FF:AJ15002 American Literature: Post-1945 - Course Information

AJ15002 American Literature: 1945 to the Present

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 2 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Prajznerová, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.

Timetable

Tue 8:20–9:55 G32

Prerequisites (in Czech)

AJ09999 Qualifying Examination && AJ04003 Intro. to Literary Studies II

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 13 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

AJ15002 American Literature: 1945 to the Present Course Description This course attempts to capture the rich cultural diversity of American writing since the Second World War. Reading a variety of genres, we will examine works by authors from different geographical regions and ethnic backgrounds, including, for example, Sandra Cisneros, James Welch, Maxine Hong Kingston, Charles Frazier, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Barbara Kingsolver, Edward Abbey, Adrienne Rich, and John Updike. Class sessions will include lecture, audio-visual learning, student presentations, and discussion. Assessment: Students will write weekly response papers, give an oral presentation or write a book review, and produce a short and an extended research paper. Course Objectives 1. To acquire a fuller appreciation of contemporary American literature and the cultural history of the United States. 2. To refine critical thinking and to improve communication capabilities. Course Policies Attendance: You are expected to attend all class sessions and to have read the assigned reading for each week. If you must miss a class, please let me know in advance or email me an explanation soon afterwards. Late Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted unless you have cleared it with me in advance. Response papers: Brief in-class response to each weeks reading, based on your impressions and thoughts about the assigned work(s). You can discuss central themes and ideas, style and structure, imagery, and so on. Oral presentations. You will prepare a ten to fifteen minute presentation on a topic inspired by a close reading of the text(s). You may prepare handouts outlining your talk. The presentation should also include questions that will open the class discussion. Research project: You will pursue a research topic over the course of the semester which will result in a short first paper (4-5 pages) and then get extended-reworked into a second paper (seven to eight pages). A good critical paper might address symbolism, form, allusions, the influence of other authors, or other matters related to the artistic construction of the selected work(s). It should also involve research of relevant sourcescriticism, philosophy, biography, historyon a topic related to contemporary fiction that you have chosen and I have approved. The focus of the oral presentation and/or critical bibliography may coincide with the topic of the final research paper. For more information see Assignment Guidelines. Assessment: Participation in class discussion10% Response papers15% Oral presentation / book review15% Paper proposal and annotated bibliography10% First paper20% Second paper30%

Syllabus

• AJ15002 US Literature: 1945 to the Present Spring 2006, Tue 8:20-9:55, room 32 Instructor: Kateřina Prajznerová, E-mail: prajzner@phil.muni.cz Office hours: Mon 3:30-5, Tue 10:30-12, and by appointment week 1: February 2: Introduction to the course and class policies Christopher Newfield and Avery F. Gordon, Multiculturalisms Unfinished Business week 2: February 28: Unit Ia: Gender and Ethnicity Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (lib) / Rolando Hinojosa, The Valley Antonia I. Castañeda, Language and Other Lethal Weapons week 3: March 7: Unit Ib: Gender and Ethnicity Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine (lib) / James Welch, Winter in the Blood M. Annette Jaimes Guerrero, Academic Apartheid: American Indian Studies and Multiculturalism week 4: March 14: Unit Ic: Gender and Ethnicity Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior week 5: March 21: Unit IIa: History and Place Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain / David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars (lib) week 6: March 28: Unit IIb: History and Place Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain / David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars (lib) Wahneema Lubiano, Multiculturalism and State Narratives week 7: April 4: Unit IIc: History and Place Adrienne Rich, selected poems (Norton 2690) / John Updike, Separating (Norton 2191) Book review due week 8: April 11 Víctor Hernández Cruz, selected poems (Heath 2533) Aurora Levins Morales (Heath 2175) Michael Omi, Racialization in the Post-Civil Rights Era paper proposal and annotated bibliography due week 9: April 18: first paper due week 10: November 29: Unit IIIb: Social and Environmental Justice Toni Morrison, Jazz (lib) / Gloria Naylor, The Women of Brewster Place week 11: December 6: Unit IIIc: Social and Environmental Justice Edward Abbey, selections from Desert Solitaire week 12: December 13: Unit IIIa: Social and Environmental Justice Barbara Kingsolver, selections from Small Wonder week 13: Conclusion, Course evaluations Second papers are due on Tuesday, June 6 by 12 pm or earlier. Assessment: Class participation 10% In-class response papers 15% Oral presentation / book review 15% Paper proposal and annotated bib 10% First paper 20% Final paper 30%

Assessment methods (in Czech)

Class sessions will include lecture, audio-visual learning, student presentations, and discussion. Assessment: Students will write weekly response papers, give an oral presentation or write a book review, and produce a short and an extended research paper. Assessment: Class participation 10% In-class response papers 15% Oral presentation / book review 15% Paper proposal and annotated bib 10% First paper 20% Final paper 30%

Language of instruction

English

Further Comments

The course is taught each semester.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2006, recent)
  
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