Dr. Norma Wilson, Office D 228, Hours 10-10:50, 1-1:50 MWF & by appointment.

Dr. Wilson joined the University of South Dakota English Department in 1978 after completing a Ph.D. in English at the University of Oklahoma. Wild Iris, a book of her poetry, was published in 1978. With her husband, Jerry Wilson, she co-wrote the film script for South Dakota: A Meeting of Cultures (1985). Her recent publications include the essay, "Nesting in the Ruins," in English Postcoloniality: Literatures from Around the World, ed. Mohanran and Rajan. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996: 179-87 and The Nature of Native American Poetry. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001.

This course aims to unify English major’s program of study, to assess the quality of the undergraduate USD English program and to evaluate the student’s work as a senior English major. The course requires students to perform a variety of writing, reading and research assignments. Insofar as possible, students are encouraged to pursue their particular interests, exercise their individual talents, and strengthen their writing, their knowledge of literature and their critical thinking. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to consider their entire program of studies in English to determine how well their courses have prepared them for life after graduation. If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accomodation, please contact your professor and Dr. Elaine Pearson, Director, Office of Disability Services (677-6389), as early as possible in the semester.

Texts:

Chopin, Kate. The Awakening, ed. Nancy A. Walker New York: St. Martin's Press,

1993.

Lim, Shirley Geok-Lin and Norman A. Spencer. One World of Literature. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin Co., 1993.

Additional works by Lawrence Diggs, and MariJo Moore.

Requirements: 1. A 1,250-word critical essay onThe Awakening. 16%

2. Readings, discussion and three, 1,000-word written responses to selections in One World of Literature. 24%

3. A 1-page abstract (2%) and a formal essay of 2,000 words (20%) on a topic of your choice, with at least 4 works cited. If you wish, you may develop one of your 1,000-word essays or thoroughly revise an essay you wrote for another course. 22%

4. A written evaluation of your English program. 8%

5. Attendance. 4%

6. Written response to out-of-class presentation. 2%

7. A thirty-page portfolio. 24%

8. All writing done outside of class must be typed.

Schedule of classes: Subject to changes

January

F 10 Introduction to the course and to each other. Film: Just Dancing.

M 13 Begin discussion of The Awakening. Read through 139. Discuss critical and theoretical terms in the "Glossary," 396-445.

W 15 A critical history of The Awakening and Elaine Showalter's feminist point of view, 169-222 Bring a copy of your unofficial transcript with grades removed to class. Evaluation forms distributed--due final day of class.

F 17 Margit Stange's perspective and new historicism, 257-90.

M 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. No classes.

W 22 Cherokee author MariJo Moore speaks to the class and reads some of her work.

F 24 Psychoanalytic criticism and Cynthia Griffin Wolff's approach, 374-95.

M 27 Deconstruction and Patricia S. Yaeger's view, 291-336.

W 29 Reader-Response Criticism and Paula A. Treichler's response, 337-373.

F 31 Bring The Awakening and One World of Literature to class. Respond to and utilize in your essay onThe Awakening one or more of the essays and critical approaches in your text. Work on essays in class. See One World, 1113-23.

February

M 3 Essay on The Awakening due. A sharing of responses.

W 5 "Glossary of Literary Terms" in One World, 1125-41. Begin discussion of selections in One World of Literature. From Africa, 2-9-- Nigeria: Wole Soyinka, 100-128. Suggested topics for your first 1,000-word essay.

F 7 Lit. from Africa continued--Ghana: Ama Ata Aidoo, 69-74; Botswana: Bessie Head, 25-40. Ntukula Mlazie from Botswana joins the discussion.

M 10 South Africa: Mtutuzeli Matshoba, 177-85; Nadine Gordimer, 149-60; Jeremy Cronin, 176-77. Prisca Ngondo from Zimbabwe joins the discussion.

W 12 From the Middle East, 9-14-- Turkey: Nazim Hikmet, 186-88, and Algeria: Mohammed Dib, 15-24; Egypt: Alifa Rifaat, 53-58.

F 14 Literature from Asia, 192-200-- Literature from India: R.K. Naryan, 239-45.

M 17 President's Day Holiday.

W 19 China: Lu Xun & Ai Qing 201-211, 226-30.

F 21 Bei Dao, 231-32 and Wang Xiao, 237-38. Yi-Chen Lem from Taiwan joins the discussion and comments on selections by Adeline Yen Mah.

M 24 Literature from Japan: Hayashi Fumiko & Ishigaki Rin, 298-316.

W 26 1,000-word essay on Literature from Asia and/or Africa due. Singapore: Lee, Tzu Pheng, Vietnam: Vo Phien, 361-371.

F 28 Film: Truganniny: The Last Tazmanian. Poem by Wendy Rose.

Spring Break

March

M 10 Literature from Australia, 374-80: Katharine Susannah Prichard & Colin Johnson, 381-84, 400-405. Writing an abstract for your 8-10 page essay.

W 12 Literature from Australia: Elizabeth Jolley and New Zealand: Witi Ihimaera, 405-13, 451-60.

F 14 Quilt Historian and author Mary Bywater Cross meets with the class.

M 17 Literature from Europe,478-88. Ireland: Frank O'Connor & Seamus Heaney, 609-17, 619-21.

W 19 Czechoslovakia: Franz Kafka and Jaroslav Seifert, 489-99.

F 21 Literature from France: Albert Camus, 530-40.

M 24 Germany: Heinrich Boll, 554-61. Abstract of your formal essay due.

W 26 Italy: Natalia Ginzburg, 628-34. Evaluating the English program.

F 28 Lit. from the former Soviet Union: Isaac Babel, 654-57, Tatyana Tolstoya, 662- 72.

M 31 Spain: Federico Garcia Lorca, 673-80 1,000 word essay on literature from Australia, New Zealand or Europe due.

April

W 2 Lit. from Latin America, 754-62-- Chile: Pablo Neruda, & Isabel Allende, 792-806.

F 4 Video, Isabel Allende.

M 7 Argentina: Jorge Luis Borges & Luisa Valenzuela 765-69 & 774-78.

W 9 Lit. from Mexico: Rosario Castellanos and Nicaragua: Sergio Ramirez. 838- 56.

F 11 “Vinegar Man” and author Lawrence Diggs visits the class.

M 14 Lit. from North America, 906-12--Canada: Irving Layton, Margaret Atwood, 913-14, 932-45. 1,000 word essay on literature from North America or Latin America due.

W 16 Class dismissed in exchange for attending and responding to a related out- of-class event.

Easter break

M 21 Lit. from the U.S.: Raymond Carver, & Maxine Hong Kingston, 1000-1017.

W 22 Work in class on your 2,000-word formal essay.

F 25 Formal essays due. Print abstracts for the class. Share these.

M 28 Continue sharing formal essays.

W 30 Preparing the final portfolio.

May

F 2 Evaluations due. Discussion of the course and of the English program at USD.

Your portfolio deadline is 5 p.m., Mon. May 5. You may drop it by my office or leave it in my mailbox, D226.

Evaluation criteria further specified:

Class attendance. You will receive credit for the number of classes you attend. A:

0-3 absences (4%); B: 4-6 absences (3%), C: 7-9 absences (2%). D: 10-12 absences (1%), F: 13+ absences (0%)--4%.

Essays--

A: A writing assignment that receives this grade demonstrates the highest competence. If an essay, the thesis is clear and well supported with accurate references, in the form of specific details, to primary and secondary texts, as required. Well organized and coherent, this writing is free of grammatical, mechanical and spelling errors. Sentence patterns are varied, and precise diction is appropriate to its purpose. Documentation, Works Cited, quotations and other items are done according to the MLA Handbook, most recent edition. An unusually creative expression, this writing provides insights that illuminate the literature or topic discussed.

B: Writing that receives this grade demonstrates competence; however it does not meet all the expectations mentioned above.

C: Writing that receives this grade demonstrates a degree of competence; however its creativity, substance, and/or technical perfection are not above average.

D: Writing that receives this grade is below average in competence.

F: Writing that receives this grade demonstrates incompetence.

Plus or minus grades indicate slight deviations from these standards.

Students will receive no credit for plagiarized writing.

Grading scale: 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% c, 60-69% D, 0-59% F