Fredman (Notre Dame)

General Information

Abstract

The main purpose of this course is to introduce English majors to the study of American literature(s) and culture(s). Because chronology tends to defeat a one- semester survey of American literature, I decided to break the course into four topic areas, two more traditionally considered "literary" (Allegorical Fiction and The American Language) and two more broadly cultural ("Slavery and Culture" and "Women in Captivity and Flight"). The readings in this course do not diverge greatly from those I used formerly, but I employ the Heath Anthology to underscore the diversity and contention within the study of American literature. Because this is part of our three-course introduction to the English major, I invite other department members in to lecture four or five times during the semester. This course is a Single Term Survey, taught in a mix of lecture and discussion.

Population

This course is primarily for sophomore and junior English majors. The first time I taught it, there were 60 students, the second time 35. In the future I expect 40-45. There is one teaching assistant to share the grading and conferring with students.

Bibliography and Texts

Texts:

Lauter et al., Heath Anthology of American Literature, I & I I

Thoreau, H. D. Walden

Additional Works:

Anderson, Laurie, Home of the Brave (video)

Voices & Visions: William Carlos Williams (video)

Selected Blues Songs (audio)

General Writing and Pedagogy:

The course meets twice a week for 75 minutes, and students are required to answer study questions for each class session. The major writing assignments are a take-home midterm (4 pages), a research paper (8-10 pages) and a final exam (2 hours). The study questions are useful for generating class discussion; also, I sometimes break the class down into pairs and ask them to ponder specific questions before we engage in a general group discussion. In addition to the four units described below, there is a day of introduction and a day of conclusion.

Readings & Annotations

Unit #1: Allegorical Fiction

Readings for Unit #1 (8 Sessions): E. A. Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher," "Lygeia" (day 1), "The Purloined Letter," "The Raven" (day 2); N. Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (days 3 &4); H. Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" (day 5) and Billy Budd (day 6); H. James' "Beast in the Jungle" and T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" (day 7); W. Faulkner's "Barn Burning" (day 8).

Unit #2: Slavery & Culture

Readings for Unit #2 (6 Class Sessions): from B. Franklin's Autobiography (Heath I, 774-80, 823-67, 871-81) and T. Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" (day 1); H. D. Thoreau's Walden ("Economy" and Heath I, 964-6: day 2) ("Where I Lived," "Solitude," "The Ponds," and "Conclusion": day 3); F. Douglass, Narrative of the Life (day 4); Z. N. Hurston (Heath II, 1535-45), Amiri Baraka (2448-54), Sonia Sanchez (2440-48), and Blues Lyrics (1581-6) (day 5); Native American Oral Poetry (Heath I, 2641-71: day 6).

TAKE HOME MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Unit #3: The American Language

Readings for Unit #3 (7 Class Sessions): R. W. Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and "The Poet" (day 1); W. Whitman's Leaves of Grass (Heath I, 2709-13, 2727-78: day 2; 2788-98, 2804-17: day 3); M. Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Heath II, 214-17, 243-429: days 4 & 5); W. C. Williams (Heath II, 1205-24: day 6); N. S. Momaday , D. Levertov , A. Ginsberg (Heath II, 2038- 48, 2363-9, 2376-87: day 7).

PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH PAPER DUE

Unit #4: Women in Captivity and Flight

Readings for Unit #4 (6 Class Sessions): M. Rowlandson's Narrative of the Captivity (day 1); E. Dickinson (Heath I, 2838- 2914: days 2 & 3); K. Chopin's stories (Heath II, 626-8, 637-52: day 4); G. Stein (Heath II, 1189-1204: day 5); Laurie Anderson's Home of the Brave (video: day 6).

Preparation for Final Exam