ENG 255 American Short Story Course outline

_ ENG 255 Index | Course Schedule | Assignments | Glossary | Chronology | Story Themes | What Makes a Good Story?_

Except for your story interpretation selection and the final exam, assignments are due at or before 11:59 pm on the date listed. You have until the next day at 11:00 pm to respond to another student's post. When there are two stories in a lesson, you do not have to comment on both stories although you’re encouraged to make a connection between the two in your commentary.

1. Course requirements and first assignments – Sept. 6 - 15
Access the online classroom for the course introduction, email, story interpretation selection, and discussion requirements for this lesson.

2. What makes a good short story?  Sept. 8 - 15
Susan Glaspell, A Jury of Her Peers  (This story is not in the text; read online or print the document for offline reading.)
Post your commentary and read other student posts and respond to one.

3. Nathaniel Hawthorne / Mary E. Wilkins Freeman – Sept. 16 - 21
Hawthorne, The Birth-mark
Freeman, The Revolt of "Mother"

4. Ambrose Bierce / Charles Chesnutt – Sept. 22 - 28 
Bierce, The Coup de Grâce
Bierce, Parker Adderson, Philosopher (optional-print from web, not in text)
Chestnutt, The Passing of Grandison

5. Charlotte Perkins Gilman / Kate Chopin – Sept. 29 - Oct. 5
Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper
Chopin, Désirée's Baby - print from web, not in text

6.  *Explication essay Oct. 6 - Oct. 12

7. F. Scott Fitzgerald – Oct. 13 - Oct. 19
Fitzgerald, Babylon Revisited
Bernice Bobs Her Hair  (print from the web, not in the text)

8. Katherine Anne Porter- Oct. 20 - Oct. 26
The Grave
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall (print from classroom, not in text)

9. William Faulkner / Richard Wright – Oct. 27 - Nov. 2
Faulkner, Barn Burning
Wright, Big Boy Leaves Home

10. Flannery O'Connor / Alice Walker – Nov. 3 - Nov 9  (Nov. 11 Veterans Day holiday)
O'Connor, Revelation
Walker, Nineteen Fifty-five

11.  *Critical essay - Topic and selections are due Thursday Nov. 17;
essay is due on or before Tuesday Nov. 29. 

Nov. 24-27 Thanksgiving break

12. Jhumpa Lahiri, This Blessed House  Nov. 30 - Dec. 7

13. Final evaluation – Submit as an attachment in email to me no later than 9:00 am Dec. 15.