L362 Novel Assignment

The purposes of this assignment are (a) to give the students an opportunity to apply the theories and concepts learned in the course to topics and readings not directly covered in the course, and (b) to give the students an opportunity to write an organized essay in which they combine research and their own analyses. 

The paper will be (a) a description of the facts and issues in a book (novel or monograph) relevant to the course, and (b) an analysis of these facts and issues using the concepts and theories which  have been learned in the first four weeks of the course.       

To do the analysis, you will explicitly select (a) two or more of the social science concepts we have used in class, (b) one or more of the theoretical statements from the class or  the paradigms, or (c) one or more of the paradigms.  You may, of course, use your own combination of the items identified in the previous sentence.  The paradigms are conservative, liberal, and radical.  The theoretical statements are given on the paradigm handouts, e.g., "shared values and beliefs are the glue that hold society together."  Examples of concepts include, alienation, class, de facto / de jure, equality, freedom, gender, homophobia, ideology, justice, legitimacy, materialism, nationalism, paradigm, race, reciprocity, socialization, and third world.   

This is difficult, because you must use the paradigm(s), theory(s) &/or concepts to analyze the facts and issues of your chosen book, i.e., help the reader better understand the issues, &/or use the facts and issues of your chosen book to illustrate or exemplify the paradigm(s), theory(s) &/or concepts you have selected.  You may, of course, do a combination of these things. 

The paper will be graded on content, and on the writing, e.g., • is there an identifiable controlling main idea (thesis), • is the essay written with paragraphs (with clearly stated topic sentences) which support the thesis statement, • does the essay use language which is precise and clear, • are paragraphs developed in some depth, by means of restatement, illustrations, and examples,  • is the essay fresh and imaginative, free of slang and jargon, and  • does the essay handle ideas and language so as to show understanding of the theories and concepts, as well as originality of thought and freshness of expression,  • are there few or no misspellings or punctuation errors,  •  is the essay free of  errors such as run-on sentences and pronouns which do not match the nouns they modify. 

The paper should be 5-7 pages in length.  Papers which do not complete the assignment or do not receive a grade of "C" or better will be rewritten.  Students are encouraged to use the help of the Learning Center in the early stages of working on this assignment.  Papers should be typed, preferably on a word processor, follow good essay form, and  be properly documented using the MLA style of documentation.  There is a style manual on Reserve in the library.

Please, no plastic cover or blank pages. 

The books will be selected from the list provided by the instructor.  Students should select a book you have not read previously. 

BOOKS

Abrahams, Peter.  MINE BOY.  1989, Heinemann Ed.  ISBN: 0-435-90562-7

Aidoo, Ama Atoa.  OUR SISTER KILLJOY. 1979,  NOK pubs.  ISBN: 088357-064-5   

Achebe, Chinua.  ARROW  OF  GOD. 1969, c1964.  [896.31 Alffa]
A  MAN  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 1967. Political unrest - African Nation. [896.31 A177m]
CHIKE & THE RIVER.  1966, [896.31 A177c]

Armah,  Ayi-Kwei. THE BEAUTIFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN.

Attaway, William.   BLOOD  ON  THE  FORGE.1941/1987.   [library reserve]

Arias, Arturo.  AFTER  THE  BOMBS.  1990.  [863 A 696a]

Baldwin, James.  ANOTHER  COUNTRY.  1962, c1960.  [813.542 B181an]

Bowen, Elenore Smith.   RETURN  TO LAUGHTER: An Anthropological Novel.  1954/1964. [library reserve]

Bradley, David.  THE  CHANEYSVILLE  INCIDENT.  1981.  (based on real local events - Bradley teaches at Temple)  813.54 B811c
SOUTH  STREET.  1986.  Black street life in late 50's-early 60's on South St. in Philadelphia. [library reserve]

Brink,  André.  A DRY WHITE SEASON.  Penguin,  1979/84. South Africa/Apartheid  [library reserve]

Brown, Claude.  MANCHILD  IN  THE  PROMISED  LAND.  1965.   Black man who made it out of the Harlem ghetto. [309.174 B877m]

Cade, Tony, Editor.  THE  BLACK  WOMAN.  1970.  Anthology of stories, poems and essays by Black Women.  [305.4 c122b]

Campbell, Bebe Moore. Your Blues ain't Like Mine.  1992 - [813.5403 C187y]

Crow Dog, Mary.  LAKOTA WOMAN. 1990. Autobiography of modern Sioux woman.    [978.362 C953]

Dexter, Pete.  GOD’S POCKET.  1983. Set in a section of working class Philadelphia.    [813.54997  D527g]

Echewa, T. Obinkaram.  I  SAW  THE  SKY  CATCH  FIRE.  1992. [823  E18i]

Ellison, Ralph.  INVISIBLE  MAN.  1952.  [818. 542 E47i ] About 500 pages, but excellent.

Gaines,  Ernest  J.  A  GATHERING  OF  OLD MEN.  1983.  (Black/Cajun/White)   [813.54  G142g]
   A lesson Before Dying. [813.5404 G142l]

Gordimer, Nadine.  BURGER’S  DAUGHTER.  1979.  (South Africa) [823.9146 G661m]
   MY  SON'S  STORY. 1990. [823.9146 G661m]
   THE  CONSERVATIONIST.  1975.  (South Africa)    [823.9146 G661c]

Hurston, Sora Neale.  THEIR  EYES  WERE  WATCHING  GOD.  1937 / 78.  Bio of Black woman in south.  [813.5239  H966t]

Johnson,  E. Pauline.  THE MOCCASSIN MAKER.  University of Arizona Press, 1987.  Short stories of Native American Women.

Jones, Mother.  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  MOTHER JONES.  1972.  She mothered union struggles 1871-1921 [331.8 J78a]

Kotlowitz, Alex.  THERE ARE NO CHILDREN  HERE. Doubleday, 1991,  ISBN 0385-26526-3

Larsen,  Nella. Passing. 1928. Harlem Renaissance - crossing color line 
[813.5271 L334p]

Marshall, Paule.  Brown Girl, Brownstones. 1940s - Black - Feminist      
[813.54B M369b]

Mathabane,  Mark.  KAFFIR  BOY:  Black Youth  in South Africa.  1987.  
[968 M426k]

Menchu, Rigoberta,  I Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in  Guatemala.  Indian Woman in Guatemala -1980s  [library reserve]

Momaday, N. Scott.  HOUSE  MADE  OF  DAWN.  1977.   (Native American)  [813.5456 M732ho]

Morrison, Toni.  The Bluest Eye.   [813.54997 M882b4]
   Beloved.  [813.54997 M882b]

Naylor, Gloria. Linden Hills. 1985. (Black-middle-class)     [813.54998 N333l]
   Women of Brewster Place.  [813.54998 N333w]

Petry, Ann.  THE  STREET. 1946 / 85.  (feminist - black - sex roles).  [813.54  P498S]

Sandoz, Mari.  SLOGUM HOUSE.  Native American, 1981,  ISBN: 080329123-x
Battle of Little Bighorn. [973.82 S318b]

Sembene, Ousmane.  GOD’S  BITS  OF  WOOD.  1970.  A novel of the independence struggle in French Africa. [ 843 O94g]

Shavkh, Han-an.  Women of Sand & Myrrh.  [892.736 S8w]

Silko, Leslie Marmon.  CEREMONY.  1986.   (Native American - poetic, full of fantasy/magic, wonderful but hard to read)

Selormey, Francis.  THE NARROW PATH.

Smith, Lillian.  STRANGE  FRUIT.  1944 / 85.  Black woman loves white man in racist south, 1930's. [813.5486 S654s]

Soyinka, Wole.  KONGI'S  HARVEST. Oxford, 1967.  ISBN: 0-19-911085-9
AKE: The Years of Childhood  Vin-Random, 1983.  ISBN: 0394-72219-1

Ngugi.  WEEP NOT CHILD.  Heinemann, 1988  ISBN: 0435-908-3098

Walker, Alice. Merieidan. 1970s - Black- Women - [813.54999 W177m]

Widerman, John Edgar. Sent for you Yesterday   1983 - [813.5401 W639s]

Wright,  Richard.   BLACK  BOY.  Autobiography of early years. 1937. [813.5212 W952b] 
AMERICAN  HUNGER.  1944.  Second part of his autobiography.  [813.5212 W952a]
UNCLE  TOM’S  CHILDREN.  1965, c1938.  [813.5212 W952u.]   Five  short stories. 
THE  OUTSIDER.  1965.  [813.5212 W952o]