English 531, Feminist Theory and Women Writers

English 531, Feminist Theory and Women Writers

Fall 2002

Mary Ellis Gibson

Office: 200 Foust, phone 334-4495 or (assistant) 334-5673

Office hours: Monday-Wednesday 1-2 and by appointment

This course meets student learning goals [sic] as specified for the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges by the English Department and by the Women’s Studies Program. The departmental and program goals met by the course for both undergraduates and graduates are as follows:

learn research methodology needed for critical study of literature and of gender
acquire a familiarity with literary theory and theory of language to inform critical study of literature
increase knowledge of British and American literature and the critical discourse about texts under consideration
as appropriate for graduate students to demonstrate professional development
know how women’s lives have been effected by social institutions
conduct research by reading, thinking and writing critically and reflectively
investigate the history of ideas about gender and feminist theory
complicate understandings of gender with critical awareness of interrelationships of race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, nationality and religion.

In addition to these broad general goals, this course has its own focus. English 531 is designed as an introduction to various strands of contemporary feminist theory, particularly as they impinge on questions of art, society, and psyche. In order to trace these connections, which are always dependent on history and location, we will focus on several British Victorian texts. You will be able to pursue your own interests in the context of these issues through independent research projects.

Readings:

Aug. 21 Introduction: Feminist Theory, Literary and Cultural Study, and Canonicity

Aug. 28 Canons

Feminisms, essays on canons pp. 76-163

Sept. 4 Art, War, and the Parade

Woolf, Three Guineas

Sept. 11 Group presentation on non-canonical texts, conclude Woolf

Sept. 18 Reading and Representation

In Feminisms, Dimock, “Feminism, New Historicism,” 635

Fetterly, “Introduction: On the Politics of Literature,” 564

Gunn Allen, “Kochinnenako in Academe,” 746

Anzaldua, “La consciencia de la mestiza” 765

Sept. 25 Just Looking: Gender and Power

In Feminisms, Elizabeth Meese, “When Virginia Looked at Vita” 467

bell hooks, “Male Heroes and Female Sex Objects” 555

Irigaray, “Another ‘Cause’—Castration” 430

Irigaray, “This Sex Which is Not One” 363

Oct. 2 Class, History, Gender

Charlotte Bronte, Shirley

Oct. 9 Class, Race, Nation and the Construction of Identity

Armstrong, “Some Call it Fiction: On the Politics of Domesticity” 913

On e-reserve, Wittig, “One is Not Born a Woman”

Spivak (and Landry), Spivak Reader, Introduction, and “Feminism and Critical Theory”

Oct. 16 Spivak, The Spivak Reader, further essays TBA

[reminder: journal due at noon Friday, Oct. 18]

Oct. 23 No class: plan to attend afternoon workshop Nov. 1 instead (tentative)

Oct. 30 Gender, Genre, Writing

Browning, Aurora Leigh

Prospectus due

Nov. 6 Psychoanalysis and Feminism: The Critique of the Subject

E-reserve Jacqueline Rose, 27-58 from Feminine Sexuality

In Feminisms, Belsey, “Constructing the Subject, Deconstructing the Text” 657

Spillers, “Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe” 384

Nov. 13 Critique of the Subject

In Feminisms, Cixous, “The Laugh of the Medusa” 347

Butler, Gender Trouble

Nov. 20 Butler, continued

Draft of seminar paper due for those who wish feedback

Nov. 27 No class, Thanksgiving break

Dec. 4 Final class: tea and presentations of research/writing projects

Dec. 10 Reading day: seminar paper due by 5 p.m.

Requirements:

1. Your active participation is crucial. We need to talk together, read together, disagree and agree in order to think through challenging material. And to have fun. To that end, coming to class prepared, and preferably after having written in your journal, will make discussion much more lively. (20%)

2. A reading journal. This should be a minimum of one or two typed pages per week and should contain your thoughtful responses to the reading and/or to class discussion. Don’t try to summarize everything or respond to all the reading. Select the issues that are salient for you and think about them with close reference to the texts you think are most meaningful to you. It is anticipated that journals by graduate students will demonstrate a willingness to grapple in some detail with even the most difficult texts and will therefore be somewhat longer than those of some undergraduate students, who may have less background in literary theory and criticism. However, this is only a general rule, as many undergraduates who elect this course are quite as well prepared as graduate students. Due Oct. 18 (a Friday) at noon and Dec. 4 at class. I will be happy to read sections of your journals at other times. (35%)

3. Major research paper or an alternative writing project developed in response to course readings (about 15 pages for graduate students and 10-12 page for undergrads—length will vary by complexity of topic). I will discuss this in class at some length. A printed, not emailed, prospectus for the paper is due Nov. 6 (or earlier if you wish). Final paper is due Dec. 10, reading day. I will be happy to read a draft of the paper if you can get it to me by Nov. 26. After that you’re pretty much on your own to find a reader (possibly a member of the class?). At all times, I am happy to talk with you about your paper, help you think through its problems, point you in research directions or to colleagues who can help you. As always, I’m happy to consult with advanced students about potential for articles coming out of papers; undergrads and MA student, though, should feel no pressure in this direction. And advanced students should remember that exploration is as important as publishing (to the spirit if not to the vita directly). (35%, including credit for prospectus)

4. Group presentation. Date September 11. This presentation and its accompanying handout will summarize and present your work on a non-canonical text. Fuller information will be provided in class. (10%)

The percentages for the grade represent the way I will evaluate your work statistically. As part of the participation grade I will also give you credit for growth in understanding of the materials over time.

Texts:

Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh

Charlotte Bronte, Shirley

Spivak, The Gayatri Spivak Reader

Warhol, et. al., Feminisms

Judith Butler, Gender Trouble