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Academic Year 2000/2001
Comparative American Literature and Modernities
ENGL 339 FA
In the first decades of the 20th century, American novels began to veer away from what was perceived as European, particularly, English, themes and styles. Writers such as Faulkner, Cather, and Toomer turned to the
vernacular and the regional, while
others such as Gilman, DuBois, Bulosan, Wright and Baldwin staked firm claims upon the American nation and promise. Is there something unique in these United States that compels writers of various group affiliations and
histories to contest the meaning o
f "America" both as place and project? What themes and conerns arise from such contestations? Utilizing a comparative literary approach, this course will survey literary texts from the first half of the 20th century to
map these negotiations with Americ
an culture to nuance our understanding of the rise of American modernity and modernism.
MAJOR READINGS
Texts may include:
James, Henry. THE AMERICAN, 1875
Johnson, James Weldon. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EX-COLORED MAN, 1912
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. HERLAND, 1915
Toomer, Jean. CANE, 1923
Cather, Willa.
PROFESSOR'S HOUSE, 1925
Fitzgerald, F.
Scott. GREAT GATSBY, 1925
Dos Passos, John. BIG MONEY, 1936
Bulosan. AMERICA IS IN THE HEART, 1943
Okada, John. NO-NO BOY
Benn, Michaels. OUR AMERICA: NATIVISM, MODERNISM AND PLURALISM
Gilroy, Paul. THE
BLACK ATLANTIC: MODERNITY AND
DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
Hutchinson, George. THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN BLACK AND WHITE
EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Students will submit brief one-page reaction/inquiry papers weekly. Each student will also be required to present and aspect of the class session's reading assignment. Grades will be based on a midterm (4-6 pp.) and
final 10-12 pp paper, inquiry
papers, presentation and active listening and participation in class discussion.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed
Drop/Add form to the Registrar's
Office.
COURSE FORMAT:
Lecture/Discussion
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Level:
UGRD
Credit:
1
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ENGL
Grading Mode:
Student Option
Prerequisites:
NONE
SECTION 01
- Instructor(s): Isaac,Allen P.
- Times: .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: FISK115
- Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 25)
- SR. major: 5 Jr. major: 5
- SR. non-major: 5 Jr. non-major: 5 SO: 5 FR:
Special Attributes:
- Curricular Renewal: Ethical Reasoning, Speaking
Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-26-2001
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Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459