Dr. Lucia Knoles
Honors Major American Literature
AREAS
OF SPECIALIZATION FOR THE SEMESTER
In this course, we are studying the way in which literature
draws from and contributes to the debate that takes place over significant
issues in American culture as a whole. Below I have listed several issues
that are a subject of discussion in American life and literature since the
earliest days of colonial history. You
will find that these are also issues that receive particular attention in
both Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the subject of our research project, and The
House of Mirth, a focus of our final examination.
Over the course of the semester, you should develop an understanding
of the discussion that has taken place in American literature, culture, and
scholarship regarding the topic of your choice.
Think about which of the following topics you would most
enjoy reading, thinking, and writing about in the coming weeks. If possible, choose a question that matters
to you. By developing an area of expertise,
you will be able to make a particular contribution to our class discussion
and research.
If you wish, you may choose to collaborate with other members
of the class interested in the same subject. Scholars often find it useful—even necessary—to consult with their
colleagues. You may find that exchanging
information, ideas, and questions will enable you to move more deeply into
your subject than you expected.
The Value of
Work, the Meaning of the Marketplace
What is the meaning of work in a country dedicated to the “pursuit of happiness”? Does our work define us? Does work have a moral value—in other
words, are we better people if we work well or work in a particular way? Does the marketplace—what we are paid, or what
price is placed on us—define our value?
Is the marketplace the only thing or the primary thing that defines
our value? If so, what gets left
out of our lives? Is the domestic
sphere, home and family life, as important as the marketplace? To what extent
are all Americans—or specific groups of Americans—defined primarily as commodities
or products? If so, what does that
say about American values? What happens
when people are excluded from the marketplace; do they cease to have value?
Do some kinds of work have a higher status than others?
For example, does the work of the head matter more than the work of
the hand? Does work in a business matter more than work
in a home? What role has been played
by American literature in the discussion of the meaning of work and worth?
Manners,
Morality, and Christianity
In a republic, what responsibilities do we have for other
people? Why do manners matter?
Is polite behavior the same or different as moral behavior? What is more important to “success” in life, manners or morals--or
are they, once again, the same? Are
different codes of manners applied to different groups of people; if so, why?
Are different codes of morals applied to different people; if so, why?
Do Americans think that using different codes to apply to different groups
is inconsistent with our republican notions of “equality,” or is this just
a way of acknowledging the natural differences between human beings?
How and why have manners changed over time? As we become more “polite” do we become better people? Are manners a way for people to bridge the
gaps between classes or are they away of sorting out the different strata
of society? Have morals changed too? How have Americans managed to negotiate differences
in manners—or morality? Has Christianity
ever been promoted in a way that did not promote morality? What do Americans understand by the term “Christianity”?
How has Christianity been used to promote morality, and has there ever been
a tension between morality and things promoted as “Christian” precepts?
How has American literature contributed to this discussion on manners,
morals, and Christianity and the relationship between the three.
Reading,
Education, and Self-Cultivation
Why do Americans seem to place such a high value on reading
and learning? Is it so we can “get
ahead” in our business or social lives? Is it so we can be better citizens? Is it so we can be better Christians? Is it so we can be more complete human beings?
Have our ways of defining education or “cultivation” changed over time?
Have our ways of pursuing an education changed over time. Does our education define us; does it define
our value? Should all Americans have
the right to an education? Do we see
American literature reflecting and contributing to the discussion of the value
of education?
Social
Reform, American Perfectionism and Exceptionalism
How do Americans go about the business of trying to make
things better? Why do some groups
feel so passionate about engaging in reform; what kinds of arguments or experiences
inspire people to support reform movements?
What kinds of claims do reformers use to promote reform and do those
claims reflect particular visions of America and American values?
Do reform movements reflect a particular view of America as exceptional
and perfectible? Are we still trying
to become that “shining citie on a hill”?
How can you engage in debates over social change without disrupting
the social order (or is it a good thing to disrupt the social order)? Are organized and outspoken reformers the "good
guys" or busybodies? How are reformers and reform movements portayed
in American literature? How has American
literature contributed to the discussion of reform and the promotion or blocking
of reform movements?
Gendered
“Spheres” and Racial Roles
Are we defined by our gender and our race? Do gender and
race define the types of abilities, aptitudes, and feelings that we have?
Do the members of different genders have different "spheres"
in which they should work? Do different
"spheres" or "roles" carry different privileges and responsibilities? What role has American literature participated
in the debates over gender and/or race that have gone on throughout our history?
What other kinds of "texts" have played roles in this discussion,
and how do these texts "speak" to each other—to they take up one
another's arguments or rhetorical techniques?
The
Good Death
How is death viewed in American culture and does that view change
over time? How is death
used in American literature, and how does that portrayal of death
reflect the attitudes towards death in the culture as a whole? Is the "noble death" merely a literary
device, or do other "texts" use death in similar or different
ways?
Remember, this is merely a list of starting-points for your inquiry.
These are not the only options possible; feel free to consult
with me if you have an alternative in mind. In addition, the follow up questions are a
starting place for your thinking, but you'll find you cannot answer
all of them and you are likely to come up with new questions of
your own. Finally, you may well have noticed that these
questions overlap. That's good because it will mean that although
people will be exploring different questions, their interests will
intersect.
Back
to the Syllabus