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

Crosslistings: WMST288,AMST277

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.

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

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE

Last Updated on MAR-24-2000


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