Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Objectives:
Ä Read, discuss, and analyze literary treatments
of gender and sexuality;
Ä Discuss foundational theoretical texts about
sexuality and gender;
Ä Explore how historically contingent identities
are transformed by and communicated through
this literature;
Ä Identify how various literary genres treat
gender and sexuality differently;
Ä Hone the skills of critical reading, discussion, analysis, and expository writing.
Required Texts:
Ä Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, The Story of Avis (9780813510996);
Ä Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (9780393285000);
Ä John Green and David Leviathan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
(97801424188475);
Ä Toni Morrison, Beloved (9781400033416);
Ä Ruth Ozeki, My Year of Meats (9780140280463);
Ä David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl (9780143108399);
Ä Ursula Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness (9780441478125).
Evaluation:
Ä Participation (10%)
Ä Quizzes (20%): As we wrap up discussion for every text we read this semester,
students will take a brief quiz. These quizzes will ask questions about the
theories introduced along with the literary texts, the major themes and concerns
addressed in these literary works, and the connections between the theories and
literary works we’re reading.
Ä 3 Short Essays (60%):
o Note:
§ Assignment 1 includes The Story of Avis, Moby-Dick, “My
Visitation,” and Will Grayson, Will Grayson;
§ Assignment 2 includes “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” Beloved, “No
Comment,” and “The Evening and the Morning and the Night”;
§ Assignment 3 includes My Year of Meats, No Woman Born, The
Danish Girl, and The Left Hand of Darkness.
o Passage Interrogation Assignment: For this assignment, select a 250-
word passage from one of our assigned readings. Type this passage in a
word-processing (Microsoft Word or Pages) document and use the
“Footnote” feature of your word processing software and the Oxford
English Dictionary to interrogate the text. To do so, annotate the words,
phrases, references, and sentences in that passage. Your goal in this
assignment is to observe interactions between the passage’s overall
meaning (and its relationship to the broader work) and its individual parts
(words, phrases, and references). Your grade for this assignment will be
based on two parts: 1.) your annotated passage and 2.) a brief (3-page)
reflective synthesis essay where you make explicit connections between
the individual items you’ve identified/annotated in your selected passage
and the broader work.
o Community Read Assignment: This assignment asks you to work in groups
to develop and conduct a community read session for your classmates
and adult members of the community at the local public library. We will
schedule the dates and times of your community read events during the
first week of class. Your grade for this assignment will be based on three
parts: 1.) promotional materials for your event (1 flyer and 1 email
announcing your event to the campus and local community); 2.) a lesson
plan outlining how you’ll conduct your community read session, including
your introductory remarks, discussion questions, activities, and selected
passages; 3.) a study guide suggesting discussion questions and activities
for future community reads on your chosen text.
o “The End” Assignment: This assignment is comprised of two parts. The
first part is a (2-page) creative work in which you rewrite the conclusion
to one of our assigned works. The second part is a brief (3-page)
commentary in which explain why you selected this text, what choices
you made while rewriting its conclusion, and how you believe your
changes influence the story’s tone, meaning, and function.
Ä Worksheets (10%): We will complete worksheets each time we watch a film in
class. These worksheets will ask straightforward questions about plot, character
development, and literary devices. They are intended as a way for you to
identify and reflect on major narrative moments, which you might draw on when
writing your essays. You should be able to complete these worksheets by the
time we finish watching the film in class.
Course Calendar:
* All readings marked “web” are available via links on our course website.
Wiegman, “Unmaking:
Men and Masculinity in
Feminist Theory” (web)
week Topic: Masculinity and Race, continued
Monday Wednesday Friday
4 Melville, Moby-Dick Melville, Moby-Dick Melville, Moby-Dick
Grayson
8
Morrison, Beloved Film: Children of Men Film: Children of Men
Worksheet Due
12 (web)
14
Monday Wednesday Friday
Le Guin, The Left Hand Le Guin, The Left Hand Le Guin, The Left Hand
of Darkness of Darkness of Darkness
Assignment #3 Due by
today (for final group
completing the
Community Read
Assignment)
finals
Assignment #3 Due (for students completing the Passage Interrogation
week
Assignment and “The End” Assignment)