Instructor: Lynette D. Myles

Office location and phone:  LL 341 / 965-4399

Office Hours: MW 2:30-3:30 PM and by appointment

Email: lynette.myles@asu.edu

Website: http://www.public.asu.edu/~tre9116

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course will examine the novels, short stories, essays, speeches, and dramas that come out of the “voices” of African American Women before 1931.  It will focus on the writings of Black women using language as agency from bell hooks’s assertion, “talkin’ back” to those forces that attempt to “silence” and “erase” them literally and culturally.  Students will examine the writings of African American women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and become familiar with how they used their writing and speaking “voices” to redefine black women outside the ideal of “The Cult of True Womanhood.” In studying how African American women gave new meaning and definition to their lives, we will also discuss African American history and cultural contexts alongside the required readings.  Through the readings and class discussions, students will develop techniques of literary analysis and will understand that responsible readings are distinguished by careful examination and textual support. 

REQUIRED TEXTS

(Please bring your book to each class, as I will be making specific references to the text.)

Nell Painter, Narrative of Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

Henry Louis Gates, ed., Six Women’s Slave Narratives (1831-1898)

Harriet A. Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861)

Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice From the South (1892)

Frances Harper, Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted (1892) in William Wells Brown, Three Classic African American Novels

Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider

Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces (1900)

Nella Larsen, Quicksand in Quicksand and Passing (1928)

Jessie Redmon Fauset, Plum Bun (1928)

Selected short stories from Hamer, Judith A. and Martin Hamer, Eds.  Centers of the Self: Short Stories by Black American Women from the Nineteenth Century to the Present. (Reserved at Hayden)

Selected plays from African American Women Playwrights Kathy A. Perkins, Black Female Playwrights: An Anthology of Plays Before 1950 (Reserved at Hayden)

ORAL PRESENTATION

In addition, please read one publication from list below for oral presentation (asterisks refer to due dates for oral reports on syllabus).

A.  Biographies, biographies, histories

*Belinda Hurmence, Before Freedom, When I Just Can Remember

*Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House (1824-1907)

**Any biography of Julia Cooper

**Annie Burton, Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days (1909)

***Mary Eliza Church Terrell (1863-1954)

***Ida B. Wells (1862-1931)

Histories

*Any works on “The Cult of True Womanhood”

*Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women of the South

*Barbara Leslie Epstein, The Politics of Domesticity

**Lori Ginsberg, Women and the Work of Benevolence: Morality, Politics, and Class in the Nineteenth Century United States

**Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, relevant sections

***Dorothy Sterling, ed., We are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century.

***Paula Gidding, When and Where I Enter

B.  Other Works of Fiction

**Katherine Davis Tillman, The Works of Katherine Davis Chapman Tillman (1893-1922)

**Mary Weston Fordham, Magnolia Leaves

***Dorothy West, any works

**Mrs. A. E. Johnson, Clarence and Corrine; or, God’s Way (1890)

***Zona Gale, Miss Lulu Bett [stage play] 1921

C.  Nonfiction our authors might have read:

*Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women

*Margaret Fuller, Woman in the Nineteenth Century and Other Writings (1845)

***W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (1901)

D.  Periodicals our authors read and/or published in:

*The Colored American Magazine

**Saturday Evening Quill

***Crisis

*Liberator

**Opportunity

E.  Literary Critical Works

*Ann duCille, The Coupling Convention (1993)

**Barbara Christian, Black Feminist Criticism (1985)

*Hazel Carby, Reconstructing Womanhood (1987)

***Claudia Tate, Domestic Allegories of Political Desire (1992)

***bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance: Attendance is taken at each class session.  A student who exceeds five absences, regardless of the reason, will fail the course.  Attendance equates to showing up on time, listening, turning in assignments, and participating in class and group activities.  If you must leave early or arrive late, please inform me in advance in person or by e-mail.  If you are chronically late to class, leave early, or are not prepared to participate, you may lose credit for that day’s activities.

Participation: This is not a lecture course.  Students are expected to be prepared and participate in discussions and group activities.  This means assigned reading should be completed before class meeting at which readings are to be discussed.  Your participation grade will also include various in-class activities and fastwrites.

Reading Response Log: Students will write weekly responses (one to two double-spaced typed pages, due on Mondays).  Responses will be graded.

Oral Presentation: Students will present a 10 minute presentation on readings selected in part II above.  Students will prepare a handout of their presentation for the class and instructor.  You are encouraged to be creative in your presentation.  Topics should be selected by the second week of class.

Papers: Students are required to write two papers.  The first paper should be 5-7 double spaced, typewritten pages.  No secondary sources are required for this paper.  The final paper should be 8-12 pages in length.  For the second paper, you must use two to three important substantive works of literary criticism about your topic.  You must cite these sources appropriately in your paper.  When paper is due, you will turn in a folder with your final draft, rough draft, and peer review sheet(s).

Class Policy: No extra credit assignments will be given.

Late Response Logs: Late responses will not be accepted. 

Late Papers: Late papers will be penalized by automatically receiving one letter grade lower than the grade assigned to it.  Permission to turn in a late paper without penalty will be rarely granted and only based on a conference with the instructor and never on the day of the assignment is due.  If you are having trouble completing a paper, make an appointment with me or simply attend office hours.  Further, if you wish to turn in a late paper, you must see the instructor immediately to make appropriate arrangements.

Grading:

Peer Reviews 10% , Attendance and participation 15%, Weekly Responses 25% , Paper #1 25%, and Paper #2 25%

Grading Scale:

A: 4.0,    A-: 3.7,    B+: 3.3,    B: 3.0,    B-: 2.7,    C+: 2.3,    C: 2.0,    C-: 1.7,    D+: 1.3, 
D: 1.0,    D-: 0.7,    E: 0.3 

Plagiarism:  Unacceptable and intolerable.  Plagiarism in your responses or on your paper will lead to failure in the course.  If  you have questions about how to cite sources, refer to MLA Handbook or see me.

Student Code of Conduct:  http://www.asu.edu/studentlife/judicial

Withdrawal Deadlines:

January 20              Last day of drop/add

February 8             Unrestricted withdrawal

March 29               Restricted course withdrawal

April 25                  Restricted complete withdrawal

FURTHER VALUES AND STIPULATIONS

Please come to class on time and please be fully present.  Your hearts and minds as well as your physical presence are needed to make our class time vibrant, pleasurable, and important.

Do the reading and be open to the possibility that the text might be trying to teach you to approach an idea or concept differently. 

Please remember to respect the opinions of others and not monopolize discussions.  Everyone should feel comfortable when speaking in class.

I encourage you to make use of me, both during office hours and by e-mail.  I enjoy the opportunity to get to know you better.

Syllabus is subject to change with notice.

Week 1

Mon. 1/14:  Introduction to class. Review course guidelines and requirements. 

Wed. 1/16:  Nell Painter, Narrative of Sojourner Truth                

Fri. 1/18:  Narrative of Sojourner Truth

Week 2

Mon. 1/21:  Due- Weekly Response, Narrative of Sojourner Truth            

Wed. 1/23:  Narrative of Sojourner Truth

Fri. 1/25:  History of Mary Prince and Memoir of Old Elizabeth from Six Women’s Slave Narratives

Week 3

*Mon. 1/28: Weekly Response Due.  Darkness Cometh the Light, or, Struggles from Freedom Six Women’s Slave Narratives.    Oral presentation on items marked with one asterisk—Before Freedom, Behind the Scenes, Within the Plantation Household, The Politics of Domesticity, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Woman in the Nineteenth Century and Other Writings, The Colored Magazine, Liberator, Reconstructing Black Womanhood and The Coupling Convention and any reading on the Cult of True Womanhood.

Wed. 1/30:  Mattie Jackson’s narrative from Six Women’s Slave Narratives

*Fri. 2/1:  Read Drumgold and Annie Burton from Six Women’s Slave Narratives.  Oral presentation on items marked with one asterisk.

Week 4

Mon. 2/4:  Weekly Response Due.  Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

*Wed. 2/6:  Topic, major question asking, thesis due for Paper #1.

  Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Oral presentations on items marked with 1 asterisk.

Fri. 2/8:  Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Week 5

*Mon. 2/11:  Weekly Response Due.  Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Oral presentations on items marked with 1 asterisk.

**Wed. 2/13:  Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice From the South Read: “Womanhood A Vital Element....” and “The Higher Education of a Woman.” Oral presentation on items marked with 2 asterisks—Any biography of Julia Cooper, Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Women and Work of Benevolence, A People’s History, Magnolia Leaves, Clarence and Corrine, Saturday Evening Quill, Opportunity.

Fri. 2/15:  A Voice From the South. Read: “Woman vs. The Indian” and “The Status of Woman in America”

Week 6

Mon. 2/18:  Weekly Response Due. A Voice From the South

*Wed. 2/20:  Frances Harper, Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted Oral presentation on items marked with one asterisk-- Before Freedom, Behind the Scenes, Within the Plantation Household, The Politics of Domesticity, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Woman in the Nineteenth Century and Other Writings, The Colored Magazine, Liberator, Reconstructing Black Womanhood, and The Coupling Convention and any reading from the Cult of True Womanhood.

Fri. 2/22:  Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted            

Week 7

**Mon. 2/25:  Weekly Response Due. Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted.  Oral presentations on items marked with 2 asterisks.  

Wed. 2/27:  Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted

*Fri. 3/1:  Draft due.  Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider.  Read: “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” and “Uses of the Erotic.”  Oral presentation on items marked with one asterisk.  Students will exchange papers in groups.  Handout  peer review sheet.  Due next class period. 

Week 8

Mon. 3/4:  Peer review and rough draft due. Weekly Response Due.  Sister Outsider.  Read: “An Open Letter to Mary Daly” and “The Master’s Tools.  Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.”

Wed. 3/6:  Sister Outsider.  Read:  “Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining  Difference” and “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism.”

**Fri. 3/8:  Paper/Final draft # 1, Rough Draft, and Peer Review due. Oral presentation on items marked with 2 asterisk—Any biography of Julia Cooper, Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Women and Work of Benevolence, A People’s History, Magnolia Leaves, Clarence and Corrine, Saturday Evening Quill, Opportunity.

Week 9         Spring Break March 11-15

Week 10

**Mon. 3/18: Weekly Response Due. Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces.  Oral presentations on items marked with 2 asterisks-- Any biography of Julia Cooper, Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Women and Work of Benevolence, A People’s History, Magnolia Leaves, Clarence and Corrine, Saturday Evening Quill, Opportunity.

Wed. 3/20:  Contending Forces

**Fri. 3/22:  Contending Forces.  Oral presentations on items marked with 2 asterisks-- Any biography of Julia Cooper, Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Women and Work of Benevolence, A People’s History, Magnolia Leaves, Clarence and Corrine, Saturday Evening Quill, Opportunity.

Week 11

***Mon. 3/25:  Weekly Response Due. Contending Forces.  Oral presentations on items marked with 3 asterisks—Any biography of Mary Eliza Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century, When and Where I Enter, any fiction by Dorothy West, Miss Lulu Bett (stage play), The Souls of Black Folk, Domestic Allegories of Political Desire, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.

Wed. 3/27:  Reserve Reading: Short Story - Frances Harper, “The Two Offers”

**Fri. 3/29:  Reserve Reading: Jesse Fauset, “Mary Elizabeth”; Oral presentations on items marked with 2 asterisks.

Week 12

**Mon. 4/1:  Weekly Response Due. Oral presentation on items marked with 2 asterisks.

Wed. 4/3:  Due: Topic, thesis, and bibliography due for Paper #2. Nella Larsen, Quicksand.

***Fri. 4/5:  Quicksand.  Oral presentations on items marked with 3 asterisks--Any biography of Mary Eliza Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century, When and Where I Enter, any fiction by Dorothy West, Miss Lulu Bett (stage play), The Souls of Black Folk, Domestic Allegories of Political Desire, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.

Week 13

***Mon. 4/8:  Weekly Response Due.  Quicksand.  Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks.

Wed. 4/10:  Quicksand

***Fri. 4/12:  Jessie Redmon Fauset, Plum Bun. Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks.

Week 14

Mon. 4/15:  Weekly Response Due. Plum Bun

Wed. 4/17:  Plum Bun.  Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks.

Fri. 4/19:  (Seattle Conference)

Week 15

***Mon. 4/22:  Weekly Response Due.  Reserve Reading: Marita Bonner, The Purple Flower.  Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks.

***Wed. 4/24:  Due - Rough Draft for Paper #2.  Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks.  Reserve Reading: Georgia Douglas Johnson, Blue Blood.   

Fri. 4/26:  Due: Rough Draft with Peer Review

Week 16

***Mon. 4/29  Due: Final Paper #2, rough draft and peer review.  Oral presentation on items marked with 3 asterisks-- Any biography of Mary Eliza Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century, When and Where I Enter, any fiction by Dorothy West, Miss Lulu Bett (stage play), The Souls of Black Folk, Domestic Allegories of Political Desire, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.

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