|
Graduate Studies
Graduate Office | MA-Generalist | MA-Literature | MA-TESOL | MA-Teaching English | PHD-Composition & TESOL | PHD-Literature & Criticism
ENGL 676 Critical Approaches to Literature SPRING 2005 Course Schedules and Descriptions
ENGL 676 Critical Approaches to Literature This section of ENGL 676 introduces students to foundational understandings of contemporary theory and its basic applications to reading, analyzing, and teaching literary texts. The Theory Toolbox introduces us to a wide range of issues and concepts in contemporary theory and represents our introduction to the breadth of the theory field. After considering it, we will focus on one arena in theory: narrative form. Suzanne Keen’s Narrative Form is an excellent introduction to “narratology" and will provide this focus. We will then proceed to read four short, recent American novels: two by males, two by females. We will take what we gain from studying theory both generally and in terms of narrative and then read these short novels that address the concerns of young men and women today. I have chosen well written, entirely accessible, and worthwhile reading and teaching novels. These texts treat young men and women in their identity quests, their formation of self and gender, all set against the American landscape, a culture of mobility and movement across class and space, while they each deal with profound contemporary issues. In short, each is in the tradition of the Great American Novel—Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and so on—but in contemporary guise. The assigned novels offer us enjoyable reading; but more than that, they will help prepare participants to teach such texts on both the high school and college levels. Assignments will focus on one or two short papers of synthesis and commentary; and while some basic research will be expected, our goal is qualitative and well selected, rather than exhaustive, research. Class discussion will consider our work from the perspective of both readers and teachers, concerned equally with literary theory, analysis, and pedagogy. Assignments and paper topics will allow room for a variety of topics and approaches, but I especially welcome papers that address issues of gender, class, and generation, as well as narrative structure and textuality. The texts below are certain choices, but I may add an additional but optional set of one more novel by a male and a female author (probably Paul Auster's Moon Palace and Amanda Davis's Wonder When You'll Miss Me). Texts: The Last of the Savages, Jay McInerney (Vintage Contemporaries 0679749527); Rule of the Bone, Russell Banks (Harper Perennial 0060927240); Anywhere but Here, Mona Simpson (Vintage Contemporaries 0679733783); Rocket City, Cathryn Alport (Vintage Contemporaries 067977016X); The Theory Toolbox: Critical Concepts for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Jeffrey Nealon and Susan Searls Giroux (0742519945); Narrative Form, Suzanne Keen (Palgrave 0335960971).
ENGL 752 Literary Theory for the Teacher and Scholarly Writer This course examines the diverse and extraordinary intellectual traditions of twentieth-century critical cultural theories and literary criticism, such as feminism, Marxism, cultural studies, poststructuralism, deconstruction, postmodernism, colonial discourse and postcolonial theory, Asian American and Asian diasporic cultural criticism, and African American cultural criticism. Mediating between theory, language, epistemology, gender, literature, and culture, we will close-read some of the most influential theoretical texts that have shaped each school of thought while situating the production of such knowledges in specific historical, social, cultural, and sexual contexts. We will analyze a few literary texts (novel, poetry, and autobiography), especially by women, postcolonial, Asian American, and African American writers and artists, so that these theories can be actively applied to students' research and teaching. Requirements include active participation, weekly 1-page informal Reading Responses, one oral presentation, and a 12-15 page final research paper. If you have questions, please email lingyan@iup.edu.
ENGL 761 Topics in American Literature before 1870: Literature of Abolition and Women's Rights We will read works written from the 1830s through the 1870s, with some emphasis on the 1850s-the decade following the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. We will consider works in several genres-novels, short stories, non-fiction prose narratives, essays, sketches, letters, and poems-by both canonical authors and authors whose works have been excluded from the canon. We will look at how these authors treat issues of race and gender, and we will consider their writings in relation to the social and political context of mid-nineteenth-century America. Each student will write a 15-20 page critical paper and will prepare and deliver a presentation on the same subject, both due at the end of the semester. In addition, each student will be asked to give a report on a topic or on a specific text that will give us useful historical context and a report on a nineteenth-century periodical dedicated in whole or in part to abolition or women's rights; a one- to two-page class handout should be prepared to accompany each presentation. I'm planning to order the following books:
Copies of other readings will be available during the semester as handouts and in two or three packets at Copies Now, and will include the following:
ENGL 764 Topics in British Literature after 1660: Literature of the Eighteenth Century The eighteenth century witnessed the unprecedented rise of rational inquiry and espoused a view of life wherein enlightened man began following his thinking mind in logical ways and cultivating intellect. The resulting "Age of Reason" or "Enlightenment," as it's sometimes called, marked a major break with the past: as humanity was enthroned and human rationale was deified, traditional religion, as it had been practiced through the centuries, was eclipsed. Other values became important to man, since the idea of human progress, amelioration, and improvement made the way for-and indeed became the basis for-cataclysmic change. Of course the literature of the era reflects the sweeping changes that not only defined an era but also provided the foundational basis for modern, rational thought. Major writers and works of the period will be considered during this survey course, which will key on the masterpieces-works by, among others, Defoe, Pope, Swift, Thomas Gray, Boswell, Dr. Johnson, and the early Romantics. The major female writers of the period-e.g. Anne Finch, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and others-will also be read. While the literature of the eighteenth century doesn't in some ways have the immediate draw of, say, the Romantics or the Renaissance, it nevertheless represents the defining bridge from the Renaissance to the modern era. That is, once one comes to the end of the eighteenth century, he inhabits a strangely familiar world, and the alien ethos of the Renaissance-which in relation to the eighteenth-century quality of modernity takes on an almost eerie, shadowy feel-is forever left behind. Students will determine course requirements during the opening sessions.
ENGL 765 Topics in Literature as Genre: Hometown Literature in the United States, Ireland, and Beyond Literature from and about our own home places can have a great impact on us. How might we redefine literature by hometown, and develop a new field of "hometown literature," when we conceive it in that way rather than according to traditional categories? Authors will likely include James Joyce on Dublin (using the Dover edition of Dubliners); Edward Abbey on Indiana, Pa. (The Fool's Progress, 0805057919, not the hardback, which is missing 28 pages); Annie Dillard on Pittsburgh (An American Childhood, 0060915188); Robert Lowry (my own late first cousin once removed, to bring it really close to home for me) on my own hometown, Cincinnati (The Big Cage, which you won't be able to order yourself); and others to be decided-with no more than one author per hometown. In addition to Abbey, other nature writers on "home" will include Wendell Berry (Port Royal, Kentucky) and Terry Tempest Williams (Salt Lake City). A crucial part of the course, even more so than usual, will be the students who enroll, as this may even help determine my assignment of other authors, and the course will culminate with students' own presentations, often (though not necessarily) on an author from your own hometown-who need not be famous, just as Lowry isn't, and don't worry if you don't think that any authors emerged from your own hometown, as this will not in the least disqualify you. If you enroll in this course, please email me when you do so, at Jim.Cahalan@iup.edu or JCahalan@iup.edu, and tell me what your own hometown is. I hope the course attracts one or more international students so that we can extend our concept of "hometown" beyond the United States and Ireland-where the hometowns that I happen to know best are located. Main requirements are active participation, a shorter paper midway, and a longer one at the end.
ENGL 772 Topics in Women's Literature: Postcolonial Women's Writing In this course, we will examine some of the key debates and issues that surround postcolonial women's writing. One significant debate we will explore is the meaning and adequacy of the term postcolonial to refer to those areas of the world affected by colonialism, imperialism, occupation, and foreign exploitation. While we will be concerned with issues emerging from the experience of European colonialism, we will also explore how women's writing--including fiction, memoir, and theory--engages with contemporary developments in politics and culture, including current issues associated with global capitalism and emerging militarism. Some of the possible issues we might explore include: the role of gender in constructing empire and globalization; ecofeminism; the politics of sexuality and the body; the interconnections of race, class, and gender; as well as transnational and postmodern conceptions of identity and place. Throughout the course, we will test out contemporary feminist theory in our readings of gendered meanings within postcolonial contexts. Requirements: one short paper (5-7 pages); one longer paper (10-15 pages); one presentation. Course readings will likely include works from the following:
ENGL 773 Topics in Minority Literature: Narrations of Slavery In this course we will begin by studying African American criticism about the slave narrative and developing a conceptual framework of this genre. Among many questions, we will consider: What was the significance of writing for an enslaved author? How did slave narratives impact political debates of the time about the role of slavery in a free society? How were slave narratives inflected by gendered sensibilities and experiences? What techniques do authors writing about slavery use to authorize and create themselves or their characters in their texts? What themes and issues do contemporary authors present in their fictional narratives of slavery? We will go on to address these questions through an examination and analysis of contemporary representations of slavery in African American literature. The texts span much of the literary timeline for African American literature, a breadth that is intended to encourage historical comparisons and to challenge students to theorize why African American writers continue to revisit the themes of slavery and freedom in their work. Student groups will be required to lead class discussion of a theoretical and fictional text, and each student will write a 15-20 page researched seminar paper at the conclusion of the course. Tentative Reading List:
ENGL 783 Seminar in American Literature: American Culture and Modern American Drama As we read a variety of plays that represent the early modern period in American Drama, we will hope to learn something about the social, cultural, and historical life of the country and how early realism evolved into modern drama. The plays will range from 1830 to 1960. There will be a variety of readings from Dramatic Theory and Criticism as we examine the nature of comedy and tragedy in the plays, and how American heroes differ from those in other countries. We will also explore how gender informs the nature of tragedy and our perception of it. I will also ask you to create your own definition of tragedy , and how it relates to or departs from other classical definitions. Assignments will include short weekly responses, a short report on an essay, and a longer teaching report. You will write a seminar paper on an author of your choice (12-15 pages), written with an eye toward publication or conference presentation. We will see a number of films or at least film clips. Creativity is encouraged. Texts: The major theoretical text will be Dramatic Theory and Criticism (Dukore). The early plays will be on reserve or handouts. Other texts will include Plays by American Women: 1900-1930. The first play is called Fashion and will be on reserve in the library. Try to read it for the first class. The next plays will be Shore Acres and Beyond the Horizon. The first one is in the library and the second in the bookstore. Please consult my personal website for a complete syllabus and textbook list. This list will include plays by Glaspell, Hellman, Wilder, Miller, Williams, Hansberry, and O'Neill. My email is mgbower@iup.edu.
ENGL 797 Independent Seminar Independent seminar provides an opportunity to pursue interests not accommodated by course offerings. It is not recommended during a student's first semester of course work. Students wishing to take an Independent Seminar in Spring 2005 must file a completed application in the Graduate English office by December 10. (The form is available in the office.) Before it is submitted, the application must be approved by one of the faculty members listed below. Suggested areas for each faculty member are indicated below the name and email address. The course is listed on URSA as a "closed section." When your application has been approved, a space in the closed section will be opened for you.
Dr. Ron Emerick, jvvc@iup.edu
Dr. Susan Gatti, sigatti@iup.edu
Dr. Tom Slater, Thomas.Slater@iup.edu
|
