Love and Marriage in Modern Black Fiction
AFAM 318
Spring 2011
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENGL 352 |
Much like its Anglo-American counterpart, the African American novel has developed around the marriage plot, with love as its "subject par excellence." This seminar examines the ways in which black writers, from Nella Larsen and Jean Toomer to Alice Walker and Andrea Levy, have appropriated and revised both the genre of the novel and the structure of the marriage plot, often exposing how racism and sexism complicate the marriage convention. We will also explore critically the difference between "literary" and "popular" fiction and what it means that a number of these love stories have found their way to television and film. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Interpretation
This seminar offers students of American and African American literature the opportunity to apply the techniques of contemporary literary criticism and film theory to the interpretation of contemporary texts.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA AFAM |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Baldwin, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Jones, CORREGIDORA
Levy, SMALL ISLAND
McDowell, ed., QUICKSAND and PASSING
McMillan, DISAPPEARING ACTS
Walker, THE COLOR PURPLE
Wall, ed., THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD: A CASEBOOK
West, THE WEDDING
Wilson, FENCES
Course Reader
Films: THE COLOR PURPLE, DISAPPEARING ACTS, THE WEDDING, SMALL ISLAND, THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
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Examinations and Assignments:
Short essays and a longer research project. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Class presentations.
This course fulfills the Literatures of Difference requirement for the English major and contributes to the fulfillment of the American Lit and Race & Ethnicity concentration requirements. |
| Instructor(s): duCille,Ann Times: ...W... 01:10PM-04:00PM; Location: CAAS LOUNG; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: 1 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 0 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 1 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 1 |
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