Students will read closely the writings of early Africans in America and critically evaluate their impact on and interaction with other American racial, ethnic, and cultural literature. The course also has the following general goals to:
identify and examine types of genre used by early African American authors
explore the stylistic features of these works--characters, themes, structure,
etc.
examine critical and theoretical approaches to early African American
writing
increase student ability to write organized, coherent, and insightful essays.
Students will read closely and write perceptively about ongoing course assignments and readings. One ten-page course paper, midterm and final exams are required.
Required Texts
Call and Response: The Riverside Anthology of the African American Literary
Tradition.
Patricia Hill et al., Eds. Houghton Mifflin. (1998)
The Colonel’s Dream (1905 Reprint). Charles W. Chesnutt, Toby Press,
2004
Tentative Course Reading Schedule
Aug. 15 Introduction
17 Lucy Terry: “Bars Fight,” pp. 90-91
19 “Why the Hare Runs Away,” pp. 60-61; “Tar Baby,” pp.
63-64
22 Phillis Wheatley: “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” p.
98
24 Spirituals: “Go Down Moses,” pp. 42-44
26 Jupiter Hammon: “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Peneten-tial
[sic] Cries,” pp. 74-76
29 Hammon continued
31 Benjamin Banneker: “Letter to Thomas Jefferson,” pp. 156-160
Sept. 2 The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah
Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself, pp. 114-136
5 LABOR DAY
7 Equiano continued
9 David Walker: David Walker’s Appeal, pp. 245-257
12 Walker continued
14 Thomas Gray: The Confessions of Nat Turner, pp. 418-432
16 Gray continued
19 Henry Highland Garnet: “An Address to the Slaves of the
United States,” pp. 264- 272
21 Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass:
An American Slave, Written by Himself, pp. 272-319
23 Douglass continued; FIRST DRAFT OF COURSE ESSAY DUE
26 James Whitfield: From America and Other Poems, America, pp. 377-381
28 Frances Watkins Harper: “The Two Offers,” pp. 357-363
30 Harper continued; SECOND DRAFT OF COURSE ESSAY DUE
Oct. 3 Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself,
pp. 432-464
5 Jacobs continued
7 MIDTERM EXAM
FALL BREAK
12 Elizabeth Keckley: Behind the Scenes; or Thirty Years a
Slave, and Four Years in the White House, pp. 500-507
14 Keckley continued
17 William Wells Brown: Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States,
pp. 513-522
19 Brown continued; THIRD DRAFT OF COURSE ESSAY DUE
21 Harriet E. Wilson: Our Nig: Or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black,
pp. 525-531
24 Wilson continued
26 Pauline Hopkins: From Contending Forces: “The Sewing Circle,”
pp. 717-724; FINAL DRAFT OF COURSE ESSAY DUE
28 Hopkins continued
31 Ida B. Wells: “Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases,”
pp. 724-732
Nov. 2 Ida B. Wells continued
4 Paul Laurence Dunbar: “We Wear the Mask,” p. 615;
REVISION OF COURSE ESSAY DUE
7 Dunbar continued
9 Charles W. Chesnutt: The Colonel’s Dream
11 Chesnutt continued
14 Chesnutt continued
16 Chesnutt continued
18 Booker T. Washington: Up from Slavery, pp. 658-660, 673-684
21 Washington continued
THANKSGIVING BREAK, NO CLASSES
28 Washington continued
30 W. E. B. DuBois: Souls of Black Folk; pp. 732-748
Dec.2 DuBois continued
5 DuBois continued
12 FINAL EXAM, 8 AM-11 AM
Evaluation
The final course grade is determined by a ten-page essay that counts for 50%, a midterm exam that counts for 20%, and a final exam that counts for 30%. All students will prepare five non-graded and graded drafts of the course paper, which will be developed throughout the semester. After all these drafts, those essays failing to receive at least a “C” must be revised further, the final grade being the highest grade of all the drafts. The topic for the course essay is assigned, but you may suggest a topic, which must be approved. ALL COURSE WORK MUST BE TURNED IN ON TIME, and late papers are dropped one whole letter grade. Makeup exams are rare, except for medical emergency for which the student provides acceptable written documentation. Grades are based on the following scale: A= 4.0; A-= 3.7; B+= 3.3; B= 3.0; B-= 2.7; C+= 2.3; C= 3.0; C-= 1.7; D+= 1.3; D= 1.0; D-= .7; F= 0; WF= 0; S=Satisfactory; U=Unsatisfactory.
Attendance:
Students who have more than five unexcused absences are encouraged to drop the course. Tardiness will not be tolerated, and the classroom door will be closed promptly at the beginning of the hour. Except for emergencies, please do not disturb the class.
Office: 111 McIver Bldg.
Office Hours: MWF, 10:00 AM-11:00 PM and by appointment.
Office Phone: 334-5484; E-mail: shfergus@.uncg.edu