The Western Hero: Visions and Revisions

Course description: This course examines changing images of the classic western hero in literature, film, and other visual arts. From Daniel Boone and Natty Bumppo, to Alexandra Linstrum and Will Kane, these rugged individuals have held a central place in the development of an American national identity. We will explore the literary foundations of this mythic figure and consider how changing social and cultural conditions, such as evolving awareness of race and gender issues, manifest themselves in revisions of the classic western hero.

Writing and draft workshops: This is a writing intensive course, so you will be producing a significant amount of prose this term. Over the course of the semester you will write four essays of varying lengths (4-8 pps.), a number of 1-2 page reading response papers, and daily writing notebook entries. Our focus will be examining your personal writing process and substantive draft revision; for each of the essays, you will be turning in two successive full-length drafts before you submit the final version.

One of the best ways to maximize the effectiveness of your writing process is to examine how other students work. Therefore, you'll see I have scheduled a number of draft workshops on the syllabus where we can do just that- you'll read the drafts of your peers, and they will read yours, with the goal being to offer each other as much constructive feedback as possible. The typical draft workshop will be divided into two parts: first, we will focus on one aspect of good writing, say paragraph development, and as a group discuss one peer's draft. That one paper, the one we look at together, I will refer to as the "draft model," and the draft model will be posted on the web the night before class. That means you'll have the opportunity to read the draft at your leisure, comment on it, and be ready to discuss it the next day. Each student will supply the "draft model" once during the semester. I will pass around a sign up sheet early on so that you have some choice as to when your day is scheduled. This draft will take some additional planning on your part- you will have to have it completed early- so take a look at your semester calendar and see where you can best afford to give it that extra time.

After we have discussed the draft model, we'll divide into smaller groups or pairs and exchange essays. At this point you will have the opportunity to apply what we have just discussed to each other's drafts. This tends to be very valuable feedback, as I'm sure you will find- and the greatest payoff is that you are simultaneously developing the ability to apply these skills to your own work as well.

To prepare for each draft workshop, you must 1) write your draft; 2) read and comment on the day's draft model [and forward those comments to me], and 3) bring hard copies of both your draft and the reviewed draft model to class with you.

Remember, if you are scheduled to be the "draft model," you must post your draft the day before the scheduled workshop. I cannot stress this enough- these draft models must be posted on time so that your peers are able to thoughtfully review them.

Portfolios: Your portfolio is the assembled collection of writing you have produced over the course of the semester and includes the writing notebook; notes, peer commentary, all drafts of each paper; and any revisions you make to the final papers. I will collect the portfolio twice during the semester: on October 12 and on December 11. At midterm, we will schedule conferences to discuss your progress to date and to assess your work.

75% of your final grade will be based on your portfolio.

Participation: Lively discussion is a crucial to the success of this course, and I will count on every student to help make each class productive. 25% of your final grade will be based on class participation, which includes the following: