By the end of the course, you should be able to a) conduct an academic research on a topic regarding black masculinity/femininity in any African-American literary works covered in class, b) present your academic research and sound argument, c) engage in literary, socioeconomic, historical, and cultural discussions on the issue of racial and gender inequality, and d) fully develop your independent and critical thinking on this highly touchy issue.
By the end of the course, you should be able to a) conduct an academic research on a topic regarding black masculinity/femininity in any African-American literary works covered in class, b) present your academic research and sound argument, c) engage in literary, socioeconomic, historical, and cultural discussions on the issue of racial and gender inequality, and d) fully develop your independent and critical thinking on this highly touching issue.
This seminar aims to closely examine the theme of racial and gender inequality in African-American Literature and critically analyze how black masculinity is conceptualized and reconstructed in the selective literary works of James Baldwin, Earnest J. Gaines, Toni Morrison, and Solomon Northup with supplementary readings of Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright. Apart from the literary and logical discussion, the historical and socioeconomic backgrounds of slavery and racial segregation will be provided to deepen the comprehension of African-American men’s struggle in the face of unequal and dominant social systems in their time.
This seminar aims to closely examine the theme of racial and gender inequality in African-American Literature and critically analyze how black masculinity is conceptualized and reconstructed in the selective literary works of James Baldwin, Earnest J. Gaines, Toni Morrison, and Solomon Northup with supplementary readings of Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright. Apart from the literary and logical discussion, the historical and socioeconomic backgrounds of slavery and racial segregation will be provided to deepen the comprehension of African-American men's struggle in the face of unequal and dominant social systems in their time.
Primary Readings:
1. Gaines, Earnest J. A Lesson Before Dying. 1st ed. New York: Vintage, 1994.
2. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage, 2004.
Secondary and Selective Readings:
1. Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Bantam, 1997. 93-111.
2. Baldwin, James. “Freaks and American Ideal of Manhood.” James Baldwin: Collected Essays. New York: Libr. of Amer., 1998. 815-29.
3. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage, 1995.
4. Hurston, Zora Neale. “How It Feels to be Colored Me.” The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1008-11.
5. Northup, Solomon. 12 Years a Slave. New York: Atria, 2013.
6. Prince, Mary. The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself. 2nd Revised Ed. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1997.
7. Walker, Alice. “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens.” In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose. Orlando: Harcourt, 1983. 231-243.
8. Wright, Richard. The Ethics of Living Jim Crow, an Autobiographical Sketch. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1388-96.
Primary Readings:
1. Gaines, Earnest J. A Lesson Before Dying. 1st ed. New York: Vintage, 1994.
2. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage, 2004.
Secondary and Selective Readings:
1. Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Bantam, 1997. 93-111.
2. Baldwin, James. “Freaks and American Ideal of Manhood.” James Baldwin: Collected Essays. New York: Libr. of Amer., 1998. 815-29.
3. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage, 1995.
4. Hurston, Zora Neale. “How It Feels to be Colored Me.” The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1008-11.< br />
5. Northup, Solomon. 12 Years a Slave. New York: Atria, 2013.
6. Prince, Mary. The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself. 2nd Revised Ed. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1997.
7. Walker, Alice. “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens.” In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose. Orlando: Harcourt, 1983. 231-243.
8. Wright, Richard. The Ethics of Living Jim Crow, an Autobiographical Sketch. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1388-96.< br />
| 評分項目 Grading Method | 配分比例 Grading percentage | 說明 Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance and class participationAttendance and class participation attendance and class participation |
20 | Being active in class discussions is required. |
| Literary AnalysisLiterary Analysis literary analysis |
25 | You are required to write a short response (1-2 page in double space) on the assigned reading of the week 5 times during the semester, and email it to me by 8P.M., every Monday. |
| Oral PresentationOral Presentation oral presentation |
20 | Throughout the semester, you will be asked to do 2 oral presentations with a partner. You will present on one or two selected African-American predominant figure(s) in the 20th century, either by handout or PowerPoint slides. |
| Final research paperFinal research paper final research paper |
35 | A 6-8 page research paper in the correct MLA format is required for this seminar. My approval of the topic of your choosing is needed. |
