English 108 - WOMEN AND LITERATURE
"Staying Alive"
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"One is not born a woman, one becomes one." |
"Gender is always a relationship, not a pre-formed category of beings or a possession that one can have." |
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"There is no original or primary gender a drag imitates, but gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original." (Judith Butler) |
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"As far as I'm concerned, being any gender is a drag." |
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OBJECTIVES
Societies, in some form or other, are essential for our individual and collective survival. Within these organized structures of subordination and power, gender systems shape people's lives and relationships, as do other identity 'markers', such as class and race, age, national or regional identity, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation. Literature often offers us special insight into how such systems operate, how they define people's identities, drawing them together and driving them apart. In the readings for this course, we will focus in particular on on how gender roles and identities are enacted, reproduced, contested, and reconceived. We will also look more broadly at interactions between gender, race, sexual identity, and class in shaping and differentiating women's lives as they are represented in these works. The characters' struggles for self-definition will be recurrent theme. At the heart of these struggles are questions of personal agency and freedom as well as questions of what one owes to others.
We will also explore what writing these works meant to the women who wrote them. You will have many opportunities to work on your own writing, to increase your sensitivity to language, to subtleties of structure and nuances of style, and to express your views incisively and persuasively. Discussions and small group work in class will also enhance your understanding of the readings and spark new ideas for writing about them.
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REQUIRED TEXTS
Katherine Anne Porter, COLLECTED STORIES
Virginia Woolf, MRS. DALLOWAY
Iréne Nèmirovksy, SUITE FRANÇAISE
Helene Berr, THE JOURNAL OF HELENE BERR
Anonymous, A WOMAN IN BERLIN
Maxine Hong Kingston, WOMAN WARRIOR
+ Selected essays in criticism and theory (including V. Woolf''s "Professions for Women"; J. Culler, "Identity, Identification, and the Subject"; and J. Stout, "The Issue of Gender" (E-Reserves) and supplementary textual materials
Excerpts from films and videos:
Christopher Witcombe's "What is a Feminist?"; Réné Clément's Les Jeux Interdits; Marcel Ophuls' "The Sorrow and the Pity"; Century of Warfare: "The End in Europe (The Fall of Berlin)"; Leni Riefenstahl's The Triumph of the Will; Maxine Hong Kingston: Talking Story; The Stories of Maxine Hong Kingston; Mulan
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REQUIREMENTS
Regular class attendance and active participation in discussions; regular responses to the readings (250-300 words per response); a portfolio, to be submitted at the end of the term, containing the responses you have previously submitted, your papers, and a final retrospective entry; a 4-5 page paper; a revised and expanded (6-8 page) version of the 4-5 page paper; and a 5-7 page paper.
Learning is not a spectator sport. Read actively; take notes; reread. Come to class brimming with ideas and questions. Our goal will be to create a friendly forum in which everyone participates, exchanging ideas and opinions, learning from and disagreeing freely with one another, while maintaining respect all around.
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EVALUATION
Approximate breakdown of final grade:
25% first paper (10% first 4-5 pp. version; revised on basis of peer reviews and instructor comments; 15% revised and expanded 6-8pp. version)
20% second paper (5-7pp.; revised on basis of peer reviews; option to revise on basis of instructor comments; revision may be required in some cases)
25% portfolios
15% ongoing participation in class discussion
15% final retrospective entry
Portfolios as a whole will be given letter grades, not the separate responses. Responses are graded "+" (excellent), "√" (good), and "–" (unsatisfactory). Please note that points will be deducted from your class participation grade if you repeatedly arrive late or leave early and if you fail to bring the assigned reading with you to class.
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POLICIES
In keeping with College policy, you are expected to attend all classes. If you are a member of a varsity sports team, you are expected to inform your instructors well in advance of any unpreventable absences due to away games and to submit in advance any work that comes due on the dates you miss. In other words, an excused absence is not an automatic extension. Because absences limit what you gain from and give to the class, they invariably affect your final grade in the course. If you are really sick (contagious), please don't come to class, and let me know about it by e-mail, preferably before class. Sick days, though unpreventable, are still absences affecting your work, so don't take "skip" days. If you miss class, you are responsible for contacting another class member to find out what you missed and to make sure that you have the assignment for the next class. Follow up with me if you need further clarification.
Normally, paper deadlines will be extended and absences excused only in the case of a personal, family or medical emergency verifiable by the Dean's Office. No late responses will be accepted without a note from the Dean's Office, since the responses are needed for class discussion on the days they are due. The portfolio and papers must be submitted for you to qualify for a passing grade in the course.
Remember that plagiarism, even when unintentional, is a serious offense and a violation of the honor policy. Any student found guilty of plagiarism in this course will automatically fail the course, in addition to whatever penalties may be imposed by the student judicial system. If you are not sure what plagiarism is, always ask your instructor.
I will rely on e-mail to communicate with the class, using the class lists on my.sbc.edu. These addresses end with "@sbc.edu"; therefore, it is imperative that you check your Sweet Briar account regularly and make sure that you have not exceeded the message quota. If you use another e-mail supplier, arrange for your Sweet Briar mail to be forwarded to that address.