01 MTH2 CAC 28162 PRATER MU-213
The Black Novel has as its literary predecessor the slave narrative, a genre that by definition had the dual role of revealing the inhumanity of slavery and affirming the humanity of Black slaves while needing to be “literary” and “entertaining” enough to sustain the interest of its readers and prompt them to action. Some of the first narratives resembled, thematically and formally, captivity and conversion narratives, and later authors took pages from genres ranging from the adventure tale to the sentimental novel. With the rise of the antislavery movement in the early 19th century, these narratives became an indispensible tool for the political powers that be to inform and sway the general public. The objective of this course will be to see how the contemporary black novel, specifally written post World War II, takes up the literary quest for personal power free from institutional control and functions as a voice for social and political change. To that end, we will begin with an earlier novel, James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, then move on to more contemporary fiction. Some questions that we will consider will be: What exactly constitutes “blackness” and given the historical moment in which each text was written? How do potential answers to this question change and are reflected in the themes, choices that these writers explore and make? In what ways do these texts make or attempt to make an intervention to larger historical formations and how does all of this relate to genre?
Primary texts for this course will be chosen from the following: James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, Chester Himes’ If He Hollers, Let Him Go, William Kelley’s Dem, Toni Cade Bambara’s The Salt Eaters, Charles Johnson’s Middle Passage, Michelle Cliff’s Free Enterprise, Patricia Powell’s The Pagoda, Bessie Head’s Question of Power and Colson Whitehead’s John Henry Days. Supplementary materials will be made available for you on-line from Rutgers libraries’ Electronic Reserve.
Course Requirements: Attendance and participation are mandatory. More than three absences will negatively affect your grade. If you accrue more than five (5) absences, you will be in danger of flunking the course. Along with regular in-class participation, each student will be responsible for preparing and introducing a reading to the class. Writing requirements will include a minimum of three mini quizzes designed to help focus class discussion, two response papers, a Midterm paper (5-7 pages) and a final paper (7-9 pages). Note: No late papers will accepted.
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