Literary Criticism and the Teaching of Literature: a Teacher's Sourcebook
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 384 914 CS 214 989 AUTHOR Ley, Terry C., Ed. TITLE Literary Criticism and the Teaching of Literature: A Teacher's Sourcebook. SPONS AGENCY National Endowment for the Humanities (NFAH). Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 320p. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Authors; Class Activities; Critical Theory; *English Instruction; *Literary Criticism; *Literature Appreciation; Secondary Education; Teacher Developed Materials; *United States Literature IDENTIFIERS Response to Literature ABSTRACT Written by teacher-participants during 3 summer institutes in literary criticism and the teaching of literature, the 11 resource guides presented in this took deal with literary texts by American authors--texts which are commonly taught in secondary English classrooms. Each resource guide in the book includes critical commentary and information regarding the text's potential for teaching; a pool of instructional objectives; options for beginning study of the text; options for dealing with the text after students have read it; suggestions for evaluating students' success with the text and with selected activities; an annotated list of related texts; and at least one camera-rcady guide for reading aimed at enhancement of a designated concept, insight, or literary/reading skill or strategy. The book begins with "An Overview of Critical Approaches (Alex Dunlop and Drew Clark); and "Critical Theory in the Classroom" (Douglas Alley). Resource guides in the book are "'Silent Snow, Secret Snow' by Conrad Aiken" (Sandra P. Harper); "'The Awakening' by Kate Chopin" (MaDonna K. Leenay); "'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass' by Frederick Douglass" (Patricia D. Franks); "'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald" (Jim Fletcher); "'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne" (Phyllis F. Cherubini); "'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston" (W. David LeNoir); "'A White Heron' by Sarah Orne Jewett" (Janice M. Knipp); "'The Jilting of Granny Weatherall' by Katherine Anne Porter" (Mary Stamler); "'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck" (Betty Esslinger and Ann Sharp); "'A Worn Path' by Eudora Welty" (Ronda Ramsey Foster); and "'Ethan Frome' by Edith Wharton" (Adela Aragon Candelaria). Appended is a 19-item annotated teacher's reading list for educators who wish to examine further the theories and pedagogy associated with the critical approaches used by the authors of the guides in the source book. (RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made ftem th-, original document. * **********************-************************************************* Literary Criticism and the Teaching of Literature A Teacher's Sourcebook Edited by Terry C. Ley Curri-ulum and Teaching 5040 Haley Center Auburn University, AL 36849 U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION oil., e Ot EnucnlonaI Fivsonfen end impv. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY his document has been reproduced as received am the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this 1993 document do not necessarily reoreserst TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES official OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Contents Foreword 3 An Overview of Critical Approaches 7 Alex Dunlop and Drew Clark Critical Theory in the Classroom 21 Douglas Alley "Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by Conrad Aiken 27 Sandra P. Harper The Awakening by Kate Chcpin 71 Ma Donna K. Leenay Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 99 Patricia D. Franks The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 127 Jim Fletcher The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 154 Phyllis F. Cherubini Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 190 W. David Le Noir "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett 215 Janice M. Knipp 1 "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" by Katherine Anne Porter 230 Mary Stamler Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 251 Betty Esslinger and Ann Sharp "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty 283 Ronda Ramsey Foster Ethan Frorne by Edith Wharton 303 Adela Aragon Candelaria A Teacher's Reading List 340 W. David LeNoir 2 4 Foreword The resource guides which appear in this volume were written by teacher-participants during three summer institutes in literary criticism and the teaching of literature, five-week institutes conducted on the campus of Auburn University in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the university, the institutes were designed to provide opportunities for secondary school English teachers to expand their knowledge of literary criticism and their.abilities to apply that knowledge to instructional planning based upon sound teaching principles. One hundred twenty-four teachers from 31 states and Guam participated in the institutes. Although more than half of the participants had earned master's degrees in either English or English Education, few had had any formal instruction in literary criticism. Their early responses to literaturethe language that they used during discussions or in their journal entries, the questions that they askedreflected the strong influence of New Criticism on their preparation as English teachers. Throughout the institutes, participants devoted half of their time to attending lectures and participating in discussions related to selected critical approaches and assigned literary texts, all of which are frequently taught in secondary schools. Eminent scholars of literary criticism who served as guest lecturers during this portior. of the institutes included Robert Denham, Judith Fetter ley, Marjorie Garber, W. J. T. Mitchell, Mary Poovey, Robert Probst, Peter Rabinowitz, and Louise Rosenblatt. During the other half of each institute, participants considered reading theory and its applications to the teaching of literature, developed teaching strategies for literary texts that they had studied together, and developed 85 resource guides, all of which appear in the sourcebooks published by the university following each institute. Participants were permitted to cho.,se the literary texts for which they developed resource guides so long as the texts were frequently taught in secondary schools. Some chose to develop materials for texts considered during an institute, but most chose others with which they were familiar. They were also given the opportunity to organize development teams if they wished. Individuals or teams were asked to develop resource guides containing the following information for themselves and prospective readers: An overview which includes a critical commentary and information regarding the text's potential for teaching A pool of instructional objectives from which teachers might select those which are appropriate for their classes Options for boginning study of the text, including activities which build background (including concepts and vocabulary), provide a preview, and establish purposes for reading 5 Options for dealing with the text after students have read it, including discussion and activities requiring oral and written communication Suggestions for evaluating students' success with the text and with selected activities An annotated list of related texts At least one camera-ready guide for reading aimed at enhancement of a designated concept, insight, or literary/reading skill or strategy. The eleven resource guides selected for this volume are for literary texts by American authors--an arbitrary decision made by an editor blessed with too much fine material to publish in one volume. Some of the texts are classics, some are modern; some are short stories, some are novels, and one is an autobiographical narrative; some were written by men, some by women; and some were written by minority authors. Teacher-authors selected critical approaches that they thought were appropriate for interpreting their respective texts. All of the critical approaches which the institutes emphasized are prominent in the critical commentaries, instructional objectives, and activities for at least three of the resource guides: New Criticism, neo-Aristotelian, archetypal, psychoanalytic (or psychological), reader response, and feminist. The guides are intended as resources, not lesson plans; indeed, teachers will need to be selective and creative in their use of the guides, for they contain a great deal more than teachers will have time to use. 6 Several institute staff members have shared with me the responsibility for preparing this publication. Three outstanding Alabama English teachersCliff Browning, Sara McAnulty, and Loyd Mehaffeyserved the institutes as mentor-teachers. In addition to their teaching duties, they advised participants while they were developing their resource guides and, later, evaluated the guides and helped to prepare them for institute publications. Douglas Alley, a professor of English Education at Auburn University and director of the institutes, helped to edit all three institute publications. Finally, I am greatly indebted to David Le Noir, an institute participant in 1985 and currently an instructor in English Education at Auburn. His skilled and critical reading, his attention to detail, his sound advice, and his industry have contributed a great deal to this professional enterprise. Terry C. Ley Auburn University June 1993 An Overview of Critical