American Literature

American Literature is a graduation-required literature and composition course, in which students challenge their understanding of what America is, who is Americans are, and how America has come to be.

Syllabus for March 10

Monday

Third period only meets today (ninth period did this on Friday). Lecture on identity imagery in chapter eleven, the IM in the factory hospital.
HW: The link to the Brer Rabbit articles is here. Print and read them for class on Wednesday. You will also need to finish reading chapter eleven.

Tuesday

Today we will finish listening to and lecturing on IM in the factory hospital. How is the electroshock therapy a rebirth for the IM? Will he now be better prepared to: a) imagine who he is, b) confront a racist, white society, and c) reconcile both these previously contradictory selves?
HW: Read the Brer Rabbit articles.

Wednesday

Racist iconography in American culture. We will look at Song of the South, the boycotted Walt Disney film, watching the clips featuring Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. We will also watch a clip from the antique roadshow. Finishing class by listening to part of chapter twelve.
HW: Finish reading chapter twelve tonight.

Thursday

Third period is meeting in lab 377N to work on annotated bibliography. Ninth period will meet in lab 224.
HW: Tonight, keep adding material to you annotated bibliography. You should have approx. eight entries by Monday. You should have finished reading your novel one week from this coming Monday (but the earlier, the better).

Friday

In the library. If you haven't shared your noodle-bib with Ms. Novak, do that ASAP. Until you have eight annotated sources on your bibliography, you should be working on that. Once done, work on finishing you novel. Once that is done, you can revise your novel annotation.
HW: Read chapter thirteen of IM for Monday.