Course Description, Purpose, and Obejctives

From the catalog: English 2230 is a survey of important black American writers and the historical development of black images and experiences in American literature and culture.

Course description, purpose, and objectives: In this course, we will read, talk about, interpret, and write about literature by African American writers. In doing so, we will also explore the contexts surrounding these artists and their work, including social, political, historical, and linguistic contexts, and think about the ways these literary texts engage, construct, reflect, reinforce and/or subvert them. By the end of the semester, students should (1) have an increased understanding of the role of African American writing as part of the American literary tradition; (2) be able to read literature critically and talk and write about it intelligently; and (3) have improved research, writing, and analytical skills, including using literary and scholarly texts in the production of a research paper that makes and supports an original argument.

Required Texts:

Gates and McKay, eds. Norton Anthology of African American Literature, 2nd ed.

Rickford and Rickford, Spoken Soul: The Story of Black English.

Assignments and values

Final exam                              20%
Midterm exam                         20%
Term paper                             20%
Electronic journal                    15%
Individual presentation            10%
Collaborative presentation       10%
Attendance and participation     5%

Grading criteria for all assignments:

A   = 4 Excellent: work of the highest quality.
BA = 3.5
B   = 3
CB = 2.5
C   = 2
DC = 1.5
D   = 1
F   = 0-.5 for work that does not meet minimum standards; 0 for work not turned in.

At any time during the semester, you are welcome and encouraged to stop by during office hours (or make an appointment) to discuss your progress in the course.

Exams: The midterm will include all material covered during the first half of the semester and the final will cover the second half as well as important earlier material. Each exam will include identifications and short answer questions taken from readings, discussions, and lectures.

Term paper: This assignment is an opportunity for you to apply concepts learned in class and to present the results in literary-research-paper format. We will discuss this assignment, requirements, and topic ideas in class. Please note that this assignment calls for college-level research and writing skills, that I will expect you to make every effort to see that your paper achieves the quality appropriate at this level, and that I will be glad to meet with you, at your request, to help you succeed. You will need to research, develop, draft, revise, and edit conscientiously over the assignment period in order to complete this assignment satisfactorily. I also encourage you to come to office hours, consult reference librarians, and visit the writing center in order to improve your paper and maximize the learning experience.

Electronic journal entries are responses to readings that reflect your deep engagement with texts. They offer opportunities to explore your ideas about the readings, prepare for class discussions, and practice and improve your writing skills. On several occasions during the semester, the e-journal assignment will constitute an interim deadline for your term paper. Guidelines for e-journal postings will be provided.

Individual presentation: Each student will prepare an individual presentation and lead the class discussion on researched and textual materials. We’ll set up a schedule for these early in the semester and specific guidelines will be provided.

Collaborative presentation: Students will work collaboratively to produce a presentation that interprets a literary work (or more than one) or other cultural product or movement. Assignment guidelines will be provided.

Electronic copies of assignments will not be accepted in lieu of hard copies. Graded assignments and exams will generally be returned within one to two weeks.

Attendance and participation: African American literature is a very interesting topic but it is also one that requires daily attendance because so much of what is learned in this course happens through discussion and interaction in class. But attendance by itself is not enough; you must also be prepared to participate actively, which means completing all reading and other assignments on time. If you must miss class, my policy is to permit a maximum of three “freebie” absence. By “freebie,” I mean that I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. I also mean that’s all you get. Exceptions can only be made in cases of serious illness (such as those requiring hospitalization) and other documentable emergencies. Minimal absences reflect favorably. Excessive absences don’t, and four or more may result in a course grade reduction. Six or more absences may result in a course grade of E. It is each student’s responsibility to stay on top of all course material and assignments when a class meeting is missed. A missed class session cannot be made up during office hours or at any other time. (See also ‘Being late to class’ policy below.)

Being late to class should be kept to a minimum. Please make it a habit to be in class on time. Otherwise, you risk missing important course content (such as instructions or quizzes) which may be over by the time you get there. Also, when you walk in late, it is distracting to other students. The same goes for leaving early. It is your responsibility to stay on top of what goes on in class whether you are there or not. If you are late, it is your responsibility to stay after class to make sure you have been marked present. Absences resulting from uncorrected lates count as absences. Habitual lateness will result in a reduction of your attendance and participation score and hence your course grade. Leaving at the break will be recorded as an absence.


Academic Integrity

All work you turn in for this class must be your own, with all outside reference sources properly cited and acknowledged. Plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, any kind of falsification or forgery, computer misuse, multiple submission, complicity, and any other type of academic dishonesty on any exams or work assigned for this course, will not be tolerated in any form. You are required to read and comply fully with the policies and definitions outlined in the Western Michigan University statement on academic integrity, available in the undergraduate and graduate student catalogs, available in print and online here. If there is reason to believe any student has been involved in academic dishonesty, he or she will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. The student will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s) and have the opportunity for a hearing. Please consult with me if you are in doubt about how to cite a source in your paper, whether a source is appropriate, whether a citation is needed, if you are not sure what level of help on an assignment constitutes complicity or collusion, or with any other academic integrity questions. As I am also required to uphold the standards of academic integrity, my policy is zero tolerance for any type of deception, and I do not want for any of you to find out the hard way how seriously I take this.

Students with Disabilities should contact Ms. Beth Denhartigh at the beginning of the semester at 387-2116 or by email at beth.denhartigh@wmich.edu so that any physical, learning, vision, hearing, psychiatric or other disability can be documented and accommodations arranged. Please note that a disability determination must be made by Ms. Denhartigh's office before accommodations can be made.

Late work is generally frowned upon in college and elsewhere, and this class is no exception. Arrangements should be made in advance (and you’ll need a documentable explanation). Unexplained late work (or excuses after the fact) will not be accepted and a grade of zero will be assessed for the assignment.

Makeups: Daily assignments, exercises, quizzes, presentations, and in-class activities cannot be made up if missed because of lateness or absence. Makeups on major assignments, such as exams or papers, must be arranged with me in advance of due dates in order to avoid penalties, and you will have to make a pretty strong case in order to be granted an extension.

Classroom etiquette: You are encouraged to read and think critically and thus you are not required to agree with everything you read or everything that is said during discussions in this class. In my experience, learning works best when an open dialogue is encouraged. All thoughtful contributions are welcome; I ask only that everyone be respectful during class discussions. The goal is for our classroom to be a safe place to flex your intellectual muscles, where everyone feels comfortable generating, expressing, and challenging ideas. Your help in reaching this goal is essential. Also, please familiarize yourself with and adhere to Western Michigan’s code of student conduct, linked here. Students who are not willing or able to abide by the code and respect the rights of everyone to a comfortable teaching and learning environment will be asked to leave.

Other etiquette issues: Sleeping, eating, grooming, reading non-course materials, doing homework, having conversations, using any kind of electronic communications device, and other such activities are discouraged because of their disruptive and impolite nature, and also because they keep you from fully participating. Your active participation is part of your course grade, of course, and also, nothing interesting will happen in class without your input. That is, the class will be as interesting as you make it. Showing up on time and prepared (that means completing all reading assignments and other homework and being ready to work when you get here) will help your grade as well as enhance your learning experience.

No recording of any kind – audio, video, photographic, or otherwise – is permitted in this class without the informed consent of all students and the instructor. Everyone in this class has a right not to have their voices and/or likenesses recorded without their knowledge and permission, including the instructor.

If you would like extra help with course material, you are always welcome in my office. There is no need for an appointment if you would like to drop by during my office hours (Tuesday afternoons from 3-4:30 p.m.), but please make arrangements with me if you are not free during office hours so that we can set up a time to meet. Also, please email me any time if you have questions or concerns.

A word to the wise: Failure to follow directions is one of my two pet peeves; the other is failure to listen or read carefully when instructions are being given. The first is almost always a result of the second. Credit will not be awarded to work which does not properly respond to all requirements of the assignment. If you are ever not clear on what is being asked of you, I invite you yo check with me either in person or via email.

English 2230 Schedule of Reading and Writing Assignments

I reserve the right to make minor adjustments or massive changes to this syllabus as a result of interference from reality. You are encouraged to check our class updates page regularly for news, schedule changes, and announcements.

Our class lectures and discussions will not be recapitulations of readings but rather collaborative discussions of them, so please come to class on having completed the readings scheduled for discussion on that day. For all texts assigned, all notes and introductory material about the author and literary work should always be read.

All reading assignments are in the Norton Anthology of African American Lit except where otherwise noted.

Week 1: Introduction to the African American literature
Jan 09-11

T Jan 09: Introduction to course.
Th Jan 11: Come to class having read “Introduction: Talking Books” (Norton xxxvii-xlvii).

Week 2: Slavery and Freedom
Jan 16-18

T Jan 16: Come to class having read “The Literature of Slavery and Freedom”(151-162) and Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, through Part XXVIII (279-300).

Th Jan. 18: For class today, finish Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (300-315) and read Brown, Narrative of William Wells Brown, a Fugitive Slave (315-325).

Week 3: Slavery and Freedom
Jan 23-25

T Jan 23: Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, through chapter 9 (385-421).

Th Jan 25: Finish Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (422-452).

Week 4: Reconstruction to Renaissance
Jan 30-Feb 01

T Jan 30: Introduction (541-554) and Grimké (554-569).

Th Feb 01: Washington, Up from Slavery (570-602).

Week 5: Reconstruction to Renaissance
Feb 06-08

T Feb 06: DuBois headnote (686-689) and The Souls of Black Folk (692-720).

Th Feb 08: The Souls of Black Folk (720-742).

Week 6: Reconstruction to Renaissance: African American language and literature
Feb 13-15

T Feb 13: Spoken Soul, chapters 1 and 2 (3-38).

Th Feb 15: Chesnutt, stories and journal entries (602-635).

Week 7: Reconstruction to Renaissance: Subverting the Plantation Tradition
Feb 20-22

T Feb 20: Spoken Soul, chapters 6 and 7 (91-128), and Page, “Marse Chan” (online, linked to updates page).

Th Feb 22: Dunbar (904-925) and Chesnutt, “Dave’s Neckliss” and “Sis Becky’s Pickaninny” (online, linked to updates page).

Week 8: Midterm Exam
Feb 27-Mar 01

T Feb 27: Complete discussion of readings thus far; review for midterm.

Th Mar 01: Midterm exam.

Week 9: Spring break! No classes. Enjoy reading works of the Harlem Renaissance during the break!
Mar 06-08

Week 10: The Harlem Renaissance
Mar 13-15

T Mar 13: Spoken Soul, chapter 8 (129-160) and Intro. to the Harlem Renaissance (953-962).

Th Mar 15: Fauset, Plum Bun (975-983); Locke, The New Negro (983-993); McKay, Home to Harlem (1003-1006 and 1010-1019).

Last date to withdraw from classes: Monday, March 19 (not that you’d want to).

Week 11: The Harlem Renaissance
Mar 20-22

T Mar 20: Hurston (1018-1070).

Th Mar 22: Hughes, Introduction and poems (1289-1311) and “The Blues I’m Playing” (1315-1325), and Countee Cullen (1339-1351).

Week 12: Post-Renaissance Twentieth Century
Mar 27-29

T Mar 27: Wright, Introduction (1399-1402) and Black Boy (1471-1487), and Baldwin, Introduction (1696-1699) and “Sonny’s Blues” (1728-1749).

Th Mar 29: Brooks (1623-1649).

Week 13: The Black Arts Era; term papers due!
April 03-05

T April 03: Introduction to the Black Arts Era (1831-1850), Malcolm X (1859-76) and King (1895-1908).

Th April 05: Lorde (1919-1036), Knight (1908-1911), and Sanchez (1963-1967). Final draft of term paper due at class time.

Week 14: Contemporary African American Writing.
April 10-12

T April 10: Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (2155-56, 2158-2167), and Gaines, “The Sky Is Gray” (2322-2344).

Th April 12: Danticat, Breath, Eyes, Memory (2662-2677), and Whitehead, John Henry Days (2677-2694).

Week 15: Last week of class before final exams! Contemporary Literature.
April 17-19

T April 17: Morrison, Song of Solomon, through chapter 11 (2210-2255).

Th April 19: Finish Song of Solomon (2255-2285).

Week 16: Final Exam: Friday, April 27, 8-10 a.m.

 

back to top