Intro to Lit: Genre (The Woman Narrator)

This course will examine novels, written by both men and
women, that use a woman narrator for part or all of the book.  We will explore the particular themes that
women’s storytelling produces, sometimes in contrast to a male narrator n the
same book.  We will also consider the
ways in which women’s narratives are subversive, how both male and female
authors use the woman’s fictional voice to challenge established assumptions
about what the novel can do, transform the portrayal of women characters, represent
complexities in women’s critical and  ethical thinking, and use women’s point of
view to produce what Molly HIte calls “the other side of the story.” 

The course will also help students develop confidence, ease,
and skill in reading analytically and in articulating reasoned interpretive
arguments about the material that is read.

Required Texts

  • Daniel
    Defoe, Moll Flanders
  • Charlotte
    Brontë, Jane Eyre
  • Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea
  • Margaret
    Atwood, Alias Grace
  • Alice
    Walker, Color Purple
  • Nora
    Okja Keller, Comfort Woman

Course Requirements

  • Regular
    attendance
  • Three
    5-page papers
  • Informal
    writing
  • Final
    Exam