418: Captivity and Slave Narratives (Anderson)

418: Captivity and Slave Narratives (Anderson) Syllabus: ENGL418
Spring 2004
Special Topics in American Literature: Captivity and Slave Narratives
Professor David Anderson, Bonney Castle 7, x5326
I. The course is intended to provide an opportunity for advanced study and research of an important writer, writers, a theme, or a genre in American literature. We will explore the non-fiction form of the captivity narrative in early American-European writing and its analogy in the slave narrative, particularly (though not exclusively) in African-American writing.

II. Goals and Objectives
The course is the capstone of the study of literature at Hiram College. Particularly important will be the engagement of each student with some aspect of the critical tradition that has interpreted and appraised the work and validity of the various authors, as well as the acceptance of the genre itself as a literary one. Students must familiarize themselves with major critical approaches to the genre, as well as come to an understanding of the making of literary reputation and the canonical process. As an outcome of the research, class members will be familiar with important sources of print material as well as electronic databases and digitally retrievable formats.

III. Course Expectations
A. Texts

AMERICAN CAPTIVITY NARRATIVES ed. Gordon Sayre Houghton Mifflin 0395980739
SLAVE NARRATIVES ed. William Andrews & Henry L. Gates Library of America (Series # 114) 1883011760
John Demos THE UNREDEEMED CAPTIVE Vintage 0679759611
Hannah Craft THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE Warner Books 0446690295
Deborah Larsen THE WHITE Random House 0375712895

B. There will be three research essays:

An annotated bibliography along with an essay describing the research process. February 20
A review of major trends in criticism either in captivity or in slave narratives. This might include literature derivative of the protypical genres (fiction, poetry). March 19
A personal reflection on problems and issues in researching non- traditional literary forms. April 5

C. Each of the essays will account for 25% of the final grade; the final 25% will reflect class participation. Class participation entails both attendance, as well as engagement in the dialogue between students and the works that are under consideration.

Schedule
January 12
14 Chapters 1-2 American Captivity Narratives
16 Chapter 3

19 Martin Luther King Day. No Class
21 Mary Rowlandson The Sovereignty and Goodness of God(1682) 132-176
23 Rowlandson cont'd.

26 Bibliographic Session
28 John Demos The Unredeemed Captive
30 Demos, cont'd.

February 2 Bruce Beresford's film Black Robe (1992)
4 finish Black Robe
6 Michel René Hilliard d'Auberteuil Miss McCrea: A Novel of the American Revolution (1784) + John Vanderlyn's painting "Jane McCrea" (1804) (handout)

9 A Narrative of the Life of Mrs Mary Jemison (handout)
11 cont'd.
13 Deborah Larsen The White (2002)

16 The White; final reflections on captivity narratives
18 Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) (Slave Narratives)
20 cont'd.

23 The Confessions of Nat Turner (1831) 243-266)
25 cont'd.
27 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) 269-368)

March 1 Douglas cont'd.
3 Narrative of William Wells Brown, A Fugitive Slave (1847) 371-423
5 Wells, cont'd.

8/10/12 Spring Break

15 Narrative of Sojourner Truth, A Northern Slave (1850) 567-676
17 cont'd.
19 cont'd.

22 Harriet Ann Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 743-947
24 cont'd.
26 cont'd.

29 Hannah Crafts The Bondwoman's Narrative
31 cont'd.
April 2 cont'd.

5 HBO Documentary Unchained Memories—Readings from the Slave Narratives
7 Discussion of www.memory.loc.gov
9 Good Friday No Class.