Nature and Goals of the Course
The primary goal of the course is to examine how comparative analyses of (often unfamiliar) American Indian texts and (often familiar) mainstream texts can affect our concepts of genre, author, audience, canon, American literature, literary criteria, and literature. A secondary aim is to offer a highly selective introduction to four important types of Native American literatures: (1) oral literatures (ceremony and narratives); (2) bicultural life story narratives told in the subject's language but written in English; (3)fiction written in English; and (4) mixed genres that combine oral and written forms. Means and assessment: the lectures, the group discussions of specific questions, the films, and the two types of writing assignments (examination essays and the paper) should help students to improve their ability to compare texts analytically.
Sources for Research
The annual PMLA Bibliographies are useful and computer searches are available, but the single most valuable resource in American literature is still _American Literary Scholarship_ (ALS ). These are annual volumes of critical, bibliographical essays published by Duke University. The major general journals in the field include: _American Literature_, _American Literary History_, _American Quarterly_, and _Resources for American Literary Study_. For period and other more specialized journals see the most recent edition of James L. Harner's _Literary Research Guide_. For introductions to Indian literatures see Parts 1 & 2 of A. LaVonne Ruoff's _American Indian Literatures _ (1990); Paula Gunn Allen's _Studies in American Indian Literature_ (1983); Janet Witalec's _Native North American Literature _ (1994); Andrew Wiget's _Handbook of Native American Literature_ (1996); and Kenneth M. Roemer's _Native American Writers of the United States_ (1997). Journals in the field include: _Studies in American Indian Literatures_ (SAIL ), American Indian Quarterly (AIQ), _American Indian Culture and Research Journal_ (AICRJ ), _Wicazo sa, Native American Literatures _ [published occasionally in Pisa, Italy), and _Moccasin Telegraph_, the newsletter of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers. There are useful web sites and an active listserv: Required Readings (Books, distributed excerpts, course packet)
Ruoff, _American Indian Literatures_; Whitman, _Leaves of Grass _ (we will focus on "Song of Myself" and "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"); Neihardt, _Black Elk Speaks_; Underhill, _Papago Woman_; Franklin, _Autobiography _ (selections); Thoreau, _Walden _ (selections); Silko, _Storyteller_; Erdrich, _Love Medicine_; Faulkner, _Go Down, Moses_; Momaday, _The Way to Rainy Mountain_.
Sign out for excerpts from Matthews' 1902 translation of the Navajo Nightway.
Also a course packet of "primary" and "secondary" sources (see titles below).
Tentative Schedule / Topics / Readings
Jan 21 Introduction to the Course,
Reading: Ruoff, _American Indian Literatures_, skim Pts. 1 & 2,
Oral Literatures
Ceremonies
Jan 21, 28 Readings: _Night Way_ excerpts and notes from Matthews;
Feb 4 introd. by Bierhorst; analyses by Witherspoon, "Beautifying"; Faris, _Nightway_; and Roemer, "Nightway"; Whitman, "Song of My Self," "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," and Harjo, "She Had Some Horses" ,
Narratives: Comic & Tragic
Feb 11 Readings: Hopi "Iisaw" Story (video from _Words & Place_ series);
"High Horse" in Black Elk; Twain, "Jumping Frog"; Wiget, "Telling the Tale"; Lowe, "Theories of Ethnic Humor"; Twain, "How to Tell a Tale."
Feb 18, 25 Readings: Hopi "Poowak" (2 versions); Jaskoski, "Witch Lady Story"; Laguna _Arrowboy_ (film version by Leslie Silko); Hawthorne, "Young Good Man Brown"; Sarris, "Slaughterhouse."
Mar 4 First Examination (two hours),
Oral/Written Life Stories
Mar 4 Introductions,
Readings (to be read by March 11): Brumble, "Editors"; Wong, "Native American Self" , Bicultural Visionary Lives
Mar 11 Readings: _Black Elk_; _Papago Woman_,
Mainstream Spiritual, Secular, Transcendental Lives
Mar 25 Readings: Edwards, Woolman, Franklin (through "[Thus far written at Passy, 1784]"), Thoreau, (Chs.: 1,2, 4, 12, 16-18)
Mar 25 Paper Prospectus Due
Multi-genre, Communal Self
Apr 1 Readings: Silko, _Storyteller_; Krupat, from _Voice in the Margin_
Apr 8 Second Examination (two hours)
Fictions Written in English
Short Fictions
Apr 8 Readings: Silko, "Storyteller," Sherwood Anderson, "Death"
Collections/Novels
Apr 15 Readings: Erdrich, _Love Medicine_ (Paper prospectus due.)
Apr 22 Faulkner, _Go Down, Moses_
Oral/Written Narratives, Ceremonies, Life Stories, Fictions
Apr 29 Readings: Momaday, _The Way to Rainy Mountain_, Roemer, "Survey Courses"; "Inventive Modeling." (Not required but relevant: Roemer, _Approaches to Teaching Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain_. )
May 6 Brief presentations of papers (ungraded); review for third exam; paper due.
May 13 Third Examination
Examinations
Each of the exams will consist of essay questions that require comparisons between Indian and non-Indian texts. In a study sheet the nature of the essay questions will be presented during the class prior to the exam. Students will be allowed to bring books, notes, outlines, etc. Exam one covers oral literatures; exam two covers the life stories; exam three covers the fiction and Momaday. Primary criteria questions: How well does the student address the question? (as opposed to wandering) How well does s(he) support claims with specific and relevant examples? (as opposed to arguing with a chain of assertions)
Paper (prospectus due March 25; paper due May 6; approximately 3,000 - 5,000 words (12-20 pp.)
Prospectus (ungraded): approximately one page indicating the central texts analyzed; the primary argument; the dominant method; and the central critical/scholarly sources.
The "topic" of the paper is "open" to any of the texts assigned (or if you consult with me early you can use an unassigned text). Requirements: The paper must involve a comparison between an Indian and a non-Indian text; the arguments must demonstrate an ability to integrate critical/scholarly sources and your interpretations. (See the first page of this syllabus for scholarly sources.) Primary criteria questions: Does the paper meet the "requirements"? Is there a clearly defined focus appropriate for a paper of this length? Is the organization appropriate for the focus and argument(s)? Are arguments supported by specific and relevant examples? Also -- "mechanics," e.g., MLA form, spelling, punctuation, etc.
Grading "Weights": First exam (20%), Second exam (20%), Third Exam (20%), Paper (40%). See comments on class participation and improvement below.
Discouragements and Encouragements: The former -- Under normal circumstances, no late work will be accepted, and I rarely give incompletes. Three unexcused absences = a half-grade drop in the semester grade; six = a full-grade drop, etc. To receive a W, a graduate student must drop before mid-semester; when dropping be sure to follow University procedures. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will be "turned over" to the appropriate University office. If you have questions about plagiarism, consult the current Graduate School manual on theses and dissertations and/or consult with me. The latter -- I am very willing to accommodate students with disabilities. These students should identify themselves at the beginning of the semester and provide me with authorized documentation from the appropriate University office. I appreciate constructive class participation, especially since I routinely assign specific group discussion questions for each class. Good participation can raise a semester grade significantly (e.g., from a B+ to an A-.) I also appreciate improvement. If an early grade is "low," but later grades improve, I will weigh the latter "heavier."
Literature Seminars
Literature HP & Program
The ENGLISH HOME PAGE
Ken Roemer's HP.