Chabot College
Fall 2002
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for English 32
U. S. WOMEN'S LITERATURE
Course Description:
32 - U. S. Women's Literature
3 units
Chronicles the expression of U. S. women authors through readings in a variety of genres such as fiction,
poetry, drama, and the essay. Explores works by authors of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds in an
effort to understand the diversity of women's voices, especially in the 20th century. Strongly
recommended: Eligibility for English 1A. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. demonstrate familiarity with the writing of various women authors whose works are not often
anthologized or discussed in general literature courses;
2. differentiate the works studied in relation to and as expressions of cultural and historical influences;
3. demonstrate familiarity with the structures of the works studied and discuss the works using
appropriate literary terms such as metaphor, plot, and character development;
4. demonstrate an appreciation for the diversity of the literature while identifying some common themes
(such as alienation and self-realization) and topics (such as the settling of a new land and the
westward expansion);
5. recognize aspects of personal experiences reflected in and validated by the literature.
Course Content:
1. Representative sample of literary works, including poetry, drama, essays, and fiction, including at
least one novel
2. Supplemental readings giving historical, critical and thematic context for the literary works
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lecture
Discussion
Group work
Student presentations
Multimedia
Guest lectures by writers and critics when possible
Typical Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. What do we learn about the situation of Black women in the 19th century from a close study of
Baby Suggs in Beloved?
b. Compare the portrayals of heterosexual love and traditional marriage in two of the following
works: "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman,
"Eyes of Zopata" by Sandra Cisneros
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
Chabot College
Course Outline for English 32
Fall 2002
Page 2
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Formal, graded essays responding to the literature
An oral history project
An essay final exam
Ungraded journals
Participation in discussions
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Beloved, Toni Morrison, Plume Pub., 1987
Woman Hollering Creek, Sandra Cisneros, Vintage Pub., 1991
Monkey Bridge, Lan Cao, Viking Pub., 1997
The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, Norton Pub., 1985
Special Student Materials:
None
dk 11/19/01
D:\CURRIC\FALL01\ENG32REV.DOC