English
4400: Minority American Literature
Fall 2012
TR 11:00-12:15 Section A 205
Academic Building
|
Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu |
Office: 103G Academic Building
|
Office Hours: MW 11:00-12:30; TR 8:30-10:30; F
11:00-12:00
|
Phone: 678-359-5444
|
Email: lsanders-senu@gordonstate.edu
|
Course Objectives:
This course will provide a
survey of Contemporary Minority American Literature. It will focus primarily on literature from
the Native American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Black Immigrant traditions. From our examination of poetry, drama, short
stories, and novels, you will gain a better understanding of the heterogeneity
of these minority communities. You will
leave this course with a better understanding of how race, culture, and gender shape
immigrant experiences with America and the American Dream. Though there are many important authors and
texts that we are unable to include in this course, this course will provide
you with a focused knowledge of a handful of authors and texts, upon which you
can further build your foundation of American literary knowledge.
In this class you can expect to:
-
read a great deal of material
-read
thoroughly and write critically about texts
-
engage complex and shifting ideas about American identity, the role of art,
femininity, masculinity, and authenticity
-participate in lively and thoughtful class
discussions
In this class I will expect you to:
-come to class prepared to discuss the texts, with
readings in hand
-ask questions
-have an open mind
-be respectful to me and your classmates
-contribute to class discussions
-approach assignments and text as academics
Required Texts:
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge
Dantiat (Vintage 1994)
Drowning in Fire by Craig S. Womac (University of
Arizona Press, 2001)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (Vintage, 1984)
The Woman Warrior: Memories of a Girlhood Among Ghosts
(Vintage, 1989)
Unsettling America: An Anthology of Contemporary
Multicultural Poetry (Penguin, 1994)
Prentice Hall Reference Guide 8th Edition, (Prentice Hall, 2011),
Optional
Other readings for the class
are on Blackboard. You are required to
print the documents out and bring them to class. If you come to class without your readings,
you will be counted absent for that day.
Assignments
|
Midterm Exam |
20% |
|
Final Exam |
25% |
|
Short Response Papers |
20% |
|
Final Paper (Due November, 27 2012) |
20% |
|
Participation (including quizzes, homework, and Class work) |
15% |
A
= 100—90 B =89.9— 80 C = 79.9—70
D= 69.9—60 F = 59 and below*
Paper
Scale
A
= 95 A-
= 92 B+ = 88 B
= 85 B- = 82 C+ =
78 C = 75
C- = 72 D+ = 68
D= 65 D-= 62
F
= 58 and so on.
Due to the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, I will only discuss grade information
with students in person. This also means
that I will not discuss specific absence information over email. Moreover, I will not communicate with anyone
aside from the student about his or her grade.
Grades are calculated on a percentage basis. Therefore, it would be inaccurate for me to
speculate about a student’s overall grade until the end of the semester.
Papers
Response Papers-
You will write four short response papers.
These papers do not require any research. These short papers will be between 2-3 pages
in length. Each paper should be a
critical analysis that advances your own
brief argument about some aspect of the text. There is no need to summarize a text. You do not have the space for summary in such
a short paper. Focus on analysis. One of these papers, will be a short analysis
of how some aspect of the film version of Gotanda’s The Wash enhances, shapes, or changes your thoughts about the original
play. Students could also focus on
analyzing the significance of some difference between the two versions. Your analysis about The Wash will be due on October
16, 2012. Another analysis will focus on a piece of
poetry. Within the first few weeks of
class, students will select a piece of poetry from a list that I provide. On the day that the class is scheduled to
discuss your piece of poetry, you will present your analysis to the class. You will essentially serve as discussion
leader for your poem, explaining your interpretation of the poem and asking at
least two probing critical questions about your text that will help advance our
discussion. Please include your
questions at the end of your response.
You will select two other pieces of literature to analyze. One analysis must focus on a text that we
discuss before October 4, 2012 and
be submitted on or before that date. The
second analysis must focus on a text that we discuss after October, 4, 2012 and must be submitted on or before November 29, 2012. Both of these analyses are due before we
discuss your chosen text in class. (For
example, if you choose to write on Díaz ‘s
“Fiesta” you need to submit your
analysis on or before the beginning of
class on October 22, 2012.)
Final Paper-
This paper will be a longer critical analysis on a text or pair of texts from the
semester. This 8-10 page paper will require you to advance your own argument
about a text or paired texts. You will
incorporate at least three sources into this paper. More details will follow. Make sure that you follow all
directions. Your topic must be approved
by me. You must submit a brief written
discussion of your argument to me by November
13, 2012. This paper will be due on November 27, 2012.
All papers should be in
proper MLA format and include a works cited page. The works cited page does not count toward
the minimum length. These papers should
have one-inch margins and be in Times New Roman Font. I do not accept papers via email. Six-points will be deducted for each day that
a paper is late. If a paper is not submitted at the start of class, it is
considered one calendar day late.
Exams
You will have two exams in
this course. The final exam will be
cumulative. These exams will contain a
variety of questions, and may include passage identification, matching, short
answer, and essay questions. You should
know the historical context, authors, and titles of the works. Taking notes, even in what seems like
informal discussions, will be very helpful in your preparation for these
exams. You are responsible for all
material that is disseminated through verbal communications, my website,
blackboard, written assignments, and handouts.
Participation
In order to earn an average
participation grade (in the C range), you must fulfill four basic requirements:
To earn a B, you must
consistently fulfill requirements 1-5, and:
To earn an A, you must
consistently fulfill the above criteria and:
You will receive a failing
participation grade if you are excessively and/or frequently: (1) tardy; (2)
unprepared for class; (3) disruptive during class; or (4) occupied with
activities other than those related to English.
Please remember to turn off all cell phones and to be respectful of
other students and the instructor during discussions or lectures. Participation is important to the success of
this course. Your participation grade
will be a composite of my perception of your contribution to the class.
Attendance
Students
may have up to four absences without penalty.
All absences are considered the same, whether the absence is due to a
legitimate illness, a family emergency, or a desire to have an early
weekend. No excuse is necessary for
absences one through four. Each
subsequent absence (after four) will result in a six point deduction from the
student’s final grade. NO
EXCEPTIONS. Use your absences
wisely. You are responsible for all
material missed. If you are absent, you
are welcome to visit me during my next scheduled office hours. I am happy to discuss material, but I will
not re-teach all of the material that was covered during your absence.
Please
Do NOT come late to class. I understand
that sometimes late arrival is unavoidable; however, chronic tardiness will
adversely impact your grade. Attendance will be called at the beginning of each
class. Students who arrive after I have
called roll must sign in after class. If
chronic tardiness occurs, I will begin to close the classroom door after I take
roll. Students who are not inside the classroom
when I close the door should not
enter the classroom. He or she will be
marked absent for that class period.
Three tardies will result in one absence. Students who miss fifteen or more minutes of
class will be counted absent for that class period.
Academic Integrity
The 2011-2012 Gordon College
Academic Catalog states that
Plagiarism
is prohibited. It is assumed that the written work submitted for evaluation and
credit is the student's own unless appropriately acknowledged. Such
acknowledgment should occur whenever one directly quotes another person's
actual words, appropriates another's ideas, opinions, or theories even when
they are paraphrased, and whenever one borrows facts, statistics, or other
illustrative materials unless the information is common knowledge. (287)
Be mindful of this in your
academic work. Academic integrity is a
serious matter.
Types
of Plagiarism:
Lack of Citation- Quotations that do not have
proper citation or quotations that do not have accurate citation information.
Inadequate
Paraphrase- A
paraphrase that shares the same sentence structure and word choice with the
original text (Quotation), a paraphrase that changes the meaning of the
original text, or a paraphrase that is not properly cited.
Patchwork Plagiarism- A text that is comprised,
either entirely or in part, of improperly cited material from multiple sources.
Wholesale
Plagiarism- A
text that is submitted by a student that is comprised of work that was written
by someone other than the student. This
includes papers or sections of papers that are taken from the internet,
purchased, retrieved from reference books ,or written by an acquaintance,
friend, or family member.
Self-Plagiarism-A text, either in its entirety or
in part, that was written by the student and submitted for another course (or
the same course).
Collusion- A text with which a student
receives so much help from others that the assignment can no longer be
considered a valid representation of the student’s work. This includes excessive help from friends,
family members, tutors, or other classmates.
All work should be an indication of the student’s ability. I reserve the right to refuse to accept an
assignment that reflects collusion between a student and any other person.
At my
discretion, the penalty for plagiarism of any type may range from a lower
grade, to a zero on the assignment, to a failure of the course. I will inform the Vice President of Student
Affairs of cases of plagiarism.
Egregious instances of plagiarism or repeated instances of plagiarism
will result in referral to the Academic Judicial Committee. Please review the
Student Code of Conduct.
ADA Services
To qualify for ADA Services,
you must see Counseling Services. Please contact Counseling Services at 678-359-5585 if you have any questions.
Important Notes
Please ask if there is ever
anything that you do not understand.
Please come during my office hours or make an appointment with me. I am
here to help and I want to help!
I would also encourage you to
utilize the Students Success Center, which is located in room 235 of the
Student Center. The tutoring staff there can help you in many of your
courses. http://www.gordonstate.edu/successcenter/
All emails to any professor
or instructor should be treated as professional communications. They should not resemble text messages or
instant messages. The subject should be
made clear in the subject line and your name should be attached. Also, I will try to respond to emails in a
timely manner, but you should not expect an immediate response to your
inquiries. I will not check my email
after four pm.
While this goes without
saying, I expect you to be prepared for and engaged in class. During the class period, texting, email
checking, internet surfing, personal conversations, reading or working on
material that is not pertinent to class, and sleeping are not allowed. I reserve the right to count you absent and
to ask you to leave, if you engage in any of these activities.
Course Schedule
English 4400: Minority American Literature
Fall 2012
TR 11:00-12:15
Section A 205 Academic Building
****We will discuss what is listed on the day that it
is listed. Have texts read, printed, and
with you.
****Schedule subject to chance with notice
**** BB= Blackboard
and UA= Unsettling America
Tuesday, Aug. 14 Introductions; HW: Read Louise Erdich “American Horse” and “The Bingo
Van” both on BB , Also
read “Indian
Boarding School: The Runaways” pg 26 and “Dear John Wayne” pg 54 both in UA
Thursday, Aug. 16 Discuss Erdich; HW: Read Sherman Alexie’s “A Drug Called Religion” and
his selections on BB,
Also read
“Vision (2)” pg 66, “Translated from the American” pg 67,” “Crazy Horse Speaks”
pg 237,
and “Pow wow
Polaroid” 240 all in UA
Tuesday, Aug. 21 Discuss Alexie; HW: Read Craig Womack’s
Drowning in Fire Ch. 1-3
Thursday, Aug.
23 Discuss Drowning
in Fire; HW: Read Drowning in Fire Ch. 4-5
Tuesday, Aug.
28 Discuss Drowning
in Fire; HW: Read Drowning in Fire Ch.
6-7
Thursday, Aug. 30 Discuss Drowning in Fire; HW: Read Drowning
in Fire Ch. 8-9
Tuesday, Sept.
4 Discuss Drowning
in Fire; HW: Read Drowning in Fire Ch.
10-Finish
Thursday, Sept. 6 Discuss Drowning
in Fire; HW: Read “Where Is My
Country” pg 3, “Dreams in Harrison Railroad
Park” pg 4, “When
I was Growing Up” pg 55, “Doreen” pg 57,
“In Response to Executive Order
9066” pg 44, “The
Nice Things About Counting Stars” pg 45, “Mnemonic” pg 204, “The Gift” pg 205,
“In the Elementary School Choir” 215, “When
I First Saw Snow” pg 217, “How I learned English” pg
210, “American
Son” 80, “We Are Americans Now, We Live in the Tundra” pg 10, “How I Got That
Name” pg 132, and “Elegy for
Chole Nguyen” 134 all in UA
Tuesday, Sept. 11 Discuss Asian Poetry; HW: Read Maxine Hong Kingston’s The
Woman Warrior Sections 1-2
Thursday, Sept. 13 Discuss The Woman Warrior HW:
Read The Woman Warrior Section 3
Tuesday, Sept. 18 Discuss The Woman Warrior HW:
Read The Woman Warrior Section 4
Thursday, Sept. 20 Discuss The Woman Warrior HW:
Read The Woman Warrior Section 5; HW: Read Phillip Kan
Gotanda’s The Wash on BB
Tuesday, Sept.
25 Discuss The Wash
Thursday, Sept. 27 Mid-Term Exam
Tuesday, Oct. 2 Watch Film Version of The Wash
Thursday, Oct 4. Finish and Discuss the Film version of The Wash; HW: Read Joseph Geha’s “Monkey
Business”
and “Through
and Through” on BB
Tuesday, Oct. 9 FALL BREAK NO CLASS
Thursday, Oct. 11 Discuss
Geha; HW: Read “Immigrants in Our Own Land,” pg 8, “Elena” pg 11, “So Mexicans
Are
Taking Jobs from
Americans” pg 115, “Immigrants” pgs 119, “Depression Days” pg 119,
“Coca-Cola
and Coca Frio” pg 124, “Niggerlips” pg 138, “From
an Island You Cannot Name” pg 139, “Senora X
No More” pg 129, “Culture” pg 300, “To Jesus
Villanueva, with Love” pg 309, “They Didn’t Get Me”
pg 312, “My People Are the Color of the Earth” pg
314, “Bully” pg 319, “La Migra” pg 367, All in
UA (Withdrawal Deadline)
Tuesday, Oct. 16 Discuss Hispanic Poetry, Analysis
of The Wash Due ; HW: Read Anzaldúa “How to Tame a Wild
Tongue” on BB and
Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango
Street Introduction to Pg 55
Thursday, Oct. 18 Discuss Anzaldúa and The House on
Mango Street; HW: Read The House on
Mango Street
Introduction to Finish
Tuesday, Oct. 23 Discuss The House on Mango Street;
HW: Read Miguel Piñero’s A Midnight Moon at a Greasy
Spoon on BB
Thursday, Oct. 25 Discuss A Midnight Moon at a
Greasy Spoon; HW: Read Joseph Junot Díaz’s “Fiesta” and “How to
Date a Browngirl,
Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie” both on BB
Tuesday, Nov.
30 Discuss Díaz; HW: Read Paule
Marshall’s “Reena” and “To Da-duh, In Memoriam” both on BB
Thursday, Nov. 1 Discuss Marshall; HW: Read Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory pg 3-61
Tuesday, Nov. 6 Discuss Breath, Eyes, Memory;
HW: Read Breath, Eyes, Memory pg
65-119
Thursday, Nov. 8 NO CLASS
Tuesday, Nov. 13 Discuss Breath, Eyes, Memory,
Must have Final Paper Topic Approved by
this day; HW: Read
Breath, Eyes, Memory pg 120-174
Thursday, Nov. 15 Discuss Breath, Eyes, Memory,
Read Breath, Eyes, Memory pg 177-Finish
Tuesday, Nov. 20 Discuss Breath, Eyes, Memory; HW: Read “Untitled Blues” pg 97, “What Would
I Do White”
pg 114, “A Poem about
Intelligence for My Brothers and Sisters” pg 161, “Salt” pg 246, “Hanging
Fire” pg 297,” all in UA, Also read the Audre
Lorde Selections on BB (Other poems are TBA)
Thursday, Nov. 22 THANKSGIVING NO CLASS
Tuesday, Nov. 27 Discuss Black Immigrant Poetry, Final
Paper Due
Tuesday, Nov. 29 Review
Final Exam Wednesday, December 5, 2012 10:15-12:15