim, Pap, etc. I always ask you to identify characters on the quiz and midterm.

IF POSSIBLE and your schedule permits, ATTEND web session "Realism and Themes in Huck Finn" Thursday evening, Jan. 23. I will explain some of the history and concepts briefly and answer questions. Click on Blackboard Collaborate Tab to enter the session at any point between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. I will also discuss the quiz due Sunday night..

 STUDY Themes In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn. Those themes will be asked on both the un-proctored quiz and the midterm exam. 

 Part 3:  Read the head note for Bret Harte, p. 1481, and “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” 1482+. Notice what changes occurred at Roaring Camp from Luck’s influence and whether this change “saved them.” This is a naturalistic story. Read Naturalism for an explanation of the term.

Discussion--The N Word: Due Jan.28 

View the YouTube video below concerning whether it was a good idea to edit out the N word from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Then go to Discussions and express your own opinion about whether you think it is a good idea for students to read this alternate version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9-qee1m9o Links to an external site.