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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

American Women Writers (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 4210-01

Course: ENGL 4210-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ENGL
CRN: 12174

Course Description

In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne famously lamented, “America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public taste is occupied with their trash--and should be ashamed of myself if I did succeed.” Although Hawthorne refers specifically to the influx of women writers in the mid-nineteenth century, women continue to be an integral part of the American literary tradition. This course takes a historical approach to examining the writings of American women from the 1850s to the 1980s, focusing on how personal, cultural, and political forces shape ideas about home, belonging, and selfhood. We will read classics of American literature written by women including: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Sandra Cisneros, and Amy Tan. Students will complete a variety of assignments including literary analysis essays, creative projects, and group presentations.

Required Texts

**Note: If you use editions other than the ones listed below, the burden is on you to make sure you are reading the correct material each class day.**

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (The Norton Library edition)
ISBN: 978-0393871593
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (Amistad edition)
ISBN: 978-0061120060
Alice Walker, The Color Purple (Penguin edition)
ISBN: 978-0143135692
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (Vintage edition)
ISBN:​​ 978-0679734772
Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club (Penguin edition)
ISBN: 978-0143038092

Learning Outcomes

  1. Knowledge of Human Cultures: Students demonstrate the ability to identify, describe, and compare the features of a variety of genres across different historical periods and cultures.
  2. Communication: Students demonstrate the ability to articulate interpretations and critical positions through presentations and academic essays.
  3. Information Literacy: Students demonstrate the ability to conduct scholarly research.
  4. Inquiry and Analysis: Students demonstrate the ability to apply a range of literary theories and/or critical perspectives through close reading and analysis.

Course Requirements

Evolving Essay Series (30%)
Throughout the semester, our Friday class meetings will be dedicated to writing and revising a series of short essays that explore the evolving question, “What is women’s literature?” Four times throughout the semester, you will submit a 3-4 page essay that responds to this question using the novels we read as the primary source for your interpretations and arguments. As the semester goes on, you will gradually incorporate outside research and literary theory to deepen your definition.

These essays are meant to be exploratory and developmental rather than “finished” research papers. You are encouraged to take risks, revise your thinking from one essay to the next, and connect the texts to larger questions about  how personal, cultural, and political forces shape ideas about home, belonging, and selfhood. Essays will be evaluated on engagement with the readings, clarity of thought, use of textual evidence, and your willingness to build on and complicate your previous ideas.

Final Literary Analysis Essay (30%)
Your final paper is a 5+ page polished literary analysis essay that focuses on one of the novels from our syllabus. In this essay, you will make a clear interpretive claim (thesis) about the text and support it through close reading, analysis of key passages, and engagement with at least three outside sources (critical articles, book chapters, or theoretical texts).

This essay is your opportunity to draw together the thinking you’ve been doing all semester in your “What is Women’s Literature?” essays and apply it in a focused, research-supported argument. Successful essays will demonstrate a strong, arguable claim; thoughtful, specific analysis of the primary text; effective integration of secondary sources; and clear, polished writing.

Show-and-Tell Presentations (15%)
At the beginning of most weeks, you will contribute to a communal class slide deck and give a brief “show and tell” presentation (approximately 3 minutes). For each assigned reading, you will:

  • Create a single slide that includes a visual collage (images, artwork, design elements) responding to the text and a key quotation or phrase.
  • Use your slide to guide a short spoken “impression and insight” about the reading: what stood out to you, what questions it raised, or how it connects to our course themes.

These presentations are low-stakes but recurring, designed to keep you in active dialogue with the texts and with one another. You will be graded individually on preparation, thoughtfulness of insight, creativity and relevance of the collage, and your contribution to the shared learning environment. If you are absent from class on a presentation day, you can submit a written transcript of your presentation for partial credit (60%). There are a total of 9 presentation days; I will drop your 2 lowest scores

Group Short Story Project (15%)
In the final three weeks of the semester, students will work in small groups to select an approved short story by an American woman writer (not already on our syllabus). Each group will be responsible for leading the class through one full week centered on their chosen story:

  • Monday: Overview and analysis of the story (author, context, key themes, and formal features).
  • Wednesday: Guided class discussion using questions your group prepares in advance.
  • Friday: An interactive activity (writing exercise, small-group task, creative response, etc.) that helps classmates engage more deeply with the story.

All students will read each group’s story before that week begins. The group project grade will be based on the clarity and depth of your analysis, the quality of your discussion questions, the design and facilitation of your in-class activity, and your ability to connect the story to our broader conversations about women’s writing. 

Participation & Reflection (10%)
This portion of your grade recognizes the ongoing, everyday work of the course: careful reading, thoughtful note-taking, and active participation in our Wednesday discussions and Friday writing days. Every two weeks you will be graded on participation, which will be based on the following expectations: 
  • Come to class having completed the reading and with usable notes or journal entries that capture your responses, questions, and key passages from the text.
  • Contribute to class discussion in ways that are respectful, engaged, and collegial, whether by speaking up, building on others’ ideas, or listening attentively.

This category also includes a short end-of-semester reflection in which you look back on the three weeks of group presentations and our readings overall, considering how your understanding of “American women writers” and “women’s literature” has changed over the course of the semester.

Grading Scale:
A= 90-100%; B+=87-89%; B=80-86%; C+= 77-79%; C=70-76%; D+= 67-69%  D= 60-66%; F= 59% or lower

Course Outline

Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. In the event that there are changes to the syllabus, I will notify you both in-person and electronically.


Course Schedule:

Week 1
W 1/7 
Course intro and policies

F 1/9
Anne Bradstreet, “Prologue”
Overview of class structure and assignments

Week 2
Read: First Half of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

M 1/12
Show-and-tell presentations

W 1/14
Contexts and Discussion

F 1/16
Writing Workshop

Week 3
Read: Second Half of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

M 1/19 – No class, MLK Day

W 1/21
Show-and-tell presentations

F 1/23
Contexts and discussion

Week 4
Read: First Half of Their Eyes Were Watching God

M 1/26
Show-and-tell presentations

W 1/28
Contexts and discussion

F 1/30
Writing workshop
Due: First essay

Week 5
Read: Second Half of Their Eyes Were Watching God

M 2/2
Show-and-tell presentations

W 2/4
Contexts and discussion

F 2/6
Writing workshop

Week 6
Read: First Half of The Color Purple

M 2/9
Show-and-tell presentations

W 2/11
Contexts and discussion

F 2/13
Writing Workshop
Due: Second essay

Week 7
Read: Second Half of The Color Purple

M 2/16 – No Class, President’s Day

W 2/18
Show-and-tell Presentations

F 2/20
Contexts and Discussion

Week 8 
Read: The House on Mango Street

M 2/23
Show-and-tell presentations

W 2/25
Contexts and discussions

F 2/27
Writing Workshop
Due: Third essay
Discussion of group projects – form groups – must submit story choice before spring break

Week 9
Read: First Half of The Joy Luck Club
M 3/2
Show-and-tell presentations

W 3/4
Contexts and discussions

F 3/6
Writing workshop

Week 10 3/9 - 3/13 – Spring Break, No class

Week 11 
Read: Second Half of The Joy Luck Club

M 3/16
Show-and-tell presentations

W 3/18
Contexts and discussion

F 3/20
Writing workshop
Due: Fourth Essay

Week 12  Group Presentation Prep Week
M 3/23
Overview of Final Essay

W 3/25
Prep work for group presentations 

F 3/27 – no class, NULC in Ogden, UT

Week 13 – Group Presentation #1
M 3/30
W 4/1
F 4/3

Week 14 – Group Presentation #2
M 4/6
W 4/8
F 4/10

Week 15 – Group Presentation #3
M 4/13
W 4/15
F 4/17

Finals Week
Tuesday, April 21: Final Essay and Reflections Due

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You will turn in most of your major assignments online. It is your responsibility to make sure that your submission goes through, which means going back after you have uploaded your assignment to double check that it is there. Computer problems are not a valid excuse for late or missing work. If you are having trouble uploading an assignment from your home computer, go to the library and upload it from there. Plan ahead.
 
Essays and projects that are turned in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour-period after the stated deadline. Late close readings will not be accepted. In-class work cannot be made-up.
 
Extensions are negotiable. If you anticipate needing more time for an assignment, you must get in touch with me at least two days before the assignment is due. Together we will arrive at a later due date. I will hold you to that new due date and deduct points if you miss it. Do not email me the day before something is due to ask for an extension; I will refuse. Plan ahead. I reserve the right to refuse extensions.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is crucial to your success in this course because, during class time, we review and discuss major assignments, discuss and analyze readings, and work on essays and assignments (individually and in groups). Being more than 10 minutes late to class = 1 absence. 

You are allowed 6 “free” absences where you don’t have to attend class for whatever reason. If you have 7 or more absences, your final grade will be docked 10 points (or one full letter grade). Note: the absence penalty is not cumulative; in other words it’s the same penalty if you miss 7 classes or 20 classes.

You are responsible for the material covered and assignments due during those missed classes. Class sessions will not be recorded, so you will need to consult with a classmate to get notes when you are absent.

The only excused absences are official university activities, religious holidays, military service, and medical emergencies. If you are absent for excused absences, you must notify me by email 24 hours prior to your absence for your absence to be excused. In the case of medical emergencies, notify me as soon as you are able to and provide necessary documentation.

Generative AI Policies

AI Usage Philosophy:
Instead of treating AI tools with simple “yes, you can use this” or “no, you can’t” rules, this course focuses on helping you learn how to use them thoughtfully and responsibly. Think of using AI tools like a restaurant menu: there are many options, but not every option is right for every situation. For each assignment, you’ll choose the AI tools and uses that best support your learning and meet the goals of the task. My role as the instructor is to help you understand the options, suggest what might be most helpful for each task, and support you in making thoughtful, responsible choices.

AI usage in this class typically falls into the following categories:
  • Recommended = Best ways to use AI for this assignment; strongly encouraged.
  • Use sparingly = Okay in small, limited ways; don’t let AI take over the work.
  • Strongly discouraged = Technically possible, but likely to weaken your learning and/or your grade because it undermines the assignment’s goals.

Three Principles: Generative AI (artificial intelligence that can produce content) is now widely available to produce text, images, and other media. I encourage the use of such AI resources to inform you about the field, to understand the contributions that AI can make, and to help your learning. However, keep the following three principles in mind: (1) an AI cannot pass this course; (2) AI contributions must be attributed and true; (3) the use of AI resources must be open and documented.

To pass this course: AI generated submissions cannot achieve a passing grade. This is necessary to ensure that you are competent to surpass generative AI in the future – whether in academia, research, the workplace, or other domains of society.

Openness: I encourage you to use AI tools to explore the field, play with knowledge, and help you study. But you need to be open about this, and document your use.

General writing: In principle you may submit material that contains AI-generated content, or is based on or derived from it, as long as this use is properly documented. This includes, for example, drafting an outline, preparing individual sections, combining elements and removing redundant parts, and compiling and annotating references. Your documentation must make the process transparent – the submission itself must meet standards of attribution and validation. 

Referencing and validating: You are taking full responsibility for AI-generated materials as if you had produced them yourself: ideas must be attributed and facts must be true.

AI and Factual Accuracy: AI is prone to writing factually incorrect statements, inventing fake quotes from real sources, and inventing entirely fake sources. It is your responsibility to double-check that any AI-assisted work you submit is free from these errors. Work containing obvious factual errors or fictitious quotes or sources will be marked as incomplete. If the problematic work is a major essay, you will be allowed to rewrite and resubmit it within the deadlines stipulated on the syllabus. If the problematic work is in any other type of assignment, you will not be allowed to rewrite or resubmit it. Submitting more than one assignment with these types of errors will result in you failing the class.


ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.