Topics in British & American Literature
English 108
Fall 2004
Section 3—MW 6:00-7:15
Instructor: Nicol Nixon
Office Hours: by appointment
E-mail: nenixon@uncg.edu
Texts:
Conley, Robert. Mountain Windsong: A Novel of the Trail of Tears. Norman: U
of Oklahoma P, 1992.
Montejo, Victor. Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village. Trans. Victor Perera.
Willimantic, CT: Curbstone, 1987.
Ortiz, Simon. Ed. Speaking for the Generations: Native Writers on Writing.
Tucson: U of Arizona P, 1998.
E-Reserve Selections (The (e) sign on the schedule represents an e-reserve
selection):
Montejo, Victor. The Bird Who Cleans the World and other Mayan Fables. Trans.
Wallace Kaufman. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone, 1991.
Purdy, John and James Ruppert, Eds. Nothing but the Truth: An Anthology of
Native American Literature. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, 2001.
Treat, James. Ed. Native and Christian: Indigenous Voices on Religious Identity
in the United States and Canada. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Velie, Alan. Ed. American Indian Literature: An Anthology. Norman: U of Oklahoma
P, 1991.
Student Learning Goals:
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:
•
Identify and understand varied characteristics of literature
•
Apply techniques of literary analysis to texts
•
Use literary study to develop skills in careful reading and clear writing
•
Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in
which literary texts have been written and interpreted
Grading:
Grades will be determined by 20 daily homework assignments (20% of your total
grade), 2 guest speaker response papers (20% - 10% each), one pow wow analytical
response paper (20 %), an individual presentation (10%), a group project
(20%), and a final exam (10%).
Course Requirements:
1. Daily Homework: These papers will be taken up each class and will require you to choose, depending upon our syllabus schedule, a rhetorical strategy from the reading, and then write an analysis of why your choice exemplifies that particular strategy. For example, if we are discussing “Oratory” as a rhetorical strategy, you will choose an aspect from that day’s reading that you believe to be “oratory as rhetoric” and explain why. You will be given a form for this assignment. Plan on making twenty copies of this form. Each daily is worth 1 point. These papers will not be taken late.
2. Attendance: You are expected to attend every class meeting. If you miss three classes by October 8, you may be dropped from the course. You will only be allowed to make up an exam if I have excused your absence beforehand or if you have a note from a professional.
3. Assignments: Assignment descriptions will be discussed in class (see schedule).
Below lists due dates for all reading assignments and other projects. I may
change this at any time. Changes will be discussed in class.
Schedule:
Week 1, Aug. 16, 18
M. Introduction to Course. Assign Daily Rhetoric Homework.
W. Oratory as Rhetoric. from American Indian Literature (e), Introduction 3-9,
Red Jacket, Pontiac, and Tecumseh 135-151
Week 2, Aug. 23, 25
M. Ethnography as Rhetoric. Speaking, Montejo 197-216
W. The Bird Who Cleans the World (e), 21-25, 29-42, 52-54, 85-86
Week 3, Aug. 30 & Sept. 1
M. Historical Telling as Rhetoric, Mountain Windsong, 1- 36
W. MW, 37-73
Week 4, Sept. 6, 8
M. Labor Day-class dismissed
W. MW, 73-139, Assign Powwow Response
Week 5, Sept. 13, 15
M. MW, 140-182
W. MW, 183-End, Epilogue
* September 17-19: 28th Annual Guilford Native American Association Powwow.
Week 6, Sept. 20, 22
M. Discussion Responses to Powwow.
W. DUE: Powwow Response Paper, from Nothing but the Truth (e), Rose 531-534,
Silko 536-546, Assign Guest Speaker Response
Week 7, Sept. 27, 29
M. Identity Politics as Rhetoric. Speaking, Belin 50-71
W. Guest Speaker, Mike Parker
Week 8, Oct. 4, 6
M. Landscape as Living Being/Character. Speaking Silko, 3-24
W. DUE: Guest Speaker Response, from NBT (e), Gunn-Allen 255-262, *Begin reading
Montejo’s Testimony
Week 9, Oct. 11, 13
M. Fall Break
W. Rhetorical Writing as Witness. Speaking, Bird 26-48, Prelude to Testimony:
Death of a Guatemalan Village Montejo, (you may also want to reread Montejo
in Speaking)
Week 10, Oct. 18, 20
M., Testimony, 15-28
W. Testimony, 29-48, Assign Final Group Projects
Week 11, Oct. 25, 27
M. Testimony, 49-68
W. Testimony, 69-86
Week 12, Nov. 1, 3
M. Testimony, 87-End, Assign Guest Speaker Response
W. Christianity in the Native Response. From Native and Christian (e), Hopkins
163-169.
Week 13, Nov. 8, 10
M. From N&C (e), Jacobs 184-190, Spider 191-205.
W. Guest Speaker, Rita Jones-Hyde, Assign Representation Individual Presentations
Week 14, Nov. 15, 17
M. Rhetorical Representation. Speaking, Moses 118-147, Begin Film.
W. View Film
Week 15, Nov. 22, 24
M. DUE: Individual Representation Presentations
W. Thanksgiving Break
Week 16, Nov. 29, Dec. 1
M. Group Presentations
W. Group Presentations
Week 17, Dec. 6
M. Finish Group Presentations, Review for Final Exam
Final Exam: Monday, 13 December, 7:00pm-10:00pm