English 23A

African American Literature

Spring 2000

 

Instructor:  Jeanne Mazique

Office Hours:   M/W  9:00 - 10:00

Office Phone:  582-4415

                            M       3:00 - 4:00

Office:        BGS 202 - 5        

                            T/Th  8:00 - 9:00

Email : jmaziquecra@saddleback.edu

 

                                                                                                          

 

Course Objective

This course is concerned with exploring the writing of contemporary African American authors.  Through class discussion, group work, and writing about our conclusions, we will explore the unique viewpoints, styles, forms and themes contained in this literature.

 

Texts

The Norton Anthology of African American Literature

Beloved                           Toni Morrison    

Middle Passage                Charles Johnson

A Lesson Before Dying    Ernest Gaines

 

 

Materials

          - a literature response log (folder containing your responses to reading assignments,        quick writes, etc.)

          -  a highlighter

          -  a blue or black in pen (no pencil)

          - “blue books” for essay exams (available in the campus bookstore)

 

Grading

30% of the grade will be based on acceptable completion of two or three essay tests.  Each test will cover the literature we have read and discussed up to that point and will be open book and open notes.

 

40% of the grade will be based upon two essays and an oral project. The first essay will be due before the mid-term and will be a thoughtful and thought provoking response to the literature.  The second essay or project must also be a thoughtful response to the literature, but must incorporate information acquired from library research about an aspect of African American literature which you will select.

 

20%  of the grade will be based on class participation, oral presentations, quizzes, etc.

Part of this grade will also be a Literature Response Log which will be the repository for thoughts about and interpretations of the literature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grades will also be affected by:

 

          1.           attendance - an absence of 6 hours means that you must drop the course.  *If               there is an emergency of some sort, please let me know by calling my office

                    number.

         

          2.          tardies - at the end of class, make sure that the instructor changes any           “absence” into a “tardy” if you come in before the 15 minutes limit.  In addition, any points collected for assignments will not be accepted after

                    roll has been taken.

 

          3.          class participation and preparedness - in order to successfully complete this                        course, assignment MUST be completed on time, and you must participate in                     class discussion and group work.

 

                    Absences will NOT excuse late assignments.

 

UNIT 1      

 

Week 1                  The Vernacular Tradition

Week 2                  The Literature of Slavery and Freedom

Week 3                  The Literature of Reconstruction

Week 4                  Project:  Select one piece of literature outside of class                                                   discussion to present and respond to in class.

                             Essay #1

                             Begin reading Middle Passage

 

UNIT 2

 

Weeks 5&6           The Harlem Renaissance

Weeks 7&8           Realism, Naturalism, Modernism

                             Middle Passage

                             Project: Begin Research Project

                             Test #1

                             Begin reading Beloved

 

UNIT 3

 

Weeks 9&10 Black Arts Movement: 1960 - 70

Weeks 11&12          Beloved

                             Test #2

                             Project: Mandala assignment

                             Begin reading A Lesson Before Dying

 

 

 

 

UNIT 4                 Literature Since 1970

Week 13                Poetry

Week 14                Prose and A Lesson Before Dying

Week 15                A Lesson Before Dying

                             Oral projects

                             Research Assignment

Week 16                Oral Projects and Research Assignment

 

 

 

Final Notes

 

Please let me know if you need to schedule a conference outside of my office hours in order to receive additional help.

 

*It is your responsibility to drop the class officially of you are unable to      

 complete the semester.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English 23A SyllabusSp’00-