English 370 – Major Authors – Toni Morrison and
Charles Johnson
Instructor:
Julie Barak Phone: 248-1072
e-mail: [email protected] Office
Hours:
Homepage: http://home.mesastate.edu/~jbarak Office: Lowell Heiny Hall
443
Course Goals: 1) Rigorous survey of the fiction and critical writings
of Toni Morrison and Charles Johnson 2) Discussion of the issues relevant to
African American Literature and Criticism. 3) Development of critical thinking
skills including, but not limited to a) identifying and formulating questions,
problems and arguments, b) evaluating the appropriateness of various methods of
reasoning, c) identifying and assessing assumptions, d) critically comparing
different points of view, e) articulating reasoned judgments, f) discussing
alternative points of view, g) defending and/or criticizing a point of view, h)
evaluating the quality of evidence and reasoning, and i)
drawing appropriate conclusions.
Course Methods: 1) Discussion in large and small groups. 2)
Sharing information through oral and written reports. 3) Quizzes to encourage
reading retention and comprehension.
Evaluation Tools: 1) Regular Reading Quizzes covering factual information drawn
from the reading assignments. Your grade will be based on 26 out of 29 quizzes.
I’ll drop the lowest three scores. (20% of your final grade.)
2) Three short essays (2-3 pages) on
issues dealing with the definitions of race, blackness, whiteness,
stereotyping, etc. (10% of your final grade.) 3) Four short exams on the
critical writings of Morrison and Johnson (20% of your final grade.) 4) Bibliography of research materials for
your conference paper. Bibliography must include at least 10 citations in MLA
format. (20% of your grade.) 5) Prospectus describing your main idea for your conference paper (1/2
page single spaced). (10% of your grade.) 6) Paper/Conference Presentation (7-8
pages). (20% of your final grade.) See schedule on the reverse
side of this page for due dates.
Important note about course content: If this course
were a movie, it would most likely be rated “R.” Many of the primary texts deal
explicitly with a spectrum of issues concerning human sexuality, contain
language that the movie industry would find unsuitable for children and
adolescents, and create/recreate graphically violent scenes. I am not
apologizing for the texts, nor am I endorsing or agreeing with the movie
industry’s rating system. I’m simply creating a metaphor from popular culture
that you might use to gauge your potential response to the material and the
course. If you believe that texts containing this sort of material would offend
you and that you could not read texts containing this sort of material, then
you should drop the course. Everyone who is enrolled in the course must
complete all the reading assignments. No substitutions will be made for any
reason.
Toni Morrison – Bluest Eye, Sula,
Song of Solomon, Beloved,
Charles Johnson – Being and Race: Black Writing Since 1970, Faith and the Good
Thing, Oxherding Tale, Middle Passage, Dreamer
(All books are available in
the Mesa State College bookstore. You can probably also find all of them at any
local bookstore. You could certainly order all of them online at Amazon or any
other online bookstore. Many of them are available at the Mesa State College
Library, at the Mesa County Public Library, or through Prospector.)
Academic
Misconduct. Please read the
section on cheating and plagiarism in the student handbook. The consequences for cheating and plagiarism
are severe and can include failure for the assignment, possible failure of the
course, disciplinary referral to the dean, and possible expulsion from the
College. If you have questions about these violations of academic honesty or
the consequences for these violations, please come and see me.
Disabilities. If you have any
condition, such as a physical or mental disability, which will make it
difficult for you to carry out the work for the course, please talk to me and
we will work with the support services here at
Attendance and Participation.
While showing up is a sign of interest and commitment to the course, active,
lively, and productive discussions require vocal participants. So, show
up and speak up. Every absence after the first three will lower your
grade in the following manner: If your final grade for the course is a B,
but you have 4 absences, your final grade will be a B-. If your final
grade for the course is a B, but you have 5 absences, your final grade for the
course will be a C+. If your final grade for the course is a B, but you have 6
absences, your final grade will be a C-. If you have any questions about
this attendance policy, please don't hesitate to ask.
Assignment Schedule:
|
Date |
Reading Assignment |
Writing Assignments |
|
Jan. 12 |
Introductions/Question
Assignment |
|
|
Jan. 14 |
Read “Recitatif”
– Short Story Handout |
Short Essay Due (2-3 pages) |
|
Jan. 16 |
Read “Whiteness: the Power
of Invisibility” -- Handout |
Short Essay Due (2-3 pages) |
|
Jan. 19 |
Playing in the Dark |
Short Essay Due (2-3 pages) |
|
Jan. 21 |
Playing in the Dark |
In-Class Short Exam |
|
Jan. 23 |
Playing in the Dark |
In-Class Short Exam |
|
Jan. 26 |
Bluest Eye Opening and
Autumn |
Quiz |
|
Jan. 28 |
Bluest Eye Winter |
Quiz |
|
Jan. 30 |
Bluest Eye Spring and Summer |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 02 |
Sula 1-66 or 1919 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 04 |
Sula 67-111 or 1923,1927 and 1937 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 06 |
Sula To end or 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1965 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 09 |
Song of Solomon |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 11 |
Song of Solomon |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 13 |
Song of Solomon |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 16 |
Winter Break |
|
|
Feb. 18 |
Song of Solomon |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 20 |
Beloved 1-63 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 23 |
Beloved 64-134 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 25 |
Beloved 135-204 |
Quiz |
|
Feb. 27 |
Beloved 205-end |
Quiz |
|
Mar. 01 |
|
Quiz |
|
Mar. 03 |
|
Quiz |
|
Mar. 05 |
|
Quiz |
|
Mar. 08 |
|
Quiz – Bibliography Due |
|
Mar. 10 |
No class |
|
|
Mar. 12 |
No class |
|
|
Mar. 15-19 |
Spring Break |
|
|
Mar. 22 |
Being and Race: Black Writing Since 1970 i-53 |
In-Class Short Exam |
|
Mar. 24 |
Being and Race: Black Writing Since 1970 57-end |
In-Class Short Exam |
|
Mar. 26 |
No Class |
|
|
Mar. 29 |
Faith and the Good Thing
Chapters 1-4 |
Quiz – Prospectus Due |
|
Mar. 31 |
Faith and the Good Thing
Chapters 5-8 |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 02 |
Faith and the Good Thing To
end |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 05 |
Oxherding Tale Chapters I-III |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 07 |
Oxherding Tale Chapters IV-VII |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 09 |
Oxherding Tale To end |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 12 |
Middle Passage Entry the 1st
– Entry the 3rd |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 14 |
Middle Passage Entry the 4th
– Entry the 6th |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 16 |
Middle Passage To end |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 19 |
Dreamer Chapters 1-4 |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 21 |
Dreamer Chapters 5-8 |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 23 |
Dreamer To end |
Quiz |
|
Apr. 26 |
|
Presentations |
|
Apr. 28 |
|
Presentations |
|
Apr. 30 |
|
Presentations |
|
May 03 |
|
Presentations |