This document provides context and information about the author Susan Glaspell and her short story Trifles. It begins with biographical details about Glaspell's life, education, and career as a journalist and writer. It notes that much of her work featured strong female protagonists and stories focused on women's experiences. The document then introduces Trifles and provides reading and discussion questions for students. It asks them to choose from analyzing a symbol in the story, applying a critical theory to it, connecting it to a modernist manifesto, or posting a QHQ about Trifles. In summary, the document gives background on Glaspell and assigns a reading of her short story Trifles along with associated discussion
The document provides information about African American literary criticism, including key concepts, perspectives, and questions asked by African American critics when analyzing literary texts. Some of the main points covered include:
- African American criticism examines how race, oppression, and marginalization shape black writing and experience in America.
- Key concepts in African American literature introduced by W.E.B. DuBois like "the veil" and "double consciousness" are discussed.
- African American criticism is concerned with how texts participate in correcting stereotypes and misrepresentations while also celebrating black culture.
- Questions around literary devices, racial politics, and how works fit into the African American literary tradition are important to African American criticism.
This document provides information about African American literary criticism as a theoretical framework. It discusses key concepts in African American criticism such as double consciousness, the veil, and racial realism. It also summarizes perspectives that help identify African American criticism, such as its ties to post-colonial criticism and examination of how white writing reveals the nature of black oppression. The document outlines some common questions African American critics ask about literary texts, such as exploring how works participate in correcting stereotypes or celebrating black culture. It also discusses intersections between different systems of oppression and applications of racial realism to other frameworks like feminism.
1. African American criticism examines works through the lens of the black experience with oppression and marginalization. It notes how black writing emerges from a sociocultural context marked by these factors.
2. It also draws from postcolonial theory regarding the representation of the "other" and identity reclamation. African American criticism is aware of how black experience relates to African influences and the legacy of slavery and racism in shaping black artistic production in white cultures.
3. A key concern is who can speak for or understand black literature and whether black works demand a specific ideological lens or can be analyzed using traditional theories. It questions the essence of race and how racial identity has been constructed and understood over time.
Elit 48 c class 5 post qhq composed vs comprisedjordanlachance
1. The document discusses feminist criticism, lesbian and gay criticism, and queer theory. It explains that feminist criticism examines how literature reinforces the oppression of women, while lesbian/gay criticism addresses sexism and heterosexism.
2. Queer theory views sexuality as fluid rather than defined by categories like heterosexual and homosexual. It asserts that sexuality is influenced by factors like race and class and cannot be defined by biological sex or gender roles.
3. Lesbian, gay, and queer criticism often rely on textual evidence like homoerotic imagery, same-sex relationships, and subtle cues to suggest a homoerotic atmosphere in a text. A
This document provides an overview and definitions of key concepts in lesbian, gay, queer, and feminist criticism. It discusses how lesbian criticism addresses issues of both sexism and heterosexism. Gay criticism often analyzes themes of gay sensibility and experiences of oppression. Queer theory views sexuality as fluid rather than defined categories, and sees it existing on a continuum. The document also defines common textual signs that may indicate homoerotic or queer readings, such as homosocial bonding and same-sex doubles. It concludes by stating that lesbian, gay, and queer criticism rely on analyzing patterns or preponderances of these textual cues.
This document summarizes Carmen Kynard's study on how black female college students construct themselves as social activists and literate beings through their writing. Kynard analyzes students' texts through a critical discursive analysis and identifies six dominant themes in their writing, including discussions of black motherhood, aligning with struggles in black communities, carrying on the legacies of activists like Harriet Tubman and Ida B. Wells, exploring transnational and migratory identities, and examining colorism and caste systems within black communities.
Elit 48 c class 5 post qhq composed vs comprisedjordanlachance
This document provides information on composed/comprised, feminist criticism, lesbian/gay/queer criticism, and terms used in these types of literary analysis.
It explains that "composed" means made up of some or all parts, while "comprise" means to contain all parts, with the whole coming before parts.
It then outlines the objectives and waves of feminist criticism, focusing on uncovering misogyny and the female experience. It also summarizes lesbian, gay, and queer criticism in examining oppression beyond sexism. Finally, it lists common terms and textual clues used in these analyses, such as homosocial bonding and same-sex doubles. Typical questions asked by these critiques
This document discusses the experiences of queer women of color (QWOC) and their marginalization within both queer and racial communities. [1] QWOC faced exclusion within the white-dominated queer community and created their own spaces advocating for multi-issue politics addressing sexism, racism, homophobia and class exploitation. [2] In response, QWOC developed an intersectional framework recognizing how race, gender, class and other identities intersect. [3] Today, QWOC identities are still silenced but some resist erasure by navigating multiple political spaces and disrupting dominant discourses through their non-hegemonic identities.
The document provides information about African American literary criticism, including key concepts, perspectives, and questions asked by African American critics when analyzing literary texts. Some of the main points covered include:
- African American criticism examines how race, oppression, and marginalization shape black writing and experience in America.
- Key concepts in African American literature introduced by W.E.B. DuBois like "the veil" and "double consciousness" are discussed.
- African American criticism is concerned with how texts participate in correcting stereotypes and misrepresentations while also celebrating black culture.
- Questions around literary devices, racial politics, and how works fit into the African American literary tradition are important to African American criticism.
This document provides information about African American literary criticism as a theoretical framework. It discusses key concepts in African American criticism such as double consciousness, the veil, and racial realism. It also summarizes perspectives that help identify African American criticism, such as its ties to post-colonial criticism and examination of how white writing reveals the nature of black oppression. The document outlines some common questions African American critics ask about literary texts, such as exploring how works participate in correcting stereotypes or celebrating black culture. It also discusses intersections between different systems of oppression and applications of racial realism to other frameworks like feminism.
1. African American criticism examines works through the lens of the black experience with oppression and marginalization. It notes how black writing emerges from a sociocultural context marked by these factors.
2. It also draws from postcolonial theory regarding the representation of the "other" and identity reclamation. African American criticism is aware of how black experience relates to African influences and the legacy of slavery and racism in shaping black artistic production in white cultures.
3. A key concern is who can speak for or understand black literature and whether black works demand a specific ideological lens or can be analyzed using traditional theories. It questions the essence of race and how racial identity has been constructed and understood over time.
Elit 48 c class 5 post qhq composed vs comprisedjordanlachance
1. The document discusses feminist criticism, lesbian and gay criticism, and queer theory. It explains that feminist criticism examines how literature reinforces the oppression of women, while lesbian/gay criticism addresses sexism and heterosexism.
2. Queer theory views sexuality as fluid rather than defined by categories like heterosexual and homosexual. It asserts that sexuality is influenced by factors like race and class and cannot be defined by biological sex or gender roles.
3. Lesbian, gay, and queer criticism often rely on textual evidence like homoerotic imagery, same-sex relationships, and subtle cues to suggest a homoerotic atmosphere in a text. A
This document provides an overview and definitions of key concepts in lesbian, gay, queer, and feminist criticism. It discusses how lesbian criticism addresses issues of both sexism and heterosexism. Gay criticism often analyzes themes of gay sensibility and experiences of oppression. Queer theory views sexuality as fluid rather than defined categories, and sees it existing on a continuum. The document also defines common textual signs that may indicate homoerotic or queer readings, such as homosocial bonding and same-sex doubles. It concludes by stating that lesbian, gay, and queer criticism rely on analyzing patterns or preponderances of these textual cues.
This document summarizes Carmen Kynard's study on how black female college students construct themselves as social activists and literate beings through their writing. Kynard analyzes students' texts through a critical discursive analysis and identifies six dominant themes in their writing, including discussions of black motherhood, aligning with struggles in black communities, carrying on the legacies of activists like Harriet Tubman and Ida B. Wells, exploring transnational and migratory identities, and examining colorism and caste systems within black communities.
Elit 48 c class 5 post qhq composed vs comprisedjordanlachance
This document provides information on composed/comprised, feminist criticism, lesbian/gay/queer criticism, and terms used in these types of literary analysis.
It explains that "composed" means made up of some or all parts, while "comprise" means to contain all parts, with the whole coming before parts.
It then outlines the objectives and waves of feminist criticism, focusing on uncovering misogyny and the female experience. It also summarizes lesbian, gay, and queer criticism in examining oppression beyond sexism. Finally, it lists common terms and textual clues used in these analyses, such as homosocial bonding and same-sex doubles. Typical questions asked by these critiques
This document discusses the experiences of queer women of color (QWOC) and their marginalization within both queer and racial communities. [1] QWOC faced exclusion within the white-dominated queer community and created their own spaces advocating for multi-issue politics addressing sexism, racism, homophobia and class exploitation. [2] In response, QWOC developed an intersectional framework recognizing how race, gender, class and other identities intersect. [3] Today, QWOC identities are still silenced but some resist erasure by navigating multiple political spaces and disrupting dominant discourses through their non-hegemonic identities.
e-Black Studies: Introduction to Afro-American Studies, A PEOPLES COLLEGE PRIMER
http://www.scribd.com/doc/101374216/e-Black-Studies-Introduction-to-Afro-American-Studies-A-PEOPLES-COLLEGE-PRIMER
Literary criticism on Gender and Sexuality. The slides contain the most prominent voices in literary gender and sexual criticism as pointed out by the Norton Anthology of Literary Criticism
This document summarizes key aspects of intersectionality theory as developed by Patricia Hill Collins. It discusses how intersectionality examines how gender, race, class, and sexuality intersect and interact to create social inequalities. It focuses on Collins' work developing black feminist thought, which centers the experiences of black women and validates their distinct forms of knowledge production. Collins argues inequality results from the intersecting forces within the matrix of domination, and examines oppression on individual, group, and institutional levels.
The document provides an overview of critical ethnography and Pascoe's ethnographic study of masculinity in a California high school. It discusses several key aspects of critical ethnography including the researcher's ethical responsibility to engage with injustice and move situations toward greater equity. It summarizes Pascoe's goals in examining how gender and sexuality shape power dynamics and influence among students. The document also discusses several factors that influenced Pascoe's positionality as a researcher, such as her gender, age, education, and desire to enact social change. Overall, it analyzes how Pascoe navigated her role and relationships with students to gain insights while maintaining ethical standards.
Language, Discourse, and Power in African American CultureJonathan Dunnemann
This document discusses the origins and significance of African American English (AAE) within the context of the African American speech community. It begins by recounting a personal experience the author had while driving through Mississippi that highlighted the dangers black people faced in the past. The author notes that for many northern African Americans, the South represents a cultural homeland, and stories from elders about the past often referenced both Africa and the American South. The development of AAE is tied to the first encounters between Africans and Europeans during the slave trade and plantation slavery, which was a violent contact situation that transformed African American culture and spurred the development of a distinct language variety. Analyzing the origins and history of AAE is important for contesting oppressive
The document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda lists various activities including a vocab exam retake, presentations on terms lists and trickster characters, in-class writing, and assessing blog responses. The terms section defines key terms related to gender identity, sexuality, and gender transition. These include heterosexism, heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, sex reassignment surgery, sexual orientation, transgender, and transition. The prompt asks students to consider trickster tales and characters from readings to analyze whether they meet the criteria of tricksters and what purpose they serve in modern society in terms of better understanding ourselves or serving another purpose. It provides guidance on addressing questions about the criteria, measuring stick used, who tricksters
The document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda lists various activities including a vocab exam retake, presentations on terms lists and trickster characters, in-class writing, and assessing blog responses. The terms section defines key terms related to gender identity, sexuality, and gender transition. These include heterosexism, heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, sex reassignment surgery, sexual orientation, transgender, and transition. The prompt asks students to consider trickster tales and characters from readings to analyze if they meet the criteria of tricksters and what purpose they serve in modern society - whether to help understand ourselves or serve another purpose. It provides guidance on addressing questions about the criteria, measuring stick used, who tricksters
This document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda includes a vocab exam retake, presentation on terms list 4, discussion on trickster characters, outlining an essay, and assessing blog responses. The terms for exam 4 define key concepts like gender identity, heterosexism, and sexual orientation. The prompt asks students to analyze trickster tales and characters based on criteria like meeting definitions of tricksters and serving purposes like helping understand ourselves or serving another function. The document provides guidance for answering the prompt by breaking it down into parts and considering definitions and theories of tricksters. It emphasizes comparing modern characters to traditional tricksters and justifying analyses. The homework outlined is to submit an essay outline and thesis, study
Feminist criticism aims to advocate for equal rights and representation of women in society and literature. It examines how patriarchal systems have historically marginalized and misrepresented women. Early feminist critics in the 19th century like Wollstonecraft argued women deserve equal education and opportunities. In the 1960s-70s, feminist criticism emerged as a lens to analyze literature's portrayal of gender. Critics explore common archetypes used in works like the virgin, mother, and whore that reduce women. The field continues to diversify with no single approach, working to incorporate more female authors and perspectives.
Erik S McDuffie and Komozi Woodard, If you're in a country that is progressiv...Erik McDuffie
This article examines the influence of black women radicals like Vicki Garvin and Queen Mother Audley Moore on the political development and legacy of Malcolm X. It argues that women played a crucial role in shaping Malcolm's ideology but have been marginalized in histories about his life. The article discusses how Garvin first exposed Malcolm to radical politics in the 1940s and how she and Moore helped cultivate his later interests in internationalism, Pan-Africanism, and the importance of women of color in liberation struggles. It seeks to bring greater attention to the roles of these influential women and incorporate feminist perspectives into understandings of Malcolm X.
The Experience of Gay and Lesbian Students of Color in CounterspacesCornell Woodson
This document summarizes research on the experiences of gay and lesbian students of color. It finds that they face discrimination from multiple communities due to the intersection of their marginalized identities. They experience racism within the queer community and homophobia within their ethnic communities. Counterspaces on college campuses often do not adequately support students with multiple, intersecting oppressed identities. The literature review identifies four main themes: the rocky relationship between the queer and Black communities; racism in the queer community and on campus; homophobia in ethnic communities; and the complexity of intersecting identities for these students.
Feminist literary criticism analyzes how women are portrayed in texts and how these representations are often insufficient and oppressive. There are several types of feminist criticism, including liberal, Marxist, psychoanalytic, and minority feminisms. Feminist critics seek to uncover patriarchal assumptions, question gender norms and power imbalances between men and women, expand representations of women, and recover works by female authors. They aim to understand how gender roles are socially constructed and how language can marginalize women.
A Brief introduction about Feminist literary Criticism- It's History, Criticism as literature and the the role of Female writer and it's Creations-Creative Writings and comparison.
This document discusses key topics relating to English identity, modernism, race and sexuality. It provides an overview of modernism and postmodernism, exploring how modernist works examined issues of race, sexuality and representations of reality and the city. It analyzes E.M. Forster's Howards End in the context of debates around English identity and discusses how modernist and postmodernist thinkers approached issues of essentialism and sexuality. The document aims to consolidate understanding of these literary periods and explore related issues of race, sexuality and national identity.
Every person engages in their quest for social acceptance. These individuals go to a great length to determine what’s most important as they seek to blend into society’s melting pot. Whether they recognized it or not from the beginning, they embark upon this journey to understand themselves, learn what their communities are amongst their peers then slowly turn the mirror inward for a succinct view of who they are. Some would think that people would learn to accept others in a culturally diverse society but the fact is that there exist people who would not be accepting of others out of fear, ignorance making them judge others in a wrong way. One group hold bias attitudes towards the other based on the differences in gender, race, ethnicity and other social aspects thus creating prejudice against others. There are many factors that people come across in this quest that influence and define them such as race, gender, and community.
This document provides an overview of key concepts, intellectual strands, methodologies, and debates within cultural studies. It discusses the influence of Marxism, structuralism, poststructuralism, feminism, postcolonial theory and other approaches. Some specific topics covered include the linguistic turn and focus on discourse, signification and representation; debates around ideology, power and hegemony; the relationship between culture and biology/the body; and the role of emotions, identity and meaning-making in cultural studies. The document serves as an introduction to the diverse and interdisciplinary field.
Feminist literary criticism examines how literature represents women and gender, and how patriarchal power structures influence literary works and their interpretation. It launched in the 20th century with works like Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own and Kate Millett's Sexual Politics. Key ideas include that patriarchy oppresses women economically, politically, socially and psychologically through ideology, and defines women in opposition to male norms. Feminist criticism aims to promote gender equality by raising awareness of these issues in literature and representation.
This document provides information about a student named Virani Dhara R. who is submitting a topic on "The Subaltern (Gayatri Spivak)" for their MA in English. It defines the concept of the subaltern as referring to subordinate groups in society who are subject to domination by ruling classes, such as peasants, workers, and women. It discusses Gayatri Spivak's work on how the subaltern cannot speak or have a voice. Examples are provided of women like Nasrin Sotoudeh and Masih Alinejad who have fought for women's rights in Iran despite facing imprisonment or exile. The conclusion maintains that according to Spivak's work, subaltern women cannot
This document provides guidance for writing a 3-5 page character analysis essay about a character from A Game of Thrones. Students must choose one of five essay topics to analyze a character's traits, motivations, changes over time, cultural reflections, experiences with conflict, or status as a tragic hero. The essay should use specific examples and quotations from the text to support the analysis. A works cited page citing both the primary text and a secondary source is required.
This document provides an agenda and instructions for an English class. The agenda includes an exam, a presentation on writing a response essay, and an in-class writing activity. Students will choose between several essay prompts responding to the novel Stone Butch Blues. The prompts explore themes of passing, conformity, resistance, and interactions with medical professionals. The document also provides guidance on developing a thesis, selecting evidence, and organizing a response to literature essay.
Elit 48 c class 7 marilyn post qhq peak, peek, and piquejordanlachance
The document provides definitions for the commonly confused homophones "peek", "peak", and "pique". It then gives an agenda for an English class which includes a guest lecture on "Trifles" and an introduction to author Willa Cather and her novel "My Antonia". The introduction discusses that Cather grew up on a farm in Nebraska and drew inspiration from her experiences there for several of her novels. It outlines her education and career path from journalism to focusing on fiction writing. The introduction concludes by providing biographical details and an overview of Cather's writing career and legacy.
e-Black Studies: Introduction to Afro-American Studies, A PEOPLES COLLEGE PRIMER
http://www.scribd.com/doc/101374216/e-Black-Studies-Introduction-to-Afro-American-Studies-A-PEOPLES-COLLEGE-PRIMER
Literary criticism on Gender and Sexuality. The slides contain the most prominent voices in literary gender and sexual criticism as pointed out by the Norton Anthology of Literary Criticism
This document summarizes key aspects of intersectionality theory as developed by Patricia Hill Collins. It discusses how intersectionality examines how gender, race, class, and sexuality intersect and interact to create social inequalities. It focuses on Collins' work developing black feminist thought, which centers the experiences of black women and validates their distinct forms of knowledge production. Collins argues inequality results from the intersecting forces within the matrix of domination, and examines oppression on individual, group, and institutional levels.
The document provides an overview of critical ethnography and Pascoe's ethnographic study of masculinity in a California high school. It discusses several key aspects of critical ethnography including the researcher's ethical responsibility to engage with injustice and move situations toward greater equity. It summarizes Pascoe's goals in examining how gender and sexuality shape power dynamics and influence among students. The document also discusses several factors that influenced Pascoe's positionality as a researcher, such as her gender, age, education, and desire to enact social change. Overall, it analyzes how Pascoe navigated her role and relationships with students to gain insights while maintaining ethical standards.
Language, Discourse, and Power in African American CultureJonathan Dunnemann
This document discusses the origins and significance of African American English (AAE) within the context of the African American speech community. It begins by recounting a personal experience the author had while driving through Mississippi that highlighted the dangers black people faced in the past. The author notes that for many northern African Americans, the South represents a cultural homeland, and stories from elders about the past often referenced both Africa and the American South. The development of AAE is tied to the first encounters between Africans and Europeans during the slave trade and plantation slavery, which was a violent contact situation that transformed African American culture and spurred the development of a distinct language variety. Analyzing the origins and history of AAE is important for contesting oppressive
The document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda lists various activities including a vocab exam retake, presentations on terms lists and trickster characters, in-class writing, and assessing blog responses. The terms section defines key terms related to gender identity, sexuality, and gender transition. These include heterosexism, heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, sex reassignment surgery, sexual orientation, transgender, and transition. The prompt asks students to consider trickster tales and characters from readings to analyze whether they meet the criteria of tricksters and what purpose they serve in modern society in terms of better understanding ourselves or serving another purpose. It provides guidance on addressing questions about the criteria, measuring stick used, who tricksters
The document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda lists various activities including a vocab exam retake, presentations on terms lists and trickster characters, in-class writing, and assessing blog responses. The terms section defines key terms related to gender identity, sexuality, and gender transition. These include heterosexism, heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, sex reassignment surgery, sexual orientation, transgender, and transition. The prompt asks students to consider trickster tales and characters from readings to analyze if they meet the criteria of tricksters and what purpose they serve in modern society - whether to help understand ourselves or serve another purpose. It provides guidance on addressing questions about the criteria, measuring stick used, who tricksters
This document provides an agenda and terms for an upcoming exam. The daily agenda includes a vocab exam retake, presentation on terms list 4, discussion on trickster characters, outlining an essay, and assessing blog responses. The terms for exam 4 define key concepts like gender identity, heterosexism, and sexual orientation. The prompt asks students to analyze trickster tales and characters based on criteria like meeting definitions of tricksters and serving purposes like helping understand ourselves or serving another function. The document provides guidance for answering the prompt by breaking it down into parts and considering definitions and theories of tricksters. It emphasizes comparing modern characters to traditional tricksters and justifying analyses. The homework outlined is to submit an essay outline and thesis, study
Feminist criticism aims to advocate for equal rights and representation of women in society and literature. It examines how patriarchal systems have historically marginalized and misrepresented women. Early feminist critics in the 19th century like Wollstonecraft argued women deserve equal education and opportunities. In the 1960s-70s, feminist criticism emerged as a lens to analyze literature's portrayal of gender. Critics explore common archetypes used in works like the virgin, mother, and whore that reduce women. The field continues to diversify with no single approach, working to incorporate more female authors and perspectives.
Erik S McDuffie and Komozi Woodard, If you're in a country that is progressiv...Erik McDuffie
This article examines the influence of black women radicals like Vicki Garvin and Queen Mother Audley Moore on the political development and legacy of Malcolm X. It argues that women played a crucial role in shaping Malcolm's ideology but have been marginalized in histories about his life. The article discusses how Garvin first exposed Malcolm to radical politics in the 1940s and how she and Moore helped cultivate his later interests in internationalism, Pan-Africanism, and the importance of women of color in liberation struggles. It seeks to bring greater attention to the roles of these influential women and incorporate feminist perspectives into understandings of Malcolm X.
The Experience of Gay and Lesbian Students of Color in CounterspacesCornell Woodson
This document summarizes research on the experiences of gay and lesbian students of color. It finds that they face discrimination from multiple communities due to the intersection of their marginalized identities. They experience racism within the queer community and homophobia within their ethnic communities. Counterspaces on college campuses often do not adequately support students with multiple, intersecting oppressed identities. The literature review identifies four main themes: the rocky relationship between the queer and Black communities; racism in the queer community and on campus; homophobia in ethnic communities; and the complexity of intersecting identities for these students.
Feminist literary criticism analyzes how women are portrayed in texts and how these representations are often insufficient and oppressive. There are several types of feminist criticism, including liberal, Marxist, psychoanalytic, and minority feminisms. Feminist critics seek to uncover patriarchal assumptions, question gender norms and power imbalances between men and women, expand representations of women, and recover works by female authors. They aim to understand how gender roles are socially constructed and how language can marginalize women.
A Brief introduction about Feminist literary Criticism- It's History, Criticism as literature and the the role of Female writer and it's Creations-Creative Writings and comparison.
This document discusses key topics relating to English identity, modernism, race and sexuality. It provides an overview of modernism and postmodernism, exploring how modernist works examined issues of race, sexuality and representations of reality and the city. It analyzes E.M. Forster's Howards End in the context of debates around English identity and discusses how modernist and postmodernist thinkers approached issues of essentialism and sexuality. The document aims to consolidate understanding of these literary periods and explore related issues of race, sexuality and national identity.
Every person engages in their quest for social acceptance. These individuals go to a great length to determine what’s most important as they seek to blend into society’s melting pot. Whether they recognized it or not from the beginning, they embark upon this journey to understand themselves, learn what their communities are amongst their peers then slowly turn the mirror inward for a succinct view of who they are. Some would think that people would learn to accept others in a culturally diverse society but the fact is that there exist people who would not be accepting of others out of fear, ignorance making them judge others in a wrong way. One group hold bias attitudes towards the other based on the differences in gender, race, ethnicity and other social aspects thus creating prejudice against others. There are many factors that people come across in this quest that influence and define them such as race, gender, and community.
This document provides an overview of key concepts, intellectual strands, methodologies, and debates within cultural studies. It discusses the influence of Marxism, structuralism, poststructuralism, feminism, postcolonial theory and other approaches. Some specific topics covered include the linguistic turn and focus on discourse, signification and representation; debates around ideology, power and hegemony; the relationship between culture and biology/the body; and the role of emotions, identity and meaning-making in cultural studies. The document serves as an introduction to the diverse and interdisciplinary field.
Feminist literary criticism examines how literature represents women and gender, and how patriarchal power structures influence literary works and their interpretation. It launched in the 20th century with works like Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own and Kate Millett's Sexual Politics. Key ideas include that patriarchy oppresses women economically, politically, socially and psychologically through ideology, and defines women in opposition to male norms. Feminist criticism aims to promote gender equality by raising awareness of these issues in literature and representation.
This document provides information about a student named Virani Dhara R. who is submitting a topic on "The Subaltern (Gayatri Spivak)" for their MA in English. It defines the concept of the subaltern as referring to subordinate groups in society who are subject to domination by ruling classes, such as peasants, workers, and women. It discusses Gayatri Spivak's work on how the subaltern cannot speak or have a voice. Examples are provided of women like Nasrin Sotoudeh and Masih Alinejad who have fought for women's rights in Iran despite facing imprisonment or exile. The conclusion maintains that according to Spivak's work, subaltern women cannot
This document provides guidance for writing a 3-5 page character analysis essay about a character from A Game of Thrones. Students must choose one of five essay topics to analyze a character's traits, motivations, changes over time, cultural reflections, experiences with conflict, or status as a tragic hero. The essay should use specific examples and quotations from the text to support the analysis. A works cited page citing both the primary text and a secondary source is required.
This document provides an agenda and instructions for an English class. The agenda includes an exam, a presentation on writing a response essay, and an in-class writing activity. Students will choose between several essay prompts responding to the novel Stone Butch Blues. The prompts explore themes of passing, conformity, resistance, and interactions with medical professionals. The document also provides guidance on developing a thesis, selecting evidence, and organizing a response to literature essay.
Elit 48 c class 7 marilyn post qhq peak, peek, and piquejordanlachance
The document provides definitions for the commonly confused homophones "peek", "peak", and "pique". It then gives an agenda for an English class which includes a guest lecture on "Trifles" and an introduction to author Willa Cather and her novel "My Antonia". The introduction discusses that Cather grew up on a farm in Nebraska and drew inspiration from her experiences there for several of her novels. It outlines her education and career path from journalism to focusing on fiction writing. The introduction concludes by providing biographical details and an overview of Cather's writing career and legacy.
This document contains the agenda and notes for an EWRT 200 class. The agenda includes discussing sentence types, editing a combined essay, and introducing a reflection essay assignment. The notes cover the four types of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), with examples. Students will brainstorm writing strategies learned and discuss organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, ideas, and presentation. Homework includes revising a combined essay and writing the second paragraph of a reflection essay on their current writing process.
Ewrt 1 c class 17 writing essay 2 review for exam 1jordanlachance
This document contains the agenda and notes for an EWRT 1C class. The agenda includes reviewing the prompt for Essay #2, revising thesis statements, and ways to structure the introduction. Students will analyze one of four short stories provided and write a 4-7 page thesis-driven essay. The prompt encourages using critical lenses studied in class. Notes cover reviewing thesis statements with peers, writing a directed summary for the introduction that states the title, hooks the reader, briefly summarizes while assuming familiarity, uses transitions, and includes the thesis statement near the end. The class will also review for Exam #1 on short stories, poems, and literary theories covered like New Criticism, feminist criticism, and psychoanalytic
This document provides an agenda and background information for a class discussion on Stephen King's short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption." It includes a brief biography of King, noting he was born in Maine and received a B.A. in English. The document also discusses the genres King writes in and compares his work to morality plays. Additionally, it provides historical context about the real Alcatraz prison and a famous escape attempt to help understand the short story's setting. The homework assignments ask students to post questions and analyses relating to characters and trauma in the story.
This document provides an agenda and terms for a class on writing essays. The agenda includes presentations on counterarguments, conclusions, and MLA citation format. It will conclude with an in-class writing of Essay #2. Key terms are defined, such as economic class, ethnocentrism, gender, and queer. Guidelines are provided for writing a working outline, developing counterarguments, and strategies for effective conclusions. The document offers examples of integrating quotations using MLA style and signals to introduce quoted material.
This document provides instructions and prompts for an essay assignment on postmodern literature. Students are asked to write a 3-6 page thesis-driven essay responding to one of several prompts about works they have read in the course. The prompts cover topics like postmodernism and manifestos, themes in specific works, and analyzing passages through different theoretical lenses. The essay should demonstrate clear writing, rhetorical skills, and use MLA style formatting with citations. The document provides learning objectives, introduction to the assignment, and detailed prompts to choose from as well as formatting and submission requirements.
This document provides guidance for students writing an essay responding to Willa Cather's novel My Antonia. It lists 8 potential essay topics focusing on themes in the novel like the immigrant experience, gender roles, and symbolism. Students are instructed to write a 500-750 word MLA-formatted essay analyzing one of the topics in detail using evidence from the text. The document outlines learning objectives, submission requirements, research expectations, and best practices for completing the assignment successfully.
1. The agenda covers a presentation on literary terms, author lectures on Sui Sin Far and Nella Larsen, and a discussion of Sui Sin Far's short story "Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian."
2. The lecture on Sui Sin Far discusses her biracial background, early career writing under the pseudonym Sui Sin Far, and focus on representing Chinese American women and challenging stereotypes in her works.
3. The brief biography of Nella Larsen outlines her biracial background, involvement in the Harlem Renaissance, two novels dealing with light-skinned African American women passing for white, and the abrupt end to her writing career.
Ewrt 1 c class 17 writing essay 2 review for exam 1jordanlachance
This document contains the agenda and notes for an EWRT 1C class. The agenda includes reviewing the prompt for Essay #2, revising thesis statements, and ways to structure the introduction. Students will analyze one of four short stories provided and write a 4-7 page thesis-driven essay. The prompt encourages using critical lenses studied in class. Notes cover reviewing thesis statements with peers, writing a directed summary for the introduction that states the title, hooks the reader, briefly summarizes while assuming familiarity, uses transitions, and includes the thesis. The class will also review for Exam #1 on short stories, poems, and literary theories covered in classes 1-16 in preparation for the exam.
Elit 48 c essay #2 anzuldua, kingston, cisneros, alexiejordanlachance
This document provides guidance for an essay assignment on modernist literature. Students must choose from 10 essay prompts analyzing works by Anzuldua, Kingston, Cisneros, Alexie. The prompts examine themes like cultural identities, relationships, and satire. The essay should be 500-750 words using MLA style. Learning objectives include developing critical thinking and rhetorical skills. Students are expected to outline, incorporate evidence, and avoid plagiarism. The document provides advice for successful completion of the assignment.
Consequences of democratic citizens' policy agenda 2jordanlachance
This document proposes and tests a model to understand how Americans form judgments about the seriousness of global warming as a national problem. The model, called the ACE model, examines how beliefs about the existence and causes of global warming, attitudes toward its consequences, and certainty about beliefs and attitudes influence assessments of global warming's seriousness. The study tests the model using data from two surveys and finds support for the relationships proposed in the model. The findings point to psychological mechanisms that may shape public opinion and policy preferences on issues like global warming.
This document provides information about an American literature course titled ELIT 48C including:
1. Contact information for the professor and details about establishing accounts on the class website for completing homework assignments.
2. An overview of the course objectives, requirements, texts, student learning outcomes, and grading scale.
3. Class policies on essay submissions, attendance, conduct, late work, adding/dropping the course, and educational use of student papers.
This document provides an agenda and terms for a discussion on identity and passing. It will discuss why people racially or gender pass, the social implications, and whether identity is real or constructed. It raises questions about passing and fixed versus passing identities for both transgender and racially passing people. It explores if passing disrupts or stabilizes identity categories and social norms.
This document contains the class agenda, homework assignments, and reading schedule for an identity and passing literature course taught over 12 weeks. Some of the key activities and assignments included are:
1. Students will write 4 essays analyzing themes of identity and passing in assigned texts. They will also complete regular discussion posts and reading responses.
2. Readings include works by Larsen, Hughes, Far, Morrison, Feinberg, and Chesnutt that explore themes of racial, gender, and sexual passing.
3. Class time will include lectures, discussions of the readings, writing workshops, and in-class writing assignments. Students will peer review drafts of their essays.
4. Additional assignments include
This document outlines the agenda and instructions for an essay assignment. It provides guidance on presenting the problem, developing a thesis statement, describing a proposed solution and implementation steps, anticipating counterarguments, considering alternative solutions, and planning follow-up research. Students are instructed to revise their drafts to include arguing that the problem exists and is serious, outlining causes, consequences of inaction, a solution thesis, reasons their solution would work, implementation steps in paragraph form, responses to likely objections, descriptions of other solutions, and notes on further research needed. Homework includes posting a draft counterargument and alternative solutions analysis along with research notes.
The document summarizes the agenda and activities for a Week 9 class session of an EWRT 211 course. The agenda includes a discussion of common writing errors related to punctuation, an analysis and discussion of sample essays about the ethics of torture, and an in-class writing assignment to outline and practice developing a thesis statement. Students will analyze two essays on torture to identify thesis statements, arguments, and counterarguments. They will then outline and write a draft thesis statement for their own essay on whether torture is ever morally justified.
Students are to submit all out of class essays and projects electronically through Kaizena before the due date. When submitting, students should save their file with their last name and assignment number. This will help the teacher keep work organized. Students will be given a group code to join on Kaizena, where they can upload their file to the private conversation with the teacher. The teacher will then grade the paper and leave audio and written comments, as well as helpful links, for the student to view in the private conversation on Kaizena.
1. Students are required to submit all out-of-class essays and projects electronically through Kaizena before the due date.
2. When submitting work, students should save their file as their last name and assignment number (e.g. "Smith 2") and submit it through the provided Kaizena link.
3. Kaizena allows for both audio and written feedback on submissions and inclusion of helpful links from the instructor.
This document provides instruction on the four main types of sentences in English: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. It defines each type and provides examples. Simple sentences contain one independent clause. Compound sentences join two independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions or semicolons. Complex sentences contain an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Compound-complex sentences contain at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. The document reviews identifying and writing each sentence type and provides guidance for a homework assignment to write examples of each.
This document provides information for the first class of EWRT 1A taught by Dr. Kim Palmore. The class will include reviewing the introduction, brainstorming activities, and introducing essay #1 on choosing survival supplies. Students will engage in a group activity to choose supplies from lists to argue for in a 750 word essay. The essay should have an introduction with a clear thesis, body paragraphs with topic sentences and examples supporting each supply choice, and a conclusion. Homework includes posting an outline with thesis and being prepared for an in-class essay exam in the next class.
This document provides an overview and instructions for a hybrid English composition course. It introduces the instructor and outlines the course format, which includes both in-person and online components. Students are instructed on how to access course materials and assignments through the Canvas online platform. Key policies like attendance, late work, and academic honesty are also summarized. The document concludes by directing students to familiarize themselves with the course website and syllabus in preparation for the next class.
This document provides an overview and instructions for a hybrid English composition course. It introduces the instructor and their contact information. It explains that the class will meet in-person once a week for 2 hours and 15 minutes, and students will complete the remaining coursework online through presentations on the course website. It outlines how the online platform Canvas will be used and provides instructions for navigating it. It lists the course requirements including essays, homework posts, and reading quizzes. It discusses policies around attendance, late work, academic integrity and conduct. Finally, it provides the course syllabus calendar.
This document provides an overview and instructions for Dr. Kim Palmore's hybrid EWRT 1A course. The key points are:
- The class meets once a week in person and requires additional online work to be completed independently through presentations on the course website.
- The website, Canvas, will be used for communication, submitting assignments, accessing course materials and viewing grades.
- Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and regularly complete assignments by their deadlines. Formal writing assignments include essays that must be submitted electronically through Kaizena.
- The syllabus outlines course policies on attendance, late work, academic integrity and expected conduct. It also provides a tentative course calendar and information
This document provides information for the first class of EWRT 1A taught by Dr. Kim Palmore. It includes an agenda with topics like an introduction, brainstorming activity, and outlining an essay. Students will choose survival supplies for a hypothetical weeks-long trip into the woods and write an argument essay defending their choices. The document gives categories of supplies to pick from and instructs students to discuss their options in groups. It provides guidance on writing an outline, thesis, body paragraphs, and conclusion for the essay. The homework is to post an outline, bring a hard copy to class, and prepare to do an in-class writing exam.
This document provides an overview of the EWRT 1A course. It introduces the instructor, Dr. Kim Palmore, and outlines the course details and expectations. The class is a hybrid course that meets weekly for 2 hours and 15 minutes, with an additional 2 hours and 15 minutes of online work each week. Students will use the Canvas platform to access course materials, assignments, and submit homework. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and regularly complete reading and writing assignments on time, including essays, homework posts, and quizzes. Academic honesty is strictly enforced.
To highlight and comment on an essay using Kaizena:
1. Find the essay assignment and submission requirements
2. Highlight required sections of the essay using the specified colors
3. To add a comment, highlight text and type the comment in the box that appears, then click "Post to Highlight"
4. Use one consistent color for your own highlights so the instructor can use a different color for feedback
1) All essays and projects must be submitted electronically through Kaizena before the class period they are due.
2) Students will enter a group code to submit essays and can add files from Google Drive or their desktop in PDF format.
3) The professor will review highlighting and commenting on essays and students can leave written or voice comments on their submissions.
To establish a WordPress username for completing homework, students can visit https://signup.wordpress.com/signup/?user=1 and follow the steps to create a free username, or sign in through Facebook instead of using their own name; they should then email their instructor their username and use that account for all class work online, as having a username is mandatory for much of the coursework being done online.
Here is a 4 line quotation integrated into a sentence in my essay:
According to leading health expert Dr. Susan Smith, making healthy choices is about more than just weight loss or appearance. As she states:
"Health is about feeling your best both physically and mentally. It's finding energy and joy in everyday activities rather than feeling drained. Making small changes like adding more vegetables or taking a walk after dinner can lead to big improvements in overall well-being."
This quotation effectively captures Dr. Smith's perspective that health is about overall wellness, not just physical appearance or numbers on a scale. Focusing on small, sustainable lifestyle changes and how they can enhance quality of life is a motivating message.
This document provides an overview of the key information for a hybrid English composition course. It includes the instructor's contact information and a description of how the hybrid format will work with some weekly in-person meetings and additional online content. It outlines how the course website and learning management system Canvas will be used and provides details on course requirements, assignments, materials, and policies around attendance, late work, academic honesty, and conduct. The syllabus calendar gives a tentative weekly schedule and overview of topics. Students are instructed to review the information and policies, take a quiz on the first presentation, and complete tasks like exploring the website and setting up accounts before the next class.
This document provides an overview and analysis of themes, tensions, and theoretical approaches in Night by Elie Wiesel. It discusses major themes like death, God/religion, sanity/insanity, and family. It analyzes the internal and external tensions present in the work. It also explores how trauma theory and other theoretical lenses can provide insight into the text. Key events and passages are analyzed in depth, with questions provided about character perspectives and shifts in worldview over the course of the horrific events depicted in the Holocaust memoir.
This document outlines the schedule and assignments for a hybrid literature and composition class over 9 weeks. It includes in-class and online activities as well as assigned readings and homework for each week. The main topics covered are New Criticism, feminist criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, short stories, and trauma theory. Students are assigned two essays analyzing poems and short stories using different literary lenses. They also have online discussion posts and take an exam on the materials covered in the first few weeks.
1. This document provides the guidelines and requirements for Essay #3, which asks students to write a 3-5 page concept essay explaining and analyzing a concept of their choosing. Students must highlight and comment on specific sections of their essay, include at least 3 sources in a Works Cited page, and meet formatting and length requirements.
2. The essay should objectively explain the chosen concept for readers who may or may not be familiar with it already. Students are encouraged to reveal uncommon details about the concept and use examples and imagery to illustrate it clearly.
3. The document outlines learning outcomes, previously learned skills, best practices, and traps to avoid like choosing an inappropriate topic or failing to support arguments with evidence
Here are some potential connections between the prisoners in Night and Shawshank Redemption:
- Both groups are stripped of their freedom and individuality. In the camps, prisoners are reduced to numbers and forced into uniformity/submission. In Shawshank, the prisoners lose control over their lives and must obey the prison system.
- Survival requires adapting to a harsh, inhumane system not of one's own making. In the camps, prisoners must find ways to endure unthinkable cruelty and deprivation. In Shawshank, inmates navigate the prison's oppressive rules and power structures.
- Hope and humanity can persist even in the darkest of places. In Night, some prisoners retain aspects of dignity and compassion
The document provides an agenda and discussion points for analyzing the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King and the short story "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka.
For "Rita Hayworth", there is a discussion of themes like hope, struggle, and imprisonment. Potential discussion questions are also listed. For "The Metamorphosis", summaries of each chapter are provided along with characters, potential theoretical approaches, and discussion questions. The agenda then outlines a group discussion for analyzing both works.
The agenda covers discussions of two novellas: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and The Metamorphosis. For Shawshank, key themes of hope, struggle, and imprisonment will be analyzed. For The Metamorphosis, three chapter summaries are provided: Chapter 1 details Gregor waking up as a cockroach and his family's initial reaction. Chapter 2 explores Gregor's loneliness and his sister's compassion. Chapter 3 finds Gregor weakening as the family acclimates to his condition. Potential discussion questions are posed about characters and applying psychoanalytic theory.
This document provides an agenda and information for an online EWRT 1C class on Franz Kafka's novella "The Metamorphosis". The class will include reading the novella, an introduction to Kafka as the author, and discussing the historical and literary contexts. Kafka is introduced as an Austrian-Jewish writer from Prague in the late 19th/early 20th century. The novella is then analyzed including its use of third-person narration from the perspective of Gregor Samsa after he transforms into an insect. Students are assigned to read the novella and answer one of several discussion questions in 200-300 words for homework.
Elit 48 c class 6 post qhq with feminist and lgbt qhq
1. +
ELIT 48C Class # 6
Complement
versus
Compliment
Great
Sweater! It
looks good
with those
jeans!
Thanks!
I just
bought
it!
2. +
Grammar Slide
Complement is a noun or verb that means
something that completes or makes up a whole:
“The red sweater is a perfect complement to the
outfit.”
Compliment is a noun or verb that means an
expression of praise or admiration: “I received
compliments about my new red sweater.”
Easily Confused or Misused Words | Infoplease.com
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0200807.html#ixzz2T7S5NSIg
3. +
AGENDA
Wrap up QHQ Discussion:
Feminist and LGBT Criticism
Lecture:
African American Criticism
Discussion:
QHQs
The Great Gatsby
Author introduction:
Susan Glaspell and Trifles
4. + QHQs Feminist Criticism
1. What role does power play in the
disconnection from patriarchal ideologies?
2. How is feminist criticism associated with
“giving a voice to the voiceless?”
3. How does the patriarchal gender role affect
women in their older years?
4. Why and how are female feminists
undermined by the patriarchy?
5. +QHQs: Gay, Lesbian, Queer Criticism
1. Q: What constitutes an LGBT literary text?
2. Q: Why is queer theory an important and necessary
addition to both gay and lesbian theories?
3. Q: Is it important to know the orientation of the
author before reading the story? Does it have a
huge impact on how the story is read or
understood?
6. + QHQ: similarities and intersections
1. Q: Are there any similarities between the Feminist criticism and
the LGBT criticism?
2. Q: How is Feminist criticism different from LGBT criticism?
3. Q: Does the challenging of traditional gender roles in many
perspectives of feminism exclude/challenge gender
identifications in the LGBTQ community? If so, how can feminist
ideals and LGBTQ ideals resolve the disparity?
4. Q: If femininity/women were not socially constructed as the
lesser in our society, is it possible that homosexuality (at least
for men) may never have become something so unacceptable?
5. Q: How does the patriarchal ideology affect those who do not
identify with either gender?
7. +
Toni Morrison: American novelist, American
literary critic, editor, and professor.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. : American literary critic,
educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public
intellectual
African
American
Criticism
8. +The following perspectives help identify
African-American criticism
African American criticism notes that black writing
comes out of a sociological, political, ideological, and
cultural situation marked by oppression and
marginalization. “Black” reading then must negotiate
the difficult boundaries between textual and cultural
meanings.
Black criticism has substantial ties to post-colonial
criticism, and to the issues in it of the representation of the
'other” and the reclamation of identity in the forms and
language of the oppressor.
9. +
African American criticism has an awareness
that black experience has ties to African
language, cultural practices, and attitudes, that
it is formed through the experience of slavery
and violence, that it has endured a long and
troubled negotiation with white culture, so that
black artistic production in white cultures is
marked by white culture positively and
negatively.
10. African American criticism is a struggle over
the relation of race, reading, and critical theory,
similar in some respects to that of feminist
theory:
Who “speaks for” blacks?
Can only blacks “read” black literature?
Can black literature be read with the tools of
contemporary criticism?
11. African American criticism examines how white writing in
racist countries reveals the nature of the oppression of
blacks.
Toni Morrison, for instance, argues that American culture
is built on, and always includes, the presence of blacks, as
slaves, as outsiders. Morrison likens the unwillingness of
academics in a racist society to see the place of
Africanism in literature and culture to the centuries of
unwillingness to see feminine discourse, concerns, and
identity.
She posits whiteness as the “other” of blackness, a
dialectical pair (each term both creates and excludes the
other): no freedom without slavery, no white without black.
12. African American criticism is also an attempt to come to terms
with the whole issue of what “race” is.
Historically race has been seen as something essential. That race is
inherent, a matter of 'blood', was and is firmly believed by
Americans, is clear from the recent autobiography of an American,
Gregory Howard Williams, now Dean of the Law School at Ohio
State, Life on the Color Line, a man who looks white, and whose
father passed as Italian in Virginia, where his family was not known.
He was, in Virginia, accepted and treated as white, but he was
treated as black (and hence was the victim of exclusion and other
prejudicial behavior) when the family returned to their home town of
Muncie, Indiana: there they knew that his grandmother was black;
therefore, he was black.
When is white black?-- When you have some “black blood”? Or
when people know or think you have black blood?
13. As a subject matter, any analysis of a literary work written by
an African American, regardless of the theoretical framework
used, might be called African American criticism, even if no
attention is paid to elements in the text that are specifically
African American.
However, as a theoretical framework [. . .] African American
criticism foregrounds race (racial identity, African American
cultural traditions, psychology, politics, and so forth) as the
object of analysis because race, in America, informs our
individual and cultural psychology, and therefore our literature,
in profound ways. As a theoretical framework, then, African
American criticism can be used to analyze any literary
text that speaks to African American issues, regardless of
the race of its author, although the work of African American
writers is the primary focus (Tyson 394).
14. +
Important Terms
In The Souls of Black Folk, arguably W.E.B. DuBois’s most
famous work, he introduces and addresses two concepts that
describe the quintessential Black experience in America. The
first is the concept of “the veil. ”
The veil concept primarily refers to three conditions of racial
difference:
The literal darker skin of Blacks, which is a physical
demarcation of difference from whiteness.
White people’s lack of clarity to see Blacks as “true”
Americans.
Blacks’ lack of clarity to see themselves outside of what
white America describes and prescribes for them.
15. +
Important Terms
The second concept that Debois introduces is “double-
consciousness.” This concept is inextricably intertwined with “the veil.”
The veil dampens the view of both Blacks and Whites, yet
Blacks traditionally have a better understanding of whites than
the reverse because of the “two-ness” lived by Black Americans.
Understanding being Black and what that has historically meant
(or means) in America, Black people know they operate in two
Americas— one that is White and one that is Black. This is the
phenomena of “double-consciousness,” the awareness of the
“two-ness” of being both American and African American and
the largely unconscious and instinctive shifts between the these
two identities.
16. +
Some questions African American
critics ask about literary texts
1. What can the work teach us about the specifics of African heritage,
African American culture and experience, and/or African American
history?
2. What are the racial politics (ideological agendas related to racial
oppression or liberation) of specific African American works?
Does the work correct stereotypes of African Americans?
Does it correct historical misrepresentations of African Americans?
Does it celebrate African American culture, experience, and
achievement?
Does it explore racial issues, including, among others, the economic,
social, or psychological effects of racism?
Or, does it, as can be seen in the literary production of many white
authors, does the work reinforce racist ideologies?
17. +
More questions African American
critics ask about literary texts
3. What are the poetics (literary devices and strategies) of
specific African American works?
Does the work use black vernacular or standard white English?
Does the work draw on African myths or African American
folktales or folk motifs?
Does the work provide imagery that resonates with African
American women’s domestic space, African American cultural
practices, history, or heritage?
What are the effects of these literary devices, and how do they
relate to the theme, or meaning, of the work?
18. +
4. How does the work participate in the African American
literary tradition? In short, what place does it occupy in African
American literary history or in African American women’s
literary history?
5. How does the work illustrate the social construction of race,
white privilege, or any other concept from critical race theory?
How can an understanding of these concepts deepen our
interpretation of the work?
6. How is an Africanist presence—black characters, stories
about black people, representations of black speech, images
associated with Africa or with blackness—used in works by
white writers to construct positive portrayals of white
characters?
20. +
QHQ: Everyday Racism and Racial Realism
1. Q: How do acts of everyday racism keep
xenophobia alive? Is everyday racism more
crippling for our growth as a society than
transparent acts of racism?
2. Q: Would a person who commits everyday
racism or less subtle, perhaps subconscious
forms of racism still be considered racist?
3. Q: If we know race is socially constructed,
then why do people still feel the need to
identify someone according to their “race”?
4. Q: Seeing as to how the U.S. Census Bureau
has been adding new “races” since 1790, do
you think there will be new “races” added in
the future?
Racial realism is
defined by Tyson as
“the conviction that
racial equality will
never be achieved in
the United States
and that African
Americans should,
therefore, stop
believing that it will.”
(Tyson, 382)
21. + Internalized and Institutionalized Racism
1. Q: Do many people still suffer from internalized
racism?
2. Q: Is the lack of ethnic diversity in American pop
culture responsible for internalized racism?
3. Q: Has society ingrained these pre-destined
stereotypes about race into us, or is it simply
human nature to file those who are [different
from] us under a different category?
4. Q: Does internalized racism hinder the creative
mind of today’s multicultural artist?
5. Q: How does internalized racism and double
consciousness affect how blacks perceive and
accept themselves?
“Internalized racism
often results in intra-
racial racism, which
refers to
discrimination within
the black community
against those with
darker skin and
more African
features.”
22. +
Race as a Social Construction
1. Q: If we know race is socially constructed, then why do
people still feel the need to identify someone according to
their “race”?
2. Q: Seeing as to how the U.S. Census Bureau has been
adding new “races” since 1790, do you think there will be
new “races” added in the future?
3. Q: If race is nothing more than a social construct, then why
would African American literature be qualified as its own
specific type of literature?
23. +
QHQ: African American Criticism
1. Q: Why is the differentiation between using black
vernacular and standard English so important?
2. Q: Why does it seem impossible for a person of
European American ancestry to write intimately
about African Americans (or any other race writing
about any other race)?
3. Q: How does African American criticism help the
majority to understand discrimination?
24. +
Theoretical Intersections
1. How do different systems of oppression intersect with one
another?
2. Is the way a woman looks at feminist criticism similar to the
way an African American looks at African American criticism?
3. Why is racial realism a sickening but very real possibility and
how can it be applied to feminist theory?
25. +Q: Is The Great Gatsby a racist novel?
Being that Harlem was such a bustling source of creativity and of all things
“new,” it seems strange that neither Tom, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, or Gatsby ever
mentions that part of town. As Tyson puts it “From a historical perspective,
such an oversight is virtually impossible. Had Fitzgerald remained true to
form in his description of cultural reality, Nick and his friends would have
visited, or at least mentioned having visited, a Harlem nightclub.” (Tyson,
404)
In fact the only African-American characters Fitzgerald presents is the “ three
modish negroes” in a limousine driven by a white man. Nick, the narrator,
describes them as “two bucks and a girl” and he says that “ he laughed aloud
as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.” (Fitzgerald,
73) Nick’s description of these characters exemplifies a concept that was
explained by Tyson. They serve as a mirror, or a comparison to the
protagonist, in order to make the protagonist look better.
Question: Why or why not would an author be considered a
racist due to the exclusion of racial minority characters?
26. +
Author: Susan Glaspell
On July 1, 1882, Susan Glaspell was born in
Davenport, Iowa. She excelled in academics
as a student, studying Latin and journalism.
After graduation from high school, she worked
as a newspaper reporter for the Davenport
Morning Republican, then as the society editor
for the Weekly Outlook. From 1897-1899 she
attended Drake University and received a
Ph.D. in Philosophy.
27. At the time of her death in 1948, she
had written fifty short stories, nine
novels, and fourteen plays; most of
these works feature strong female
protagonists and stories that focus
on the experiences of women.
Perhaps not surprisingly, her work
faded from public interest during the
conservative1950s, and practically
disappeared from bookshelves and
the stages of amateur theatres. Yet
in the past few decades, her work is
being reexamined and celebrated
by a new group of critics and
audiences.
28. +
HOMEWORK
Read Trifles (1916) pp. 252-262
Post # 6: Choose one
1. In literature, a symbol represents
something else, and is often used to
communicate deeper levels of
meaning. What is one important
symbol in Trifles? How does Glaspell
use it to propel the plot and convey
deeper levels of meaning about her
characters or themes?
2. Write a paragraph or two on how you
might apply any one of the Critical
theories we have discussed to Trifles.
3. How might you read Trifles in
connection with one of the modernist
manifestos?
4. QHQ Trifles