ENG 221
African American Literature
Spring 2014
Tues/Thurs: 2:25pm-3:50pm
Instructor: Derek Adams
[dadams@ithaca.edu]
Office Hours (Muller 304):
Tues/Thurs: 1:00am-2:30pm
and by appointment
Required Texts:
* Baraka, The Dutchman
*Douglass, Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass
* Ellison, Invisible Man
* Everett, Erasure
* Jacobs, Incidents in the Life
of a Slave Girl
* Morrison, Jazz
* Parks, Topdog/Underdog
* Wilson, Fences
* A course packet with short
stories and critical essays will
be available for purchase from
Kenesha Chatman in Muller
309.
Course Description:
This survey course traces the development of
African American literature from the colonial era to the present. It is
organized through the conventions of genre rather than chronology.
Primarily our interest will be in how authors represent what is commonly
(and problematically) known as “the black experience.” Our exploration will
consider the role of violence, cultural memory, trauma, folklore, signifying,
humor, and family in shaping this experience. As we go, we will also focus
on the unique relationship between this body of literature and the American
literary canon overshadowing it.
**This version of the course is distinctive as it will be closely linked with a
sister course at Elmira College (ENGL 230 – African American Literature) ,
taught by Dr. Tom Nurmi, Assistant Professor of English. The two courses
will share common readings, lectures, field trips, and an assignment which
will require students from both colleges to read and respond to a partner’s
writing and research.
Although there is no single “correct” reading of the texts under discussion,
there are ways of casually misreading them. Therefore, we will ground all of
our discussions and interpretations in close readings of the literary devices
and strategies an author employs. This means you must read a text, and
read it thoroughly, to understand how these elements come together to
create meaning. Discussing racial themes at work in the literature may
result in moments of cognitive dissonance likely shared by your classmates,
and I hope they become part of our productive class discussions. However,
we will not unnecessarily impose racial stereotypes on a work or its author.
Too, you must give the literature a chance. I do not expect you to share my
wild enthusiasm for the texts we are reading, but you mustn’t be dismissive
of them without having read them.
-
Image: “Aspects of Negro Life” (1934) by Aaron Douglass
***Students taking this course to fulfill requirements within the ICC are reminded that they are
responsible for submitting at least one completed assignment (artifact) to their electronic learning
portfolio. For each submission, complete the ICC form within the directed response folio that
includes a brief rationale for why you selected the artifact to show your achievement of the ICC
student learning outcomes for this course and a reflection on how your learning in this particular
course links to your other learning experiences.
Course Assignments and Grading:
Textual Analysis Essays (x2)
IC/EC Essay & Peer Review
Reading Journal
Course Website
In-Class Presentation
Final Exam
[20%]
[30%]
[10%]
[5%]
[10%]
[25%]
Standard Percentage Equivalencies for the course:
100 – 90% = A, 89 – 80% = B, 79 – 70 = C, 69 – 60 = D, 60> = F
A final grade of Incomplete (I) can be awarded only in very special circumstances that you
have discussed with the instructor ahead of time.
Textual Analysis Essay: You will write 2 textual analysis essays. These assignments (800-words
maximum) will lead you to delve deeper into the issues a particular text focuses on that we cannot
fully explore in class. You may choose to write on any aspect of a text, but the essay must interpret
specific lines, passages, literary devices, etc. an author employs. Despite the brevity of the
assignment, I expect it to reflect your best skills as a writer.
IC/EC Essay & Peer Review: In conjunction with our sister course at Elmira College, you will write
an analytical essay on Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man that will go through the peer review process. As
part of that process, you will be split into teams and guided through methods of critiquing the work
of your partners through our course website. We will spend time in class covering how to provide
useful feedback and how to incorporate the suggestions of your peers into your essay.
Reading Journal:
You will maintain a reading journal over the course of the semester. The
intent is for you to informally reflect on the initial ideas and emotions you experience as you engage
a text. I am interested in the connections you make between the experiences of characters and your
own personal life. You might also consider writing about what the text teaches you that you may not
have previously known and/or how it relates to phenomena that we witness and experience in the
21st century. I expect your reflections to be well written, but your grade for the assignment will
depend on how thoughtful and honest they are. On days when we have multiple readings due, you
will select one of the readings to write on.
Course Website:
For each new reading we cover in class, you are expected to post an artifact
to the discussion board on the course website. The artifact might be a critical essay, an op-ed piece,
song lyrics, a photograph, or anything you feel relates closely to the content of a particular text. As
part of the post, you will write a single paragraph explaining the connections between the artifact
and the reading. You will also comment on at least two posts from your peers.
Final exam:
This is a cumulative assessment of your breadth of knowledge after completing the
required reading. The exam will consist of 3 components: identifications, brief textual
interpretations, and a take-home essay. The best way to prepare for the exam is to read the assigned
material and pay attention during class discussions. We will also review for the final during the last
day of class.
Group presentations: There are two parts to this assignment. First, you will be partnered with a
classmate and charged with putting together an in-class presentation. This 20-minute oral
presentation will elaborate on an author’s larger body of work and will provide the class with a
greater context for understanding the text we are examining. You might consider it an introduction
to our in-class discussion. Feel free to use things like notes, outlines, and handouts, but do NOT
simply read from a piece of paper or from PowerPoint slides. All group members must contribute
equally to (and during) the presentation. A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the beginning of the
second week of class. Second, you will write a 600-word response that explains the process behind
your presentation.
Course Policies:
Students with Documented Disabilities
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented
disabilities on a case by case basis. Students must register with the Office of Student Disability
Services and provide appropriate documentation to the college before any academic adjustment will
be provided.
Attendance
Your presence is required at every one of our scheduled class meetings. You are also expected to
arrive on time. Arriving 10 minutes late for class will count as half an absence. Anything more the 10
minutes counts as a full absence. Both will result in a reduction in your overall grade. I am well
aware of the unpredictable madness of everyday life taking place beyond the boundaries of Ithaca
College. Therefore, you will be granted 3 excused absences over the course of the semester. Just be
certain to inform me of your absence as early as possible. On your sixth absence from class
(essentially three full weeks of class time), you will be administratively dropped from the course.
Classroom Conduct
This one is simple – use your manners. Be respectful of others. Absolutely no talking on the phone
or texting! No Facebook. No MySpace. No YouFace. Be attentive. No food or drink.
Plagiarism
The theft of the intellectual property of another individual or entity, whether it be purposeful or
unintentional, is a serious offense that carries with it severe consequences. The offender will
immediately fail the assignment with no chance for resubmission and will have to meet with me
outside of class to discuss the infraction. The circumstances behind the plagiarism may warrant even
further action as outlined in the Student Handbook. Refer to the Student Conduct Code
(http://www.ithaca.edu/policies/vol7/volume_7-70102/), the “Plagiarism” library tutorial, and visit
me during office hours if you have further questions.
Course Schedule:
WEEK ONE (1/21, 1/23) – SLAVE NARRATIVES
Tues Classroom introductions / Syllabus Review
Thurs Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
“Blueprint for Negro Writing” (Wright) & Criteria for Negro Art (DuBois) –
course packet
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK TWO (1/28, 1/30)
Tues Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
“What to a slave is the 4th of July” (Douglass) – on Sakai
Thurs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK THREE (2/4, 2/6)
Tues Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Thurs selections from The Souls of Black Folk (DuBois)– course packet
“Atlanta Exposition” (Washington) – on Sakai
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK FOUR (2/11, 2/13) – NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES
Tues Invisible Man
Thurs Invisible Man
Journal due to the dropbox
Argumentative Framework Outline due in class
WEEK FIVE (2/18, 2/20)
Tues Invisible Man
Thurs Invisible Man
First draft of Ellison Essay due / Peer Review
WEEK SIX (2/25, 2/27)
Tues “Sonny’s Blues”
Thurs “Sonny’s Blues” & “Notes of a Native Son” – course packet
Journal due to the dropbox
Final draft of Ellison Essay due / Peer Review
WEEK SEVEN (3/4, 3/6)
Tues selections from The Conjure Woman Dies – course packet
Thurs “Ethics of Living Jim Crow” (Wright) – course packet
Journal due to the dropbox
Spring Break – March 8-16: NO CLASS!!
WEEK EIGHT (3/18, 3/20)
Tues Jazz
Thurs Jazz
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK NINE (3/25, 3/27)
Tues Jazz
Thurs Erasure
WEEK TEN (4/1, 4/3)
Tues Erasure
Thurs Erasure
Journal due to the dropbox
Essay One due to the dropbox
WEEK ELEVEN (4/8, 4/10) – POETRY
Tues poetry selections from Hughes and Dunbar – course packet
“The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” (Hughes) – on Sakai
Thurs poetry selections from Brooks and Lorde – course packet
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK TWELVE (4/15, 4/17) – DRAMA
Tues Topdog/Underdog
Thurs Topdog/Underdog
Journal due to the dropbox
WEEK THIRTEEN (4/22, 4/24)
Tues Fences
Thurs Fences
Journal due to the dropbox
Essay Two due to Sakai at the beginning of class
WEEK FOURTEEN (4/29, 5/1)
Tues The Dutchman
Thurs Wrap up / Teacher Evaluations
(We will likely meet in an alternate location for this class session)
FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, May 7 – 7:30am-10:00am