English 2190:  Studies in Literature by Women

“Beyond the Beauty Myth” – Humanities 206

Dr. Alison Umminger

Spring 2007 – MW  (12:20 – 1:40 p.m.)

Office Hours:  MW (10-12 a.m., 2-3 p.m.) or by appointment

Office:  TLC 2241

e-mail:  aumminge@westga.edu

Description: This course will begin with a look at Naomi Wolf’s book of cultural criticism, The Beauty Myth, as a springboard for a survey of literature by women. Wolf brings up the ongoing problem with expectations of femininity as they affect “modern” women, but one can see that struggling with and against such expectations is nothing new for women writers and their fictional characters. We will look at how different writers and critics have responded to the various pressures placed on women to be beautiful, to be good mothers (or mothers at all), or to inhabit a particular place in society, and to create a space for themselves as subjects in a culture that (still) places many women in an object role.

Texts:

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

Waking Beauty by Elyse Friedman

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Quicksand by Nella Larsen

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Veronica by Mary Gaitskill

Real Women Have Curves (film)

Requirements:

Weekly discussion questions – sent to me by 5:00 p.m. Sunday each week (5%)

One short paper (4-6 pages) – 15% of grade

Midterm – 25% of grade

One longer paper (10-12 pages) – 30% of grade

Final Exam --  25% of grade

Weekly Reading Responses:

Active participation is essential to your success in this class.  I would like for this class to be dynamic and interactive.  The readings for the week can be done throughout the week – with the first half of the week’s reading due on the Monday of class, and the second half of the book completed by Wednesday.  I would like EACH CLASS MEMBER to write a thoughtful question, sent to me by 5:00 on Sunday, which I will use to frame discussions for the week., You may submit your question earlier, but not later.  I expect that as the semester continues, they will become more detailed and refer back to other works, looking at the works collectively as well as individually.

Participation:

Your active involvement and participation is essential for the success of this class.  If I do not feel the class is keeping up with the readings, I will give pop quizzes.

Attendance:

You are allowed two absences for any reason throughout the semester.  After the second absence, your grade will drop 20 points for any missed class off of your final grade (the percentages will translate to 1000 points, so this would not be a big deal with a third absence, but would become a problem with four or five).  If you are more than ten minutes late to class, or leave more than ten minutes early, I will count you as tardy – three tardies translates to one absence.

Course Goals

*          Students will develop the ability to recognize, identify, and contextualize             significant achievements in literature by women.

*          Students will develop an appreciation of the nature and achievements of the arts             and humanities.

*          Students will develop the ability to apply, understand, and appreciate the           application of aesthetic criteria to "real-world" circumstances.

*          Students will develop enhanced cultural awareness and analytical skills.

*          Students will demonstrate their command of academic English and of the tenets of          sound composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose.

Program Goals

*          Oral and written communication will be characterized by clarity, critical analysis,            logic, coherence, persuasion, precision, and rhetorical awareness (Core   Curriculum learning outcomes I)

*          Cultural and Social Perspectives: Cultural and social perspective will be             characterized by cultural awareness and an understanding of the complexity and       dynamic nature of social/political/economic systems; human and institutional             behavior, values, and belief systems; historical and spatial relationship; and,        flexibility, open-mindedness, and tolerance. (Core Curriculum learning outcomes III)

*          Aesthetic Perspective: Aesthetic perspective will be characterized by critical      appreciation of and ability to make informed aesthetic judgments about the arts of   various cultures as media for human expression (Core Curriculum learning                       outcomes V)

*          This course fulfills the Area C.2 requirement in the core for all students.

            Area C (Humanities/Arts) Learning Outcomes:

*          This course contributes to the program goal of equipping students with a            foundation in literary history and the issues surrounding literary study in         contemporary culture.

*          This course broadens students' desire and ability to take pleasure in their            encounter with literature.

Academic Honesty

“Any form of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and may lead to a failing grade for the course.  There may also be consequences at the university level.  Whether the source is a book, a website, a friend, a classmate, or a parent, passing off someone else’s ideas or language as your own constitutes plagiarism.  All outside sources must be properly acknowledged and documented.  I will be glad to clarify any concerns you have about plagiarism” (from the syllabus of Margaret Mitchell for Engl 2190) – I will not feel one bit sorry about failing you if you plagiarize – plagiarism is stealing (that’s me!).

Schedule:

January—

M 8—Introduction to the course

W 10—The Beauty Myth (first half)

M 15—No class, MLK, Jr. Day

W 17—The Beauty Myth (second half)

                                (discussion questions due by 5:00 pm. On Monday, the 15^th)

M 22—Authobiography of a Face

W 24—Autobiography of a Face

M 29—Jane Eyre (first third)

W 31—Jane Eyre (second third)

February—

M 5—Jane Eyre (final third)

W 7—Theory day – discussion of first paper -- brainstorming

M 12— Wide Sargasso Sea

W 14—Wide Sargasso Sea

M 19— First Draft of Papers due/ in class workshop

W 21— NO CLASS – Work on Papers

M 26—Quicksand

W 28—Quicksand

March—

M 5—  FIRST HOURLY EXAM

W 7— The Bluest Eye

M 12—  The Bluest Eye

W 14— Read Women Have Curves (film)

M 19 & W 21—No classes, Spring Break

M 26—House of Mirth

W 28—House of Mirth (final paper assignment handed out)

April

M 2—Veronica

W 4—Veronica.

M 9—Prospectus for paper due

W 11—Prospectus/thesis workshop – conferences.

M 16—Waking Beauty.

W 18—Waking Beauty (first draft of final papers due).

M 23—Workshop of final papers.

W 25—Evaluations – Final Papers Due.