English 490-901: Fitzgerald and Hemingway (Senior Seminar)

Fall 2005: Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45

2102 Business Building (note this room change)

Dr. Mangum

I. Book List: Books will be available through the Carriage House.

Fitzgerald:

The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby

Tender Is the Night

Hemingway:

The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

The Sun Also Rises

A Farewell to Arms

Optional Texts:

Scott and Ernest: A Dangerous Friendship by Matthew J. Bruccoli (Note: This book may take a while to come in. We will discuss this, and I will make copies available while we wait.)

The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald, ed. Ruth Prigozy. I also recommend that you buy this book. The Carriage House will order a limited number of these, and it is possible that you may want to pair off and share copies of these. They can also be ordered through Barnes and Noble's web site. We will also discuss this in class.

II. Reserve and Reference Books

BIOGRAPHICAL

Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Bruccoli)

The Far Side of Paradise (Mizener)

Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story (Baker)

LETTERS

Correspondence of F. Scott Fitzgerald (ed. Bruccoli)

Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters (ed. Baker)

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL

The Critical Reputation of F. Scott Fitzgerald (comp. Bryer)

F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Descriptive Bibliography (comp. Bruccoli)

Ernest Hemingway: A Comprehensive Bibliography (comp. Hanneman)

MISCELLANEOUS, for example: Papa (Hotchner); Scott Fitzgerald (Turnbull); True Gen (Brian); A Moveable Feast (Hemingway); Hemingway: The Paris Years (Reynolds); The Way It Was (Loeb); Zelda (Milford); F.Scott Fitzgerald (LeVot); Fitzgerald/Hemingway Annual (ed. Bruccoli);

The Fitzgerald Newsletter (ed. Bruccoli); etc. I will give you a list of our reserve books.

III. Course Description and Objectives

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway met in April 1925 in the Dingo Bar, rue Delambre, Paris, just after the publication of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and shortly before the publication of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. The relationship that developed between them during the next fifteen years was important to both of them. In this course we will examine works by both of these authors, looking closely at the ways in which their stormy friendship influenced their writing and the direction of their literary careers.

Our major objective in this class will be to acquaint ourselves with the contributions to American letters of Fitzgerald and Hemingway through close reading and careful discussion of much of the fiction written by them--particularly of that fiction written during the time of their friendship, 1925-1940. Another main objective will be to familiarize ourselves with the major source material--biographical, bibliographical, and critical--for each author; and through the use of this material we will draw conclusions about their relationship to each other and to the time in which they wrote.

IV. Assignments

A. Oral Report (SR): a brief summary (fifteen minutes long) of biographical material relevant to a work being considered; given during the class in which the work is being discussed. Referred to in schedule as SR (Seminar Report).

B. Oral Report (CR): a critical reception presentation on the novel or stories being considered on the day scheduled for the discussion of the work(s). This will be very brief (five minutes or less). Referred to in schedule as CR (Critical Reception).

C. Two 2-3-page papers in which you respond to a critical article on some subject related to the fiction of Fitzgerald and Hemingway (one for each).

D. One close reading test and 10 blackboard postings.

E. 15-page paper: this paper will deal with some original problem (biographical, bibliographical, or critical) including a complete check of existing treatments of the problem by other scholars. This is a documented, thesis-support paper.

V. Grading:

a. oral reports and seminar participation: 15%

b. two 2-3-page papers: 20% (10 % each)

c. close-reading test (10%) and blackboard postings (10%): 20% (10% each)

d: 15-page paper: 45%

VI. VCU Honor System:  "Virginia Commonwealth University recognizes that honesty, truth, and integrity are values central to its mission as an institution of higher education."  This class will be conducted in strict adherence to VCU's Honor System policies. In essence, you should not use another student’s work. You should not falsely present source material as your own. Whenever you use material from another source, you must credit this source clearly, whether you are quoting directly, summarizing, or paraphrasing. Conscious and uncorrected acts of plagiarism (either from another student's work or from an academic source) will result in a failing course grade. In other words, respect the work of others and in no way present it as your own. If you have additional questions about academic integrity and plagiarism consult VCU's policy at the following web address: http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/rg7honor.html

VII. Students with Disabilities: “Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing students with disabilities equal opportunities to benefit from all programs, services and activities offered.” Students with disabilities should identify to the instructor at the beginning of the course the services that they will need.

VIII. A Note on Computers: Much of the work in this course will depend on regular use of Blackboard and on email sent to and from your VCU email address. If you do not have a user ID and password that will allow you to access Blackboard and your VCU email, be sure to get one before the second class meeting. You will be able to access all of the course materials by going to http://blackboard.vcu.edu. If you do not have a computer ID number and password you can get one by following the steps listed at the following web address: http://www.vcucard.com/

IX. Online Information: The address for my website is http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/

We will also have a website for our course. It will contain links and online materials for the course. I’ll announce details and web address for this in class.

X. Daily Assignment Sheet to Follow (after we have divided up the material for seminar reports)