Introduction to 20th Century American Literature will be divided into five overlapping units:
Foundations of Literature
As a class, we will explore literature starting from our own experience, addressing questions of what we read (and what we don't read), and what value reading has to us as individuals and collectively. We will examine contextual factors such as author biography and historical setting which add to our understanding and appreciation of literature. We will study and apply critical interpretive lenses to literature, including gender, social class, and culture.
Short Stories
Concurrently with our discussion of the foundations of literature, we will begin to read from the anthology The Best American Short Stories of the Century. We will read and discuss selections collectively, exploring themes, context, and interpretive lenses that we might apply in our analysis. After these initial readings, the remainder of the short stories will be divided up among the class members, with each responsible for reading and reporting back on an assigned story. Students will individually pick the remainder of the readings for the short story unit from what has been presented, continuing to apply the analytical process for subsequent readings. Assignments for this unit will consist of a series of brief reaction papers to be used for presentation and class discussion.
A Lesson Before Dying
We will read and discuss Ernest Gaines' novel of the experience of an African-American man condemned to death in the pre civil rights era Jim Crow South. Class discussion will focus on our connections (or lack of them) to experience of the primary characters of the novel, as well as issues of historical context, race, and social class. Each student will develop a proposal to explore the book using a particular critical on contextual lens or a combination of lenses that helps us best engage with the book. The end product for this unit will be an analysis paper of at least three pages.
The House on Mango Street
We will read and discuss Sandra Cisneros' coming of age novel of a young Latina in Chicago with a special emphasis on gender and feminist readings of literature. The assignments will be in the same format as those for the unit on A Lesson Before Dying.
Student Choice Project
Over the course of the semester, we will develop a list of works of 20th Century American fiction that we encounter in exploring our own personal experiences, works related to class texts, and works encoutered as we explore a variety of contextual and critical lenses. Each student will choose a text (to be approved by the instructor) from this list and develop a presentation for the class on her or his selected work.
Foundations of Literature
As a class, we will explore literature starting from our own experience, addressing questions of what we read (and what we don't read), and what value reading has to us as individuals and collectively. We will examine contextual factors such as author biography and historical setting which add to our understanding and appreciation of literature. We will study and apply critical interpretive lenses to literature, including gender, social class, and culture.
Short Stories
Concurrently with our discussion of the foundations of literature, we will begin to read from the anthology The Best American Short Stories of the Century. We will read and discuss selections collectively, exploring themes, context, and interpretive lenses that we might apply in our analysis. After these initial readings, the remainder of the short stories will be divided up among the class members, with each responsible for reading and reporting back on an assigned story. Students will individually pick the remainder of the readings for the short story unit from what has been presented, continuing to apply the analytical process for subsequent readings. Assignments for this unit will consist of a series of brief reaction papers to be used for presentation and class discussion.
A Lesson Before Dying
We will read and discuss Ernest Gaines' novel of the experience of an African-American man condemned to death in the pre civil rights era Jim Crow South. Class discussion will focus on our connections (or lack of them) to experience of the primary characters of the novel, as well as issues of historical context, race, and social class. Each student will develop a proposal to explore the book using a particular critical on contextual lens or a combination of lenses that helps us best engage with the book. The end product for this unit will be an analysis paper of at least three pages.
The House on Mango Street
We will read and discuss Sandra Cisneros' coming of age novel of a young Latina in Chicago with a special emphasis on gender and feminist readings of literature. The assignments will be in the same format as those for the unit on A Lesson Before Dying.
Student Choice Project
Over the course of the semester, we will develop a list of works of 20th Century American fiction that we encounter in exploring our own personal experiences, works related to class texts, and works encoutered as we explore a variety of contextual and critical lenses. Each student will choose a text (to be approved by the instructor) from this list and develop a presentation for the class on her or his selected work.