Spring 2004 Courses

English 394 - 03: From Non-Fiction to Fiction: 19th Century African American Narrative (English)

MWF
1:10-2:10pm OM 001

In this course, we will examine and analyze the remarkable shift from nonfiction to fiction that occurred in narratives written by African Americans during the 19th century. Reading slave narratives, novels, spiritual autobiographies, and multiple versions of autobiographies, we will explore the possibility that fictionalized representations of an African American literary and political subject functioned as a necessary counterpart in the (contested) emergence of modern African American citizenship. At the same time, we will challenge the nonfiction-fiction distinction itself‹for example, by closely examining the generic instability of slave narratives, which often relied upon the conventions of fiction in order to deliver the "truth" of slavery. We will develop strongly historical contexts for our exploration and will read extensively in literary criticism and theory about 19th century African American literature. Texts will include Douglass's My Bondage and My Freedom and "The Heroic Slave"; Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; John Jacobs's "A True Tale of Slavery"; Harriet Wilson's Our Nig; and William Wells Brown's Clotel. Requirements for the course will include: weekly written responses to the readings, one brief paper of about 3 pages, one long research paper of about 15-20 pages, and an in-class presentation.

Spring 2004 Course Listings