English 116W-01
Topics in American Literature
Spring 2006: Women Writers
MWF 9:10-10:10
Eaton 308
Frann
Michel
Eaton 204
office hours: MWF 10:20-11:20, F 2-4,
and other times by appointment
fmichel@willamette.edu
x6389
This course examines selected prose
works—-novels, short stories, and memoirs—-by American
(European-American, African-American, Cuban-American, and
Chinese-American) women writers since the mid-nineteenth century. We
will explore the intersections of sentimentalism and slavery, realism
and race, class and characterization, hybridity and history, fantasy
and family myth. We will consider the forms of textual communication
and the forms of culture they may express or help constitute,
including ways that race, ethnicity, and class shape ideas about
womanhood, as well as the ways race, ethnicity, class, and gender
influence ideas of American identity.
This course fulfills the Interpreting Texts MOI
requirement. As such, it will help you develop your skills in
analyzing and understanding textual representations of human
experience. We will consider style and genre; study various
interpretive strategies and problems; and examine dynamic relations
among author, reader, and text.
This is a writing-centered course, and informal
writing will be a primary mode of learning. In addition, the course
requires two critical essays, in on time. Brief in-class and at-home
writing assignments and peer editing will contribute directly or
indirectly to the development of these essays, as will oral
reports.
Students will present oral reports on texts (20%
of final grade) as well as participating in class discussion (20% of
final grade), will write two papers (20% each), and will complete a
final examination (20%). Please see below for more information on
course requirements.
Texts available at WU bookstore:
Stowe, Uncle Tom's
Cabin
Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Wharton, The House of Mirth
Yezierska, Bread Givers
Kingston, The Woman
Warrior
Obejas, Memory Mambo
Texts on
reserve or available online:
Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper"
Far,
"In the Land of the Free"
Some links on Writing
back to top of page
Tentative schedule of readings
M Jan 16 Introductions
The mid-nineteenth century: Slavery and Sentiment
W Jan 18 Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters
1-8 (3-82)
F Jan 20 Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters 9- 14 (82-158); oral
reports
M Jan 23 Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters 15-19 (158-245); oral
reports
W Jan 25 Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters 20-27( 245-312); oral
reports
F Jan 27 Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters 28-36 (312-390); oral
reports
M Jan 30 Uncle Tom's Cabin, Chapters 37-45 (390-456); oral
reports
W Feb 1 Continued discussion; write a discussion question
F Feb 3 Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,
"Preface"-"What Slaves are Taught to think of the North" (2-40)
M Feb 6 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, "Sketches
of Neighboring Slaveholders" -"Scenes at the Plantation" (41-80);
oral reports
W Feb 8 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, "The
Flight"-"Aunt Nancy" (80-122); oral reports
F Feb 10 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, "Preparations
for Escape"-"Free at Last" (122-164); oral reports
M Feb 13 Continued discussion; write a discussion question;
passage for first essay due
Late nineteenth and early twentieth century: Immigration,
Class, Race, and Realism
W Feb 15 Far, "In the Land of the Free"; Gilman,"The Yellow Wall
Paper" (on
reserve)
F Feb 17 Continued discussion; write a discussion question
M Feb 20 Draft of first essay due (3 copies); peer editing
workshop
W Feb 22 Wharton, The House of Mirth, Book 1, Chapters 1-5
F Feb 24 The House of Mirth, Book 1, Chapters 6-10; oral
reports
M Feb 27 The House of Mirth, Book 1, Chapters 11-15
Tu Feb 28 First essay due before 4pm; my box, Eaton 107
W Mar 1 The House of Mirth, Book 2, Chapters 1-5; oral
reports
F Mar 3 The House of Mirth, Book 2, Chapters 6-10
M Mar 6 The House of Mirth, Book 2, Chapters 11-14; oral
reports
W Mar 8 Continued discussion; write a discussion question
F Mar 10 Yezierska, Bread Givers, Chapters I-IV
M Mar 13 Bread Givers, Chapters V-IX
W Mar 15 Bread Givers, Book II; oral reports
F Mar 17 Bread Givers, Book III
M Mar 20 Continued discussion; write a discussion question; passage for second
essay due
Late twentieth century: Hybrid histories, family fantasies,
postmodernism
W Mar 22 Kingston, The Woman Warrior, "No Name Woman"
F Mar 24 The Woman Warrior, "White Tigers"; oral reports
M Mar 27-F Mar 31 Spring Vacation
M Apr 3 The Woman Warrior, "Shaman"; oral reports
W Apr 5 Draft of second essay due (three copies); peer editing workshop
F Apr 7 The Woman Warrior, "At the Western Palace"; oral reports
M Apr 10The Woman Warrior, "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe"
Tu Apr 11 Second essay due before 4pm; my box, Eaton 107
W Apr 12 Continued discussion; write a discussion question
F Apr 14 Obejas, Memory Mambo, Chapters 1-5
M Apr 17 Memory Mambo, Chapters 6-11; oral reports
W Apr 19 SSRD
F Apr 21 Memory Mambo, Chapters 12-16; oral reports
M Apr 24Memory Mambo, Chapters 17-22; oral reports
W Apr 26 Continued discussion, write a discussion question
F Apr 28 Continued discussion, review
M May 1 Last day of class; review
Tu May 9 8:30am-11:30am Final examination
top
Participation
I expect everyone to come to every class on time, fully prepared,
and to participate actively in discussion. Basic rules of courtesy
apply: listen to each other, don't interrupt, don't hog the floor
(don't tempt others to interrupt), don't carry on side conversations
or other distracting activities (please turn off cell phones), don't
attack anyone personally. Do challenge each others' ideas, ask
questions, share your reactions, stay on topic.
Discussion Questions
These will be counted as part of your participation in class. A
discussion question is one that cannot be answered simply by looking
the answer up somewhere, one that does not have an obvious answer,
but that must be explored and argued. It is not completely
open-ended, but specifically grounded in the text. It arises from
careful consideration of the reading assignment: what the text says,
and how it says it. In about half a page (150 words), explain what
prompted the question, what thinking went into arriving at the
question, what possible answers (if any) have been considered, and
why those answers are unsatisfactory. You may wish to quote from the
text (include page numbers). Try to frame the question itself in one
brief interrogative sentence. Discussion questions must be typed, and
will not be accepted late.
top
Oral reports
Everyone should present at least two oral reports-preferably more.
Oral reports should review and present an aspect of the day's
reading. Mapping and reviewing a text does not in itself constitute
textual interpretation, but it is essential groundwork. Reports have
multiple purposes: they should help you consolidate your knowledge of
a text, help you begin noticing patterns and structures in the text,
and provide a basis for our class discussion. Reports should be about
5 minutes long, and you should turn in a one-page outline of your
comments at the end of that class. Do not prepare handouts for the
rest of the class, but do feel free to use the blackboard. Be sure to
consult with classmates who will be reporting that day, to avoid
duplication of topics.
Here are some possible things you might consider for a report:
Plot- Do not simply summarize what happens, but consider how it is
presented-for instance, its order, duration, and frequency. That is,
in what order do things happen? Is there any difference between the
order in which events occur (sometimes called the story) and the
order in which they are presented (sometimes called the discourse)?
How long is spent on reporting events? Are long passages of time
dealt with briefly? Are brief moments described in great detail? Are
some events described repeatedly?
Narrative- Who speaks the story? If the narrative is first person
(I), is the narrator a participant in the story? If so, to what
degree? If the narrative is third person (she/he, with no "I" telling
the story), do we have access to the consciousness of a particular
character? Lots of characters? None? That is, who sees the narrative?
Characters- You might list and discuss the new characters
introduced in that day's reading, or might list and discuss groups of
characters (e.g., mothers in Uncle Tom's Cabin). You might
consider the significance of characters' names, physical
descriptions, dialogue, behavior, or juxtaposition with other
characters. Keep in mind that characters in literary texts are made
out of words; even if the characters are based on real people, the
text offers not the person but his or her textual representation.
Settings-What does the text tell us about where and when the tale
occurs? Where settings are described in detail, what does this detail
tell us about the location, the characters associated with it, or the
events that occur there?
Images or figurative language-for instance, does the text use
particular kinds of metaphors repeatedly? What might these images
suggest?
This is not an exhaustive list-you may wish to explore other
aspects of a text. Whatever aspect of the text you choose to report
on, it will probably be helpful to call our attention to specific
passages in the text.
top
Essays
For each essay you will pick a brief passage from the text (no
more than a page or so) and analyze its significance in relation to
the work as a whole. For your first draft, I suggest you simply go
through the passage, noting and explaining significant details; also
note correspondences or contrasts with other parts of the text, or
other connections to the work as a whole. For your second draft,
think about what you have found and reorganize (and where necessary
cut and develop) your discussion to support a thesis about the
significance of the passage. Beginnings, endings, and turning points
are generally safe bets for choices, but any passage you find
striking, puzzling, resonant, or otherwise interesting is worth
study.
Each essay should be about four to five pages long (1000-1250
words). The first essay is due on Tuesday, February 28 before 4pm. On
Monday, February 13, bring to class a typed copy (not a photocopy) of
the passage from either Uncle Tom's Cabin or Incidents in
the Life of a Slave Girl on which you will be writing your paper
(include page numbers). You will include this page as an appendix to
your essay. On Monday, February 20, bring to class three copies of a
complete draft of the paper (at least a second, if not later, draft).
The second essay is due on Tuesday, April 11. On Monday, March 20,
bring to class a typed copy of the passage from either The House
of Mirth or Bread Givers on which you will be writing your
paper. You will include this page as an appendix to your essay. On
Monday, April 3, bring to class three copies of a complete (not
first) draft.
Each essay should have a clearly-stated thesis that takes account
of both conceptual and stylistic aspects of the text and relates them
to each other. The thesis should be supported through quotations from
the text and through analytic discussion of quoted words, phrases,
and sentences. More information on how to write an essay can also be
found through the links below, as well as in guides to academic
writing available in the Writing Center library. You may also discuss
your essay with Writing Center consultants. The WU Writing Center is
located in Matthews Hall. Call x4822 or 370-6300 for an appointment.
You may also consult with me. For an appointment, email
fmichel@willamette.edu, call x6389, or see the sign-up sheet on my
office door (Eaton 204).
top
Writing
Center
On
Writing about Literature
Getting
an A on an English paper
Online
Writing Resouces
The Elements of
Style
Brief MLA
Style Guide
On
Plagiarism and how to avoid it
Essay Organization:
*State your thesis clearly at the end of the first paragraph.
*Make sure each paragraph in the body of the essay has one main
point, supported with evidence and analysis.
*Build from less important to more important or more complex
points.
*Always revise; never turn in a first draft.
top
Stylistic Tips:
1. Use inclusive language (no generic "he"--try "she or he," or
pluralize everything; use "humanity" instead of "mankind").
2. Use active voice ("Sandy hit the ball" instead of "The ball was
hit by Sandy").
3. Keep parallel subjects (don't switch from "one" to "he or
she").
4. Use present tense for discussing literature (it says the same
thing every time you read it).
5. Underline titles of book-length works; put quotations around
the titles of shorter works. Use neither for your own title.
6. Avoid repeatedly saying "I think" or "I believe"--it's your
paper.
7. Refer to authors by their full names the first time, thereafter
by last names.
8. Align the meaning of your sentence with grammatically important
words--the main subject and verb should say more than "it is" or
"there are."
9. If you are analyzing a text, don't evaluate it. A book review
is a different genre.
top
Essay mechanics
1. Type or print in black on standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper.
2. Use 10- or 12-point font; double-space between lines; leave
one-inch margins on top, sides, and bottom.
3. Number each page after the first in the upper right corner. Put
your surname on each page below the number. Staple pages in the upper
left corner.
4. On the upper left corner of the first page, put your name, the
course number, a word count, and the date on which you are turning in
the paper.
5. Give your essay an informative and interesting title, neither
underlined nor put in quotation marks nor put in all capitals. Do not
include a separate title page.
6. Quotations should be precise, accurately punctuated, and fully
documented; include a list of Works Cited. The MLA Handbook provides
further information on format (chapter 3) and documentation.
7. Proofread. Make necessary corrections neatly in ink.
8. Keep a copy. Hard copy is safer than disc.
top
Essays will be graded as follows:
A An excellent essay typically includes an outstanding
thesis, thoughtful consideration of concepts and perceptive analysis
of text. Detailed reading, cogent and graceful argument, vivid and
sophisticated prose.
B A good essay typically includes a strong thesis and
coherent argument, effective supporting attention to the text, and
generally fine and clear prose with only occasional lapses in
grammar. The difference between an excellent essay and a good one
lies less in what is wrong with the good essay than in what is right
with the excellent one.
C A satisfactory essay typically includes a thesis that is
too general or simplistic, and vague readings of the text. Generally
competent prose but marred by consistent grammatical or
organizational errors.
D A below standard essay typically has an ill-defined or
ill-supported main idea, together with serious flaws in grammar,
logic, or argumentation.
F A failing essay is typically one marred by plagiarism. It
may also be an essay that reveals no knowledge of the text and that
is written in unidiomatic English.
top
Revisions
You may turn in an optional revision of the first essay no later
than the last class meeting. You may turn in an optional revision of
the second essay no later than the final examination.
Paper clip the revision to the copy of the original essay bearing
my comments. I will not accept revisions without graded originals.
A revision should be just that: a re-vision, a re-seeing and re-thinking of
the original. Do not limit your changes to points on which I have commented;
such limitation will severely compromise the value of the revision.
With your revision, turn in a description of your revision process
and of the changes you have made (about one typed page).
I will average the grade on the revision with the grade on the original version.
Some suggestions for revision:
*Reread your essay, read my comments, and think about them. Refer
where necessary to a handbook of style such as the MLA
Handbook or Rules for Writers (several handbooks are
available in the Writing Center). If you have any questions, come
talk with me.
*In revising, start with ideas, and then consider structure and
style.
*Review the text that is the subject of your essay. Take fresh
notes on relevant passages. What is important about the passage? What
else do you notice about the text?
*Put your essay aside and do some fresh writing on your topic.
Write a brief summary of your thoughts on the topic. Write a response
to the topic from the perspective of someone who disagrees with you.
Write about the most puzzling or difficult aspects of the text.
*Think about the ideas in the essay. Can you improve your thesis?
Can you add further supporting points, or develop those you have
included in the original? Can you delete or strengthen weaker points?
Rewrite the essay to incorporate conceptual changes.
*Consider the structure of the essay. Make an outline, writing one
complete sentence summarizing each paragraph. Can you improve on the
order of the points? Can you clarify the organization by combining or
dividing paragraphs? Consider the rhetoric of the essay. Are the
transitions between and within paragraphs clear and effective? Revise
accordingly.
*Refine the prose of the essay. Read your revised draft aloud.
Does each sentence say exactly what you want it to say? Can you make
the prose tighter, more active, more precise? Is there continuity,
flow, from sentence to sentence?
*Remember that writing and revising are recursive processes, and
you may move back and forth among these activities. For instance,
reorganizing the essay may prompt you to do more fresh writing.
Refining the prose may lead you to new ideas.
*Get as much feedback as you can. Take your revised essay to the
Writing Center, read it to a friend, bring it to me for a
consultation.
Final Examination, Fall 2004
Note that the materials for this version of the course were slightly
different from those we are studying this term. In other words, the
final examination questions themselves will be different; the format,
however, will be similar.
Part I
Choose eight (8) of the following passages, and identify each of them
by author, title, context (1 point each) and comment on its style and
significance for the work in which it appears (2 points). Each answer
is worth 5 points (40 total).
1. "You must not tell anyone," my mother said, "what I am about to
tell you."
2. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so
nervous.
3. "Lo!" said the mother of the toddler. "Thou wilt bear a child
thyself someday, and all the bitterness of this will pass away.
4. I felt literally Mother's soul enter my soul like a miracle.
5. In fact, my mother had been weaned at three months old, that
the babe of the mistress might obtain sufficient food.
6. I've always thought of memory as a distinct, individual thing.
7. Slowly the thought of the word faded, and sleep began to enfold
her.
8. Just before the spirit parted, he opened his eyes, with a
sudden light, as of joy and recognition, and said, "Mother!" and then
he was gone!
9. The American people were so interesting and mysterious.
10. All her children made up their minds to major in science or
mathematics
Part II
Choose one topic and write on it a clear, well-focused essay; it
should have a clear thesis statement, and should be well-focused,
supported with evidence, and legible. In your essay, you must focus
on either The Woman Warrior or Memory Mambo, and
draw (more briefly) on at least two of the other texts we have read
(including the short stories). (60 points)
Narrative structure. The late-twentieth-century texts we
have read employ considerably more complex narrative forms than do
our earlier readings. Describe these narrative strategies, and
explain why these writers might find them more appropriate to the
content of their works than the styles of earlier works. Are there
any ways in which these later texts do use more familiar narrative
strategies?
Motherhood/mothering. The mid-nineteenth-century cult of
true womanhood placed great emphasis on women's moral status as
mothers. How do later works challenge or revise the meaning of
motherhood or mothering? You might consider whether the works present
motherhood from the perspective of mothers or of children or both.
Late Policy
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the scheduled
date. If you will have a particular problem meeting an essay due
date, speak to me individually, in advance.
Problems? Questions? When you have questions about
materials or assignments, please raise them in class--others are
likely to have the same questions. When you have questions or
concerns about your work, problems with the course, or suggestions
for improving the class, please come see me as soon as possible. I
will do my best to answer questions, resolve problems, and make use
of your suggestions. Thanks. My office is Eaton 204. I will be
available for conferences MWF 10:20-11:20, F 2-4, and other times by
appointment. You can reach me or my voice mail at x6389, or you can
email me at fmichel@willamette.edu.
top
