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ENGL287

The New Woman and the American Novel, 1880-1930
ENGL287 SP

Crosslistings: WMST288, AMST277

Next Offered in 9899 SP

Beginning with the late Victorian era and continuing at least through the Great Depression, the dominant culture of the U.S. underwent what has been described as a "gender crisis". The expansion of female education and careers for women, the growth of mass media targeted to female audiences, the spreading hegemony of consumer culture, and, above all, the activist energies of feminism render expectations about sexuality and family roles radically uncertain. The novel, which is often thought to turn on marriage and domesticity, is unavoidably altered. We will look for the way women and men authors responded to these developments.

MAJOR READINGS

W.D. Howells, THE RISE OF SILAS LAPHAM
Henry James, PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, THE YELLOW WALLPAPER
Edith Wharton, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH
Sarah Orne Jewett, THE COUNTRY OF THE POINTED FIRS
Pauline Hopkins, CONTENDING FORCES
Willa Cather, MY ANTONIA
Gertrude Stein, THREE LIVES
Djuna Barnes, NIGHTWOOD
Nella Larsen, QUICKSAND
F. Scott Fitzgerald, TENDER IS THE NIGHT
Plus selected readings in the history of feminism and
gender.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Midterm, final, research paper (10-15 pp)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This will be a reading intensive course, and students will be expected to keep up with a demanding syllabus. This course counts towards the English Department's historical knowledge requirement. 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: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA ENGL

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-03-1998




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