Fall 2003

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

Department of English

Professor Ethel Morgan Smith Office Hours-Tue 4:30-6:30

327 Stansbury Hall and by appointment

293-3107 ext 412

African American Literature-English 254

To the Spirit:

Without whose assistance

Neither this book

Nor I

Would have been

Written.

Alice Walker, The Color Purple

This course aims to reclaim the writers of the Harlem Renaissance, that period of intense flowering of African American writers, artists, and musicians. We will read representative texts by a wide variety of writers, and we will examine those texts within the aesthetic, social, and political contexts of the period. A central assumption is that you you've had some reading in African American texts. If that is not the case, I will assume that you're very interested in the subject and have a general love and interest in American literature. We will examine issues of subjectivity and agency (ability to assert life), multiple consciousness and experience by looking at topics such gender relations, family life, work patterns, organizational activities, and cultural production of the period.

Student's participation is the heart of the class. It is essential to the development of competency in analyzing these literary works, thus students are expected to be prepared for class by completing the readings prior to class discussion, and further to participate in class orally. This is a very demanding course. Reading is a must. We complete all of the textbooks.

CLASS OBJECTIVES

To stimulate the understanding and enjoyment of African-American literary works in relation to their historical period and their relationship to experience and culture

To develop the ability to read literary texts for meaning, structure, and style

To develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills through the analysis of literary works of African Americans

To deepen your understanding of American literature and culture through the specialized study of and focus on works by African Americans as important components of American literature, culture, and aesthetics

To recognize and critically analyze selected African-American works through

genre, predominate themes, literary movements, and relationship to historical and social contexts

CLASS PROCEDURES

1. Attendance is very necessary! If you cannot attend class for some reason, you are responsible for finding out from a classmate what you have missed, and what the assignment is for the next class meeting. Please do not call me at home or in the office for assignments you've missed. You're expected to be prepared to participate fully in the class discussion on the day you return to class, and to hand in any assignment that is due. Quizzes, homework, and writing in-class assignments cannot be made up if you're absent on the day they're due. Don't expect an A if you miss ONE day of class.

2. Class participation will be an important portion of your grade, not that it will be equivalent in value to all of the written work and discussion. I will assume that each of you would have read the assignment, and I will, therefore, feel free to call on you.

3. To prepare yourself for class discussions, mark what you read by underlining passages, or by writing the page and paragraph number down so that you can easily refer to materials. What I mean by that is, material that strikes you as important or interesting, or part of the text that you simply do not understand. This is the time to raise questions as well.

4. Assignments must be turned in as a minimum requirement for passing this course. Assignments are due at the end of the class on the due date. They should be placed in my hand. Late papers will be penalized one grade for each day they are late, and will receive a failing grade! In cases where illness or absences from campus has made it impossible for you to hand in your work on schedule, you must present a properly authorized excuse in order to avoid a late penalty.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Class Participation 20%

Two Quizzes 20%

(unannounced)

Midterm Examination 30%

Final Examination 30%

REQUIRED TEXTS

Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

The Price of the Ticket (film) James Baldwin

The Harlem Reader, ed. Herb Boyd

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Plum Bun by Jesse Fauset

A Raisin in the Sun (film) by Lorraine Hansberry

Third Generation by Chester Himes

I Wonder as I Wander by Langston Hughes

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Quicksand/Passing by Nella Larsen

Jazz by Toni Morrison

The Wedding (film) Dorothy West

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

The following electronic sites provide useful links to materials relevant to our course. As you find new links, please share them with the class via email or in class.

valuable links to resources available on the internet in the general area of African American Literature.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week of

Aug 19^th Introduction-Review of Syllabus-Discussion on Expectations

Aug 25^th The Fire Next Time

Sept 1^st Labor Day

Sept 2^nd The Price of the Ticket (shown in the audio library)

Sept 9^th Third Generation

Sept 16^th Invisible Man (We will read this book in about 4 segments).

Sept 26^th Rosh Hashanah (Day of Special Concern)

Sept 30^th Quicksand/Passing

Oct 3^rd Midterm Examination Week-Exam will be announced.

Oct 6^th Yom Kippur (Day of Special Concern)

Oct 7^th I Wonder as I Wander

Oct 14^th A Raisin in the Sun (film)

Oct 24^th Last Day to Drop a Class

Oct 28^th Jazz

Nov 4^th Election Day

Nov 11^th The Harlem Reader

Nov 18^th Plum Bum

Nov 22^nd Thanksgiving Recess

Nov 30^th The Wedding (film)

Dec 2^nd Their Eyes Were Watching God

Dec 5^th Last Day to Withdraw

Dec 6^th Last Day of Class

Dec 10^th Final Examination Week-Exam will be announced.

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY IS COMMITTED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. THE INSTRUCTOR OF

THIS COURSE, WITH WVU'S COMMITMENT, EXPECTS TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT BASED UPON OPEN COMMUNICATION AND MUTUAL RESPECT. ANY

SUGGESTIONS AS HOW TO FURTHER SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT WILL BE APPRECIATED.