In this sixteen-week class, students will analyze and write about Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. They will then write a four to ten-page essay about their analysis. Students will be asked to compare and contrast Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter and Tess Durbeyfield from Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
Both Hawthorne and Hardy present a different side to the fallen woman myth by reflecting on the lives of the women themselves. The Scarlet Letter is set in Puritan New England. Hester Prynne is branded by her community as adulterous because of a pregnancy outside of marriage and is sentenced to wear a scarlet A to show her wrongdoing. Tess is a poor, nineteenth-century teenager who becomes pregnant by a wealthier man. This pregnancy affects her the rest of her life. 
In this class, students will be asked to read both novels. They will be asked to share their opinions of the characters and settings. Both novels will be taught from a secular perspective when dealing with religious aspects of the novels.
Prior to week one, students should read from Hawthorne's introduction to chapter six of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In class, we will delve into an analysis of the setting, the characters, and the plot in these chapters. We will discuss the mindset of the Puritan society in which Hester lives. Students should pay attention to character development, which is important in classic literature. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over our discussion. For homework in week one, students will read chapters seven through twelve of The Scarlet Letter. 
In week two of class, students will discuss chapters seven through twelve of The Scarlet Letter. Again, our discussion will focus on character analysis, plot, and analysis of the mindset of the characters. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over our discussion. For homework in week two, students will read chapters thirteen through eighteen of The Scarlet Letter. 
In week three of class, students will discuss chapters thirteen through eighteen of The Scarlet Letter. We will focus on character and plot analysis, as well as on the mindset of the characters. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over our discussion. For homework in week three, students will read the final chapters of The Scarlet Letter. 
In week four of class, students will discuss and analyze the final chapters (nineteen through twenty-four) of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. We will discuss the characters, plot, mindset, and ending of The Scarlet Letter. We will discuss the importance of this work both in the nineteenth century and in today's world. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over this discussion. For homework in week four, students will read the first phase (chapters one through eleven) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. 
In week five of class, students will discuss and analyze the first phase of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. We will discuss the setting, characters, plot, and mindset of the characters. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over the discussion. For homework in week five, students will read the second phase (chapters twelve through fifteen) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. 
In week six of class, students will discuss and analyze chapters twelve through fifteen, the second phase, of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. We will focus on the characters, their setting and mindset, and the plot development. We will discuss how Tess has changed since the first phase. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over the discussion. For homework in week six, students will read the third phase (chapters sixteen through twenty-four) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. 
In week seven of class, students will discuss and analyze the third phase, chapters sixteen through twenty-four, of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Again, we will focus on the characters, including Tess and how she has changed, the setting, the mindset of the characters, and the plot. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over the discussion. For homework in week seven, students will read the fourth phase (chapters twenty-five through thirty-four) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. 
In week eight of class, students will discuss chapters twenty-five through thirty-four of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. We will again discuss character development, plot development, setting, and the mindset of the characters. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over our analysis. For homework in week eight, students will read phase five (chapters thirty-five through forty-four) of Tess of D'Urbervilles. 
In week nine of class, students will discuss and analyze chapters thirty-five through forty-four of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. We will pay close attention, as usual, to the plot, the character development, the setting, and the mindset of the characters. As always, students will be encouraged to participate in class and to take notes over our discussion. For homework in week nine, students will read the sixth phase (chapters forty-five through fifty-two) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
In week ten of class, students will discuss and analyze chapters forty-five through fifty-two of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. We will discuss the character development, plot, setting, and mindset of the characters. Students will be encouraged to participate in our discussion and make notes over the analysis. For homework in week ten, students will read the final phase (chapters fifty-three through fifty-nine) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. 
In week eleven's class, we will discuss the character development, the plot, and the ending of this story. We will discuss why this book was important to nineteenth-century readers and how it is important today. For homework in week eleven, students will be encouraged to look over their notes for The Scarlet Letter and for Tess of the D'Urbervilles. They will be encouraged to contemplate their analysis. 
In week twelve of class, students will form an outline for an essay analyzing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Students will be asked to compare and contrast the heroines of the two novels. This week for homework, students will complete and submit their outline. 
In week thirteen of class, students will be taught to write their rough draft. They will be taught the structure of an essay and how to write the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. They will be encouraged to search for outside sources to include in their essay. For homework in week thirteen, students will complete and submit their rough draft. For the rough draft, students will focus on content of the essay rather than length. 
In week fourteen of class, students will be taught to proofread their rough draft for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. They will also be taught to edit their essay for content. This week, students will be given the final length requirement (four to ten pages) for the analytical essay. For homework in week thirteen, students will edit and proofread their essay. 
In week fifteen of class, students will learn how to format their essay according to the guidelines of the Modern Language Association. Students will be taught how to format their work, how to use parenthetical citations, and how to include and format a works cited page. Students will be taught the importance of avoiding plagiarism. For homework in week fifteen, students will complete the final draft of their paper. They will submit their final paper for a grade for homework this week. 
In week sixteen of class, students will present their essays. We will discuss each student's analysis. If students are not comfortable reading their essay in class, I will read that for them. Students will be encouraged to celebrate their hard work. In classes with a small number of students, in any extra time, students will be allowed to write and/or to create artwork to coincide with their essay. Art and writing prompts will also be available. 
I will teach this class through direct instruction, PowerPoint slides, and discussion. I believe it is important for learners to discuss their ideas with me and with one another. New ideas arise in such discussion. I believe students learn best when they can have fun and be creative.