ENG 108-04 Race, Religion, and Resistance in American Literature
Instructor: Andrew Pisano Class Meeting: Curry 247; MW 2:00-3:15 Office: MHRA 3112-C Phone: 334-5837 Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact) Office Hours: 12-1 MW, and by appointment
Course Description: “America” was a concept long before it was a collection of colonies itching for political unity and independence. From the moment Europeans began speculating on starting new lives of religious and social freedom in the “new world,” the concept of America has been invested with the guiding doctrines of faith and law, self-reliance and blind determinism. Of course, these ideological forces, already set in motion before Europeans landed on the inhabited shores of present day Virginia and Massachusetts, were destined to confront other ways of understanding and being in the world. As history has shown, contact with Native peoples’ ideas of faith and social norms often met with tragic ends. But despite these tragedies, Native peoples and people of African descent also forged new beginnings out of their contact with European thinking. It is this juncture, the point where people of color derive meaning from faiths and social norms that excluded them from equal status that we must consider when we discuss American literature. This course focuses on race and religion in American literature, and the ways in which people of color sought to and continue to adapt religious ideas to their own circumstances in order to resist prejudicial thinking. The first half of the course will examine selections of American literature from the 17th-19th centuries, exposing students to the diverse writings of the early American canon. The latter half of the course will address American novels published within the last five years that illustrate many of the themes and tensions addressed in earlier readings.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the GLT marker: 1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts. (LG3) 2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3) 3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1 and LG 3) 4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG3)
Those SLOs labeled (LG3) relate to UNCG’s Learning Goal #3 for General Education, which says students will “Describe, interpret, and evaluate the ideas, events, and expressive traditions that have shaped collective and individual human experience through inquiry and analysis in the diverse disciplines of the humanities, religions, languages, histories, and the arts.” ((http://web.uncg.edu/reg/Bulletin/Current/UnivReq/GECProgram.aspx)
Required Materials Baker, Kyle. Nat Turner. New York: Abrams, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8109-7227-8 Baym, Nina Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol. 1 Shorter 7th ed. New York: WW Norton, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-393-93056-6 Erdrich, Louise. The Round House. New York: Harper, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-062-06524-7 Gray, Thomas R. The Confessions of Nat Turner and Related Documents. 1831. Kenneth S. Greenberg Ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1996. ISBN: 978-0-312-11207-3 Morrison, Toni. A Mercy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-307-26423-7 **Access to Blackboard and funds for printing primary readings for class
Graded Assignments Participation 15% [SLOs 1-4] I take participation very seriously. Students are expected to have done all readings prior to class and must be ready to contribute to class discussion. Some examples of substantive participation: students who raise questions regarding readings; connect themes or arguments across readings; and raise questions or make observations about a text’s style, structure, or historical context. Grade Scale for Class Participation: A: Student arrives on time with required books, demonstrates knowledge of material, and consistently contributes insightful comments that further class discussion. B: Student occasionally contributes meaningful thoughts to discussion and mostly brings books to class. C: Student is aware of material being discussed and occasionally brings books to class but rarely contributes to the general conversation. D-F: Student is occupying a seat in the class, but not paying attention. Never or rarely brings books to class. Student is uninformed about the day's discussion.
Annotated Bibliography 15% [SLOs 3-4]
Students will write an annotated bibliography of three scholarly sources pertaining to a writer of their choice. Students may choose to research the same writer they wrote on for their short essay. Further instructions will be given in class.
Short Analytical Essay 10% [SLOs 1-4]
Students will compose an essay (minimum of five full pages) that analyzes a specific theme, motif, or other literary device specific to a writer assigned this semester. Essays must have a clear thesis and use textual evidence for support. No outside sources are permitted. A works cited page is not required. Essays are to be written in MLA style.
Group Presentations 15% [SLOs 2-4]
In groups of three or four, students will sign-up to present on a designated day’s reading. Students will be assigned a group grade; however, if someone does not contribute their fair share, that student will be graded individually. The intent of this assignment is to compel students to further discuss the readings and ideas outside of class as means of further enriching in-class discussion. Presentations should be no shorter than 5 minutes and no longer than 15 minutes. Visuals are encouraged but not required. Each group should provide the class (and instructor) with a handout composed of the following: 1. A paragraph summarizing that day’s reading(s) 2. Three key passages from the assigned reading that you think are important to the meaning of the text. Be sure to include corresponding page numbers. 3. Four questions for class discussion. These questions should not be simple plot-related inquiries. Instead, they should encourage the class to analyze a specific element of that day’s reading, make connections across readings, and/or draw from class discussion.
Midterm 20% [SLOs 1-4]
An assortment of multiple choice, identification, and short essays.
Final 25% [SLOs 1-4]
Will mostly focus on material following midterm. An assortment of multiple choice, identification, and short essays.
Attendance Policy Students in MW classes are allowed a maximum of three absences without a grade penalty. Each absence exceeding three absences will result in a ½ letter grade reduction from the final grade. Students who miss more than six classes on a MW schedule will fail the course. Students are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximums allowed above. If a student plans to miss class due to a religious holiday, he or she must notify the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the absence. Academic Integrity “Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at
The Writing Center The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one- on-one instruction as needed. Located in the Moore Humanities and Research Building, room 3211.
COURSE CALENDER Introductions Mon 1/14: Introductions; Course Syllabus Wed 1/16: Obama A More Perfect Union [youtube] and Chaplin “Race” on Blackboard (Bb) Religion and Race in Early American Literature Mon 1/21: NO CLASS/MLK Day Wed 1/23: Pestana “Religion” and Sewall “The Selling of Joseph” Bb Mon 1/28: Rowlandson A Narrative (selections) Wed 1/30: Edwards “Personal Narrative” Mon 2/4: Marrant Narrative of the Lord’s Wonderful Dealings Bb Wed 2/6: finish Narrative Mon 2/11: Occom “A Short Narrative of My Life” and Pontiac “Speech at Detroit” Wed 2/13: Wheatley “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” “On the Death of the Rev. Mr. GW,” “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” and “Letter to Samson Occom” Mon 2/18: Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia, “from Query IV” and “from Query XVII” Bb Wed 2/20: Franklin Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America Mon 2/25: Equiano The Interesting Narrative, chapters 1-5 Wed: 2/27: Equiano chapters 6 and 8 SHORT ESSAY DUE Mon 3/4: Review Wed 3/6: Midterm Mon 3/11: NO Class/Spring Break Wed 3/13: NO Class/Spring Break 19 th Century Mon 3/18: Apess “An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man” Wed 3/20: Black Hawk from The Life of Black Hawk and Petalesharo Speech of the Pawnee Chief Mon 3/25: Greenberg “Introduction” and The Confessions of Nat Turner Wed 3/27: continue Greenberg and Confessions; Baker’s Nat Turner Mon 4/1 conclude Turner, if necessary; Douglass Narrative of the Life chap 1-5 Wed 4/3: chap 6-9 Mon 4/8: conclude Douglass Wed 4/10: Research Methodologies; Gardner “On Research and Writing” Bb (Start reading Morrison) 21 st Century Mon 4/15: Morrison A Mercy p.1-100 Wed 4/17: finish A Mercy Mon 4/22: Erdrich The Round House chap 1-6 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES DUE Wed 4/24: chap 7-9 Mon 4/29: chap 10-end Wed 5/1: Reading Day Wed 5/8: FINAL Exam, 12:00-3pm