ENGL 174A
American Fiction, 1900 to 1945
Description: Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Enforced requisites: courses 10A, 10B, 10C. Study of American novels and short stories from beginning of 20th century to end of World War II. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
One of the most brilliant and best professors I have ever had. Not only did I look forward to going to his class (which was a rare occasion for me because of being a senior and it being my last quarter) but I looked forward to hearing his insight on the text. He was hilarious and always had random tidbits and information that was really interesting. NO ONE ever fell asleep in this class! Yes there is about a book a week to read, which is pretty standard for an English major BUT he makes it very clear that he doesn’t believe in calling on people to talk about the text. So when I was a little behind on the reading because of my other classes, I had no fear going to class and listening to his discussions because I knew I wouldn’t get barked at for not doing the reading. I recommend always going to his class no matter how familiar you are with the text because it will help you a lot on your midterm and final (each 1/3 of your grade). They are standard ID’s that you must close read and are SUPER EASY to identify if you are slightly familiar with the text. The other 1/3 is a final paper which he gives you many options for. You can do a standard paper, a movie review, a parody, a novel and film comparison, literally whatever you want as long as you run it by him first. I chose a regular old close reading paper and emailed him my idea for a thesis and he responded almost immediately and basically said he didn’t like it and how I should fix it. He was completely right about what I needed to work on to make a more focused paper so I reworked my idea for about an hour, sent it back to him and he once again responded almost immediately to tell me he liked my new thesis. I ended up getting an “A” on my paper as well as an “A” in the class. If you read the works, attend class, and ask him about your final paper before (even during if you are unsure) you turn it in, you will do great. He really wants you to do well in his class and makes himself very approachable, making it all the more capable for you to learn as much as possible and get a good grade. I highly recommend taking his class. He is laid back, entertaining, picks great classic texts, you leave at least thirty minutes early every day, doesn’t take role, doesn’t embarrass you by calling on you when you haven’t read, he has an open dialogue for lecture (but also incorporates his thoughts and important themes), he brings in video clips, he is hilarious, has the most outrageously contagious laugh, randomly brings candy for all his students for class, super easy to talk to, holds lectures outside on the grass when it is nice out, wants your feedback and is open to suggestions, straight forward grading system, midterm and final are super easy ; overall AMAZING! I promise it will be one of the best teachers you will ever have at UCLA!
One of the most brilliant and best professors I have ever had. Not only did I look forward to going to his class (which was a rare occasion for me because of being a senior and it being my last quarter) but I looked forward to hearing his insight on the text. He was hilarious and always had random tidbits and information that was really interesting. NO ONE ever fell asleep in this class! Yes there is about a book a week to read, which is pretty standard for an English major BUT he makes it very clear that he doesn’t believe in calling on people to talk about the text. So when I was a little behind on the reading because of my other classes, I had no fear going to class and listening to his discussions because I knew I wouldn’t get barked at for not doing the reading. I recommend always going to his class no matter how familiar you are with the text because it will help you a lot on your midterm and final (each 1/3 of your grade). They are standard ID’s that you must close read and are SUPER EASY to identify if you are slightly familiar with the text. The other 1/3 is a final paper which he gives you many options for. You can do a standard paper, a movie review, a parody, a novel and film comparison, literally whatever you want as long as you run it by him first. I chose a regular old close reading paper and emailed him my idea for a thesis and he responded almost immediately and basically said he didn’t like it and how I should fix it. He was completely right about what I needed to work on to make a more focused paper so I reworked my idea for about an hour, sent it back to him and he once again responded almost immediately to tell me he liked my new thesis. I ended up getting an “A” on my paper as well as an “A” in the class. If you read the works, attend class, and ask him about your final paper before (even during if you are unsure) you turn it in, you will do great. He really wants you to do well in his class and makes himself very approachable, making it all the more capable for you to learn as much as possible and get a good grade. I highly recommend taking his class. He is laid back, entertaining, picks great classic texts, you leave at least thirty minutes early every day, doesn’t take role, doesn’t embarrass you by calling on you when you haven’t read, he has an open dialogue for lecture (but also incorporates his thoughts and important themes), he brings in video clips, he is hilarious, has the most outrageously contagious laugh, randomly brings candy for all his students for class, super easy to talk to, holds lectures outside on the grass when it is nice out, wants your feedback and is open to suggestions, straight forward grading system, midterm and final are super easy ; overall AMAZING! I promise it will be one of the best teachers you will ever have at UCLA!
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Most Helpful Review
Carruth is a well organized, interesting lecturer/professor, has useful content on slides (she uploads them), presents complicated concepts explained clearly, and avoids filler activities during lecture. She doesn't depend on Q/A to fill lecture time, or hold you to a participation grade. She leaves room for discussion, but lecture never grinds to a halt if people are not interested in going there. She's a lit prof who's interested in the big picture. Her lectures all focus on analyzing novels through a small set of themes and concepts, so you more or less know what to focus on while reading. All the same, none of her assignments force you to memorize her ideas, so you get plenty of freedom to either reiterate her claims or do your own thing. The workload and assigned papers are manageable, she gives detailed feedback, and is a fair grader. In terms of grading expectations, she is extremely straightforward with all assigned work including the final. Take a class with her if you can, she's an amazing lecturer.
Carruth is a well organized, interesting lecturer/professor, has useful content on slides (she uploads them), presents complicated concepts explained clearly, and avoids filler activities during lecture. She doesn't depend on Q/A to fill lecture time, or hold you to a participation grade. She leaves room for discussion, but lecture never grinds to a halt if people are not interested in going there. She's a lit prof who's interested in the big picture. Her lectures all focus on analyzing novels through a small set of themes and concepts, so you more or less know what to focus on while reading. All the same, none of her assignments force you to memorize her ideas, so you get plenty of freedom to either reiterate her claims or do your own thing. The workload and assigned papers are manageable, she gives detailed feedback, and is a fair grader. In terms of grading expectations, she is extremely straightforward with all assigned work including the final. Take a class with her if you can, she's an amazing lecturer.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2023 - This class was exceptional in its nuanced attention to detail when approaching American Literature from 1900-1945. However, it is definitely a challenging class - be prepared to be stretched to intellectual limits in the class and deal with complicated ideas at a fast pace. Overall, I'd recommend this class but expect a decent workload.
Winter 2023 - This class was exceptional in its nuanced attention to detail when approaching American Literature from 1900-1945. However, it is definitely a challenging class - be prepared to be stretched to intellectual limits in the class and deal with complicated ideas at a fast pace. Overall, I'd recommend this class but expect a decent workload.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2016 - (I actually took 174C with Huehls, not 174A, but Bruin Walk didn't list it as an option. Huehls may have been the best professor I've had at UCLA. His lectures were the most fascinating of any class I've taken here. I got excited by the prospect of going to class, as if I was going to voluntarily hear someone talk about a book I read, not to a class to hear a lecture. His analyses were incredibly insightful and interesting. He himself is incredibly intelligent, hilarious, and relatable. It was fortunate that the class material was also interesting within itself, but even when it wasn't, he made it compelling. I would recommend taking any class with him if you get the chance, I think he is one of the best the English department has to offer. Also with that being said, during the unfortunate incident this June with the murder-suicide, he was one of the professors who responded with efficiency and compassion to the situation. He didn't hesitate to stop his lecture to make sure we were safe, and walked around the class multiple times to make sure if we were all doing ok. Afterwords, he made the final optional and take home because he understood that people were having a difficult time processing the situation and didn't want to return to that room. People talk about how professors at UCLA can be frustrating when they care more about their jobs or subject than actual people, but Huehls is a reminder that there are just as many professors who care about students first and foremost. I just think he should be recognized for that.
Spring 2016 - (I actually took 174C with Huehls, not 174A, but Bruin Walk didn't list it as an option. Huehls may have been the best professor I've had at UCLA. His lectures were the most fascinating of any class I've taken here. I got excited by the prospect of going to class, as if I was going to voluntarily hear someone talk about a book I read, not to a class to hear a lecture. His analyses were incredibly insightful and interesting. He himself is incredibly intelligent, hilarious, and relatable. It was fortunate that the class material was also interesting within itself, but even when it wasn't, he made it compelling. I would recommend taking any class with him if you get the chance, I think he is one of the best the English department has to offer. Also with that being said, during the unfortunate incident this June with the murder-suicide, he was one of the professors who responded with efficiency and compassion to the situation. He didn't hesitate to stop his lecture to make sure we were safe, and walked around the class multiple times to make sure if we were all doing ok. Afterwords, he made the final optional and take home because he understood that people were having a difficult time processing the situation and didn't want to return to that room. People talk about how professors at UCLA can be frustrating when they care more about their jobs or subject than actual people, but Huehls is a reminder that there are just as many professors who care about students first and foremost. I just think he should be recognized for that.
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I had Professor Mullen for both 174C and the poetry workshop 133. Her teaching style is more free than other professors. She really wants students to think critically for themselves and develop their own opinions and understanding. I think that her poetry classes, both the workshop and the class, are very good for beginners to poetry because she really tries to help you break down the material in an understandable way. She's very open and friendly in her office hours. For 174C, and in part for 133, she grades on your effort and whether or not you have really learned something from the class. If you should that you are invested in the material, come to her office hours with questions, and go to lecture (attendance is a part of the grade in 174C), then you will be fine. I think that class participation is key. She's not a dictator and will not micromanage the class, instead she tries to give students space to be free to figure out their own ideas. I highly suggest Prof. Mullen, especially to students who are new to poetry because she really creates a friendly, encouraging learning environment.
I had Professor Mullen for both 174C and the poetry workshop 133. Her teaching style is more free than other professors. She really wants students to think critically for themselves and develop their own opinions and understanding. I think that her poetry classes, both the workshop and the class, are very good for beginners to poetry because she really tries to help you break down the material in an understandable way. She's very open and friendly in her office hours. For 174C, and in part for 133, she grades on your effort and whether or not you have really learned something from the class. If you should that you are invested in the material, come to her office hours with questions, and go to lecture (attendance is a part of the grade in 174C), then you will be fine. I think that class participation is key. She's not a dictator and will not micromanage the class, instead she tries to give students space to be free to figure out their own ideas. I highly suggest Prof. Mullen, especially to students who are new to poetry because she really creates a friendly, encouraging learning environment.
Most Helpful Review
174B, American Literature since 1945 for Fall 2014: Easy A. Perez-Torres lectures well, has good slides, mostly interesting book choices, gives pretty good feedback, and invites active discussion. Most people don't take him up on that last offer, but there's something about crowded classrooms (40ish students) that makes you (or maybe just me) not want to speak. Attendance is part of the grade (25%), but thankfully this part also includes any assignments, of which there were 4 (half to one page long quote analyses). If you're too lazy to attend or have a busy schedule but do well on everything else, you'll be fine. The midterm was 5 short essay questions (with passage & author identification). When he says "short," he actually means it. I did only three sentences with some of them, left early, and still got a 97. There was also a midterm essay (bummer, yeah) due about a week later, but it was only 4 pages. The final essay was 8 pages, and a comparison between 2 of the later works in class was necessary. The prompts were limited for this one, giving only two pairing options (though with different topics), so I'd recommend making your own prompt, if possible, for this one. Unlike most professors (in my experience), he kept the assigned final exam deadline rather than allow you to send it in, online only, at the end of the week. He's very serious about not accepting late papers, apparently. All in all, I'd take his class again, especially in a 4+ courses schedule.
174B, American Literature since 1945 for Fall 2014: Easy A. Perez-Torres lectures well, has good slides, mostly interesting book choices, gives pretty good feedback, and invites active discussion. Most people don't take him up on that last offer, but there's something about crowded classrooms (40ish students) that makes you (or maybe just me) not want to speak. Attendance is part of the grade (25%), but thankfully this part also includes any assignments, of which there were 4 (half to one page long quote analyses). If you're too lazy to attend or have a busy schedule but do well on everything else, you'll be fine. The midterm was 5 short essay questions (with passage & author identification). When he says "short," he actually means it. I did only three sentences with some of them, left early, and still got a 97. There was also a midterm essay (bummer, yeah) due about a week later, but it was only 4 pages. The final essay was 8 pages, and a comparison between 2 of the later works in class was necessary. The prompts were limited for this one, giving only two pairing options (though with different topics), so I'd recommend making your own prompt, if possible, for this one. Unlike most professors (in my experience), he kept the assigned final exam deadline rather than allow you to send it in, online only, at the end of the week. He's very serious about not accepting late papers, apparently. All in all, I'd take his class again, especially in a 4+ courses schedule.
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