ENGLISH 652 - SEMINAR IN PLURALISM

Cornel West,  Race Matters
Toni Morrison,  Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination
Toni Morrison,  Sula
Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Karl Kroeber, ed.,  Traditional Literatures of the American Indian
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
Sherman Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Sheng-Mei Ma, The Deathly Embrace: Orientalism and Asian American Identity
Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
Rudolfo A. Anaya,  Bless Me, Ultima
Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Arranged Marriage

                        Sula            Study Questions          

Sept. 24 

Ceremony  

Photocopied Materials: Joy Harjo, Alexie, Simon Ortiz,  Louise Erdrich

Come to class having seen Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet and Wayne Wang's The Joy Luck Club

    Nov. 19 

                            Photocopied Materials:  from Anzaldua's Borderlands ; Rudolfo A. Anaya,  Bless Me, Ultima

Dec. 3   Presentations (Final Papers)

Dec. 10   Presentations (Final Papers)

SEMINAR REQUIREMENTS 

1. Regular class attendance. Thorough reading of assignments. Spirited and scholarly class discussion of your reading.

2. Eleven 1-page papers, single-spaced. Ten Response and/or Position Papers (at least two must be Position Papers) and one background research paper. Limited to 1-page each, single-spaced. Bring 4 copies to class. These will help you focus the material and your ideas and will facilitate seminar discussion. Include (1) Two questions, either sincerely looking for an answer or designed to see what others have to say, and (2) Your comments about the readings. Some weeks you may have a Response Paper only (very loosely organized reactions). At least twice you will write a Position Paper (well-organized statement about a literary, theoretical, or cultural issue about which you can articulate your view). Other weeks you may wish to combine Response and Position. For one week you will have signed up to do some background research on the material discussed for that seminar (bring copies for all members of the seminar).

3. Critical Paper. 12-15 pp. Precise MLA format.

• Research one or two critical, theoretical, or cultural issues of pluralism in literature. Formulate a focused argument. You may expand any of your Response/Position Papers.
  OR
  
• Write a critical paper on any literary work(s) outside the Western European mainstream. You may use texts from the course syllabus if your approach is mostly outside of class discussion. You may expand any of your Response/Position Papers if appropriate. Refer to the views of other critics of the work(s) and make evident how your argument fits into the critical dialogue. Formulate a focused argument.

Although you may re-work a short paper or presentation from another course, using one project to fulfill requirements for two courses is not acceptable.

You will present your findings to the class informally (15 minutes, not reading your paper).

A

• All course requirements met completely, including full attendance.
• Consistent graduate-level work (a professional seriousness, a willingness to grapple with difficult concepts, an indication of some original insight).
• Sustained evidence of active engagement with the course material.
• Apparent familiarity with the issues of pluralism in literature.
• Apparent familiarity with the authors and texts of the seminar.
• Good writing and excellent research, consistently at the graduate level.

B

• All course requirements met, including full attendance.
• Graduate-level work (a professional seriousness, a willingness to grapple with difficult concepts, an indication of some original insight).
• Evidence of active engagement with the course material.
• Apparent familiarity with the issues of pluralism in literature.
• Apparent familiarity with the authors and texts of the seminar.
• Graduate-level research and writing.

C

• The final paper completed and presented, most response/position papers turned in on time, no more than one or two absences.
• Most other course requirements met, including active participation in discussion.
• Indication of engagement with the course material.
• Evidence of some familiarity with the issues of pluralism in literature.
• Evidence of some familiarity with the authors and texts of the seminar.
• Adequate writing.

D & F

• Less than "C" requirements met.

Late Work: For each week-day a written assignment is late, half of a letter grade will be deducted.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you submit any work which is not the product of your own study and efforts, you will receive a grade of "F" for the course.

Conferences: You are encouraged to seek individual discussion with the professor during regular office hours, after class, and by appointment. You are encouraged to sign up for a due date for the first draft of your paper and meet with the professor before Nov. 16^th.

312C Spotts World Culture Bldg.

Phone: 738-2358

E-mail: rachela.permenter@sru.edu

Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30, T 1-3, by appt., and before class.

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Last updated Aug. 19, 2001

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