Each student will be expected to read the following books:
   Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, THE GILDED AGE
   William Dean Howells, A TRAVELER FROM ALTRURIA
   Upton Sinclair, THE JUNGLE
   William James, PRAGMATISM
   Sinclair Lewis, BABBITT
   John Steinbeck, IN DUBIOUS BATTLE
   Ken Kesey, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
   Don DeLillo, WHITE NOISE
   Packet from King's Copy Shop

The final grade in this course will be based upon the following:

FIRST:  The midterm examination.
     The examination will be given on Tuesday, March 24.  It will be based upon all material in the course prior to that point--readings and lectures.  The exam will be of the essay type and choice will be given.  I will have more to say about the exam as it draws closer.  It will count 100 points.
 

SECOND:  The final examination.
     This examination will be given during the regular final exam period.  I regret having to report to you that the exam will be held on the very last day of final exam week.  It will occur on May 8 at 8 a.m.  As you probably realize, the University has strict rules about final exams--professors are specifically prohibited from giving any student, for any reason (except of course an unforeseeable emergency or illness), a special final exam or an early one.  Therefore, you must make whatever arrangements are needed (airplane tickets; summer jobs; etc.) to permit you to take the final at its scheduled time.
     The exam will be divided into two parts.  The first part will be in much the same form as the midterm, but will deal exclusively with material since the midterm.  This first part will count 100 points.  The second part of the final exam will consist of a single general essay (there will be several possible questions from which you can choose) which will ask you for some observations covering the whole course.  The second part of the final exam will count 50 points, making the total number of points at stake on the final 150.
 
 

THIRD:  Two short papers.
     These papers should be 5 or 6 pages each (but not over 8 pages).  They should be typed (double spaced) if possible.  The sources for these papers are to be the required readings for the course--both the books listed above and the materials in the Packet are possible raw materials for you to use.  For each of the two papers, you will write a speculative essay on some idea that occurs to you while doing the reading.  Perhaps it will be a fuller exploration of an idea one of the authors touches upon but, in your view, does not fully develop.  Perhaps it will be an attempt to uncover some writer's unspoken assumptions or to point out some contradiction in the work of an author--some flaw that the author may not see himself or herself.  Perhaps you will wish to compare the views of two (or more) of the authors who touch upon the same subject ("business" or "race" or "gender" or "money" or "government" or virtually anything else that strikes you as interesting or important), pointing out the writers' similarities or differences.  The premium, as far as these papers are concerned, is upon high imagination, intellectual daring, thoughtfulness, perceptiveness, the skillful relating of your subject to larger concerns in American intellectual history.  The trick is to avoid stating the obvious and to demonstrate that you have thought deeply and clearly about the reading you have been asked to do.
    The required readings will be a sufficient basis for these papers, and no additional reading or research is required of you--although it is certainly not prohibited.
     The first paper should deal (at least in part) with at least one of the readings scheduled for before the midterm exam, and it should be handed in anytime before March 19.  The second paper should deal with at least one of the readings for after the midterm, and it should be handed in anytime before April 21.
     It should also be noted, with regard to these papers, that I place a very high value upon good writing--writing that is clear, concise, direct, and free of jargon.  Naturally, I expect you to observe all the rules about punctuation, spelling, paragraphing, etc.  Plagiarism (taking the words or the ideas of someone else without indicating your source) will be dealt with very harshly.
     Each of these papers will be worth 100 points, and the grade for each will be distributed in the following way:  Content = 50 points; interest = 30 points; style = 20 points.
 

FOURTH:  Quizzes
     I intend to give ten quizzes during the semester.  The dates of these quizzes can be found on the next page.  Each quiz will cover some part of the required readings.  They will be very easy and I give them only to assure myself that you are keeping up with the readings.  The quizzes will be largely objective, with perhaps a short paragraph answer required now and then.  They will confine themselves to the literal meanings and the content of the things you are reading.  I also think it is proper to hold you accountable for the authorship of the pieces you will be reading from the Packet.  Thus on the three quizzes given over the Packet I may ask you to say WHO wrote a particular essay in your Packet or WHO said such-and-such a thing (but in this latter case, I will take pains to choose obvious selections).  Each quiz will be worth 10 points.  My policy is to forgive you your worst performance on these quizzes.  Therefore, the quizzes will be worth 90 points.
 

FIFTH:  Class discussion, attendance, etc.
     In cases where a student's final grade falls between two alternatives (an "A" or a "B"; a "B" or a "C," etc.)--which happens more than you might guess--that student's participation in our discussions, attendance, alertness, interest (or lack of these things) will be taken into consideration in assigning a final grade.  I want to emphasize, however, that it is not mere quantity of talk but its thoughtfulness that will be respected and rewarded.  In no case will this factor be worth more than 20 points.
     I intend to take attendance this semester.  Everyone gets four absences, no questions asked.  But I will deduct ten points from your total number of points for each additional absence beginning with the fifth.
 
 

Tu, 27 Jan:  Quiz over Twain & Warner                       10pts

Tu   3 Feb:  Quiz over 1st part of Packet                   10pts

Th  12 Feb:  Quiz over Howells                              10pts

Th  19 Feb:  Quiz over Sinclair                             10pts

Th  26 Feb:  Quiz over 2nd part of Packet                   10pts

Tu  17 Mar:  Quiz over James                                10pts

Th  19 Mar:  First essay due                               100pts

Tu  24 Mar:  Midterm examination                           100pts

Th   2 Apr:  Quiz over Lewis                                10pts

Tu  14 Apr:  Quiz over BOTH Steinbeck & 3rd part of Packet  10pts
Tu  21 Apr:  Quiz over Kesey                                10pts

Th  23 Apr:  Second essay due                              100pts

Th  30 Apr:  Quiz over Kesey                                10pts

M,  8  May:  Final examination (8-10am)                    150pts
Thus final grades will be calculated on a 540 point scale:
                   Midterm:                 100pts
                   Essays:                    200pts
                   Quizzes:                   90pts
                   Final:                       150pts
                                TOTAL:     540
 

    Students with extra time and extra curiosity may wish to explore further some topic raised in class, but not sufficiently examined.  I would be very glad to suggest to any of you outside readings that you might find interesting and helpful.  Please don't hesitate to ask me.

    I will be very glad to discuss with you the work of this course (or anything else, for that matter) at any time.  I have set aside Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2-4pm for for this purpose and will be in my office (421 Dale Hall Tower) waiting.  If that time is not possible for you, I will be glad to arrange another hour convenient to both of us.  My phone number is 325-6326.  e-mail address:   dwlevy@ou.edu