For we are not pans and barrows, nor even porters of the fire and torchbearers, but children of the fire, made of it, and only the same divinity transmuted, and at two or three removes, when we know least about it.  -RWE, "The Poet"

Description
American Transcendentalism can be overwhelming as a subject of study.  Profound in its impact on American thought, letters, and character, it can also seem, even to those involved in its formation, a little silly and evasive.  Our objective here is not to get our arms fully around all of American Transcendentalism--that would be impossible, even in several years of study.  My aim instead is to give you a solid foundation in this varied and rich literary, political, artistic, philosophical and religious movement, primarily by intensive reading in the works of its major proponents and background readings in the texts that spurred and shaped the movement. We will also familiarize ourselves, primarily through class presentations, with the critical assessments of the period and the writers involved in it.  

Objectives

• You will gain an understanding of the complex and sometimes contradictory movement known as American Transcendentalism through reading and study of seminal texts of the movement.
• You will gain an understanding of the interplay between historical, social, religious and economic forces of the period and the texts that shaped and were shaped by them.
• You will become a stronger reader of secondary literature and literary criticism, particularly those texts pertaining to this period.
• You will use your critical thinking, reading, writing and researching skills to produce critical essays suitable for publication.

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Course Policies

Requirements and Grading

• Two longer essays:  one seven to nine page essay (20%); one twelve to fifteen page essay (40%)  

• One summary and analysis/presentation: one three-page summary and analysis and one oral presentation, both on an assigned chapter of The Mind on Fire
  (15%)  

• Reading Journal and Blackboard Posts (10% each)

• Final Exam  (15%)

Late papers submitted without my prior approval will drop one full grade for every day that elapses from the due date to the time of submission (including weekends).  Failure to complete any of these assignments will result in a failing grade for the class.  There are no exceptions to this policy.

Save both the graded copy of everything you write this semester as well as a backup copy.  Don’t rely on your hard drive to preserve your work; always, always print hard copies of your writing and save them until semester’s end.   

Format
All work written out of class must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 pt. font, with 1" margins (left, right, top and bottom). Number all pages.  Please include your name, my name, the class number, and the assignment name (as opposed to its title) in the top left-hand corner of each essay's first page.  Include a "works cited" page when appropriate.  Always follow MLA format.

Email Policy
I am happy to respond to questions and ideas via email, and I will do my best to return your message the next business day. You may submit written assignments to me via email, under the following non-negotiable conditions: your document must be sent as an attachment, not as part of the email message, in Microsoft Word; it must be correctly formatted; it must be submitted on the date due, neither earlier nor later.  You may not submit assignments as the contents an email message; you may not submit assignments in programs other than Microsoft Word.  These will be returned to you unread and marked late as appropriate.  My email address is abrunjes@bridgew.edu.  

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Plagiarism
By this point in your career you must be familiar with the rules regarding plagiarism, so I will not discuss them here.  There are no excuses for stealing another's work and presenting it as your own -- ignorance of the rules of citation and documentation is the most frequently cited excuse, but it is the least plausible for graduate students.  If you are uncertain of the rules regarding citation and documentation, consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition) and/or ask me for help.  My policy regarding plagiarism is simple:  if I catch you plagiarizing, you will fail the course.  

Accessibility Statement
In accordance with BSC policy, I am available to discuss appropriate accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability.  Requests for accommodations should be made during the drop/add period so that proper arrangements can be made.  Students should register with the Disability Resources/ADA Compliance Office in the Maxwell Library Academic Achievement Center (x1214) for disability verification and determination of reasonable academic accommodations.

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Schedule of Assignments

Week 1 September 7  Introduction

Week 2  September 14

Background readings in Transcendentalism/Foundational Texts

• Plato, from The Republic Book VII (The Parable of the Cave) (handout). 
• Marcus Aurelius, from Meditations (handout). 
• David Hume, "Of the Idea of Necessary Connexion," from An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (read on-line text:  http://www.bartleby.com/37/3/9.html ). 
• Frederic Henry Hedge, “Coleridge’s Literary Character” TR 78. 
• Sampson Reed, "Genius" EPP 580.
• Madame de Stael, from On Germany EPP 573. 
• Emerson, Sermon CLXII, “The Lord’s Supper” EPP 17.

Guest Speaker:  Dr. Laura McAlinden, Department of Philosophy,
Bridgewater State College

• Emerson, Nature (EPP 27).  Read entire text for today. 

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 Week 3  September 21 

• Nature continued.   
• "The American Scholar" (EPP 56). 

Week 4  September 28 
Shorter Essay Prospectus Due

• "The Transcendentalist" (EPP 93). 
• "Self Reliance" (EPP 120).   

Week 5   October 5   

Field Trip -- American Antiquarian Society.  No Class.

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Week 6  October 12

Week 7  October 19
Shorter Essay due

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Week 8 October 28  

Philosophy/Reform/The Conduct of Life

Week 9  November 2

Philosophy/Reform/The Conduct of Life

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Week 10  November 9 

Philosophy/Reform/The Conduct of Life

Week 11 November 16 

Brook Farm

• Alcott and Lane, "Fruitlands" (TR 428). 
• Charles Lane, "Brook Farm" (TR 456). 
• Brook Farm Association for Industry and Education, from Constitution, 2d ed.  (TR 470). 

Week 12   November 23  No class; Thanksgiving Holiday

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Week 13 November 30 

Week 14 December 7

December 14

Final Exam due
Reading Journals due
Longer Essay Due
Time TBA

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Details/Descriptions/Other Stuff

Reading Journals and Blackboard Postings

Reading Journals:  Write one 200-word "free response" for one of the readings assigned on each of the twelve days our class meets.  (You will have, then, a total of twelve entries by the end of the semester).   These twelve entries -- and you may respond to more texts if you wish -- comprise your reading journal.  The entry can consist of questions (no question is dumb), moments of confusion, points of boredom, excitement or insight.  You can muse on a paragraph that intrigues you, or articulate what you think is the main or most important idea in the text.  You can write about similarities or differences you see between the text under consideration and other assigned texts (or texts read in other contexts).  In other words, when I say "free response," I mean "free response," but these are not private diary entries and should therefore be appropriate for a wider, scholarly audience.  I suggest you bring your writing journal to each class so that you can refer to it during discussion.  

Keep the journal separate from your notes since I will collect the it on the day of the final exam (12/14).    

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Blackboard Posting:  for each week we meet (twelve in all), you are required to: 

(1) post a response to one of the week's assigned texts on our course Blackboard site, on the Discussion Board.  The response should follow the guidelines for your journal responses;    

(2) respond to one entry posted by one of your peers.  You can respond to more than one post if you like, but you must respond to at least one a week.  

A word of advice:  don't fall behind on the blackboard postings.  We are reading really complicated texts, and sharing your ideas, frustrations, moments of insight and questions with your peers (and with me) will really ease your way through the semester.  Students who participate in the blackboard discussions -- and do so in a timely manner -- are better prepared for class; contribute more to discussion; create a community of learners outside our shared classroom space; and generally get more from the class. 

Shorter Essay (7-9 pages)

For the first essay, you will craft a thesis concerning one of the authors from the course syllabus.  I do not assign topics.  

The assignment consists of two parts: a 100-200 word typed prospectus or proposal, and a 7-9 page critical analysis of a topic of your choosing.

The prospectus is a brief proposal, usually one to two paragraphs long, that covers the following items:

1. The overall subject of your paper.
2. Its proposed thesis or overall argument, including what you expect to find through your investigations into the topic.
3. The primary work to be covered.
4. Optional:  Outside sources that you may consult (a preliminary bibliography).  

Essays will be graded according to their fulfillment of the following criteria:

1. Clear and engaging thesis.
2. Thoughtful, clear analysis.
3. Thoughtful and convincing use of supporting primary and secondary sources.
4. Surface, or mechanical, competence:  use of standard grammar and syntax; consistent , appropriate tone; appropriate diction and style; proper application of MLA format.
5. The facility and effectiveness with which you employ a specific theoretical approach.

If you have difficulty choosing a topic, contact me and I will be happy to assist you.  I encourage you to post your ideas on our course Blackboard site for feedback from me and your peers.    

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Longer Essay (12-15 pages)

As with the first essay, the longer essay has two parts:  a prospectus and a critical analysis.  

For the longer essay, you may do a variety of things: compare two (or at the most, three) authors on a well-defined subject; look at reception (or performance) of a text as a social or cultural commentary; place an author in a larger context--social, historical, literary, for example; or do a longer version of a short paper--narrow topic, defined critical method (Marxist, feminist, new historicist, psychoanalytical, etc.), close reading. For the long paper, research is required. That means a minimum of six sources beyond the base text. To save time, you may use your presentation research as a springboard to the research for this paper.

The final essay will also include an annotated bibliography.  Once you have chosen an author, text, or topic, prepare a comprehensive bibliography (seek a minimum of ten sources), with special attention to material since 1970. You may have to use a variety of bibliographic aids: MLA, history bibliographies, literary reference books (e.g., Dictionary of Literary Biography) and other sources, both in print and on-line. Include a brief annotation or statement of the content and importance of each source. Put all entries into MLA style for Works Cited.  It is not necessary to quote or paraphrase ten secondary sources directly, but you must consult at least ten secondary sources, and all of these are included in the annotated bibliography.  

You will be graded on the same criteria as the first essay.   (See above).

As with the first essay, I am happy to assist you in developing a thesis.  I encourage you to post your ideas on our course Blackboard site for feedback from me and your peers.

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Brief Summary and Analysis / Presentation

Each student will present a summary and analysis on (roughly) 30 pages of Richardson 's Emerson:  The Mind on Fire.  Each member of the class must come to class having read the material being presented that day.  The presenter will provide an oral summary and analysis of the day's reading.  Summarize and explain the main points of the section and discuss their relevance, if any, to our day's transcenden-talist reading or earlier readings.  The presenter should speak for about seven minutes (ten maximum).  However, discussion of your particular section may continue for some time after your formal presentation has concluded.  The written summary and analysis, no more than three pages in length, is due the day of your presentation. 

The presentation will be graded both on the quality of the analysis and summary (primarily through the written portion of the presentation) as well the coherence, clarity and fluency of the presentation itself.

You are welcome to trade dates with another member of the class, but please let me know so that I can change the schedule accordingly.

Week 2 
September 21  
Nate Turner, 3-33.  Michael Brennan, 34-59.  Julie-Lynn Wood, 63-95.    

Week 3
September 28   
Sarah Buckley, 96-127.  Catie Conlon, 131-163.   Brian Duchaney, 164-199.

Week 4
October 5  

Week 5
October 12  
Julie Ferreira, 200-229.  Ben Hogan, 230-259.  Rita Hurley,  260-292.

Week 6   
October 19 
Lisa Jolicoeur, 295 -331.  Kara Poulin, 332-360. Brunjes, 363-399.

Final Exam

There will be a take-home exam due the day on which the final exam is scheduled. 

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