English 205: Women's Autobiography and Bildungsromane

Professor Kathryn Conrad
Spring 2008
TR 1-2:30 pm  *  4021 Wescoe

Course Description

In this course, we will examine a popular and powerful literary genres embraced and challenged by women writers over the years: the autobiography and the bildungsroman, or novel of development. We will read and discuss these works with attention to a number of questions:  what is the self? What conditions affect the development of the self? What does gender have to do with selfhood and authorship? What is the  subject of autobiography? What choices must be made when making a life into a narrative? What is the relationship between authorship and authority? We will also explore questions of voice, authority, genre, and purpose with attention to the writing students will produce for the course; students are encouraged to write one autobiographical essay. Students will help to choose at least one of the texts we will read. 

Texts (partial list)

• Jane Eyre; Bronte, Charlotte; 0393975428 Norton PB 2001
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; Jacobs, Harriet; 0156443503 Harvest PB 1983
• Mrs Dalloway; Woolf, Virginia; 0156628708 Harvest/HB PB 1981
• Their Eyes Were Watching God; Hurston, Zora Neale; 0061120065 Harper PB 2006
• The Woman Warrior; Kingston, Maxine Hong; 0679721886 Vintage PB 1989
• Fun Home; Bechdel, Alison; 0618871713 Mariner PB 2007 REQ N

Other Information

This course is cross-referenced with Women's Studies.

Registration

The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester. Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 785-864-4520, immediately. Students are expected to submit promptly requests to drop should they decide to disenroll from English classes.

Requirements

Participation (25%): Attendance is required. More than 5 unexcused absences, counting from the first day of your enrollment in this course, will result in failure of this course. Work in other classes, away games (unless you are an athlete with documentation and have approved your absences with me at the start of the semester), hangovers, and vacations do not count as excused absences. If you are in doubt, ask me.

The rest of your participation grade includes in-class participation, discussion questions, and occasional small group work.  Students are required to have a registered e-mail account and to access the course website for updated information, assignments, and discussion blogs, available on the Blackboard site.  Students are expected to participate in discussion online at least 4 times: at least twice before Spring Break, and at least twice more before the last day of class.  Class meetings that are cancelled by the university (e.g., for weather) or by me will be made up in online discussion and assignments and participation in such discussion will count for attendance; such participation will not count toward the 4 minimum postings. Students who must be absent, either excused or unexcused, should make up for their participation by posting more online (absences themselves cannot be made up).

Writing (65%): Students will be expected to write two essays of 6 pp for this course, the second of which can be an autobiographical essay.  More information about each writing assignment will be available online at the Blackboard website.

Final examination (10%): There will a final exam for the course (identification and short essay). 

I reserve the right to give reading quizzes (generally unannounced, and worth 5 points each).

Other Resources

Students with Disabilities: The staff of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), 135 Strong (Lawrence), 785-864-2620 (V/TTY), coordinates accommodations and services for KU courses. If you have a disability for which you may request accommodation in KU classes and have not contacted them, please do as soon as possible. Please also see me privately in regard to this course (Adapted from SSD statement).

Writing Center:  Most colleges and universities have a writing center, a place for students to talk about their writing with trained peer consultants. At KU, we call our writing centers Writer's Roosts.  When you visit, bring your work in progress and an idea of what you would like to work on-organization, support, documentation, editing, etc.  The Roosts are open in several different locations across campus; please check the Writing Center website for current locations and hours. The Roosts welcome both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information, please call 785-864-2399 or send an e-mail to writing@ku.edu (Adapted from Writing Center Statement).

External links:  The Blackboard website contains a list of relevant external links.

Weather cancellations:  Call 785-864-SNOW to discover whether classes have been cancelled by the University due to inclement weather.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own or using information from another's work without crediting the source. Any detected cheating offense--including but not limited to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other materials during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work (even with the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the use of prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; or the unauthorized use of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to the University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout the student's association with the University (Adapted from FSE statement).

Plagiarism is not a game, nor is it simply a "shortcut" when time presses.  It is a very serious form of academic misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. When you consult outside sources for ideas--through published or unpublished essays, interviews, the Internet, conversation, etc.--you must cite those sources in your work. I understand that academic work can be daunting, even for the best of students: if you are struggling with an assignment, are unclear about my expectations, or are behind on your work, please consult me. There is always a better path than plagiarism; I can work with you to help you find your own voice while incorporating others' ideas appropriately. If after reading the statement above, you are still unclear about what constitutes  plagiarism, ask me BEFORE turning in an assignment.

A plagiarized  assignment will result in failure of the assignment (no credit given); it also impacts your larger course grade more than a paper that merely receives an F, and will usually result in failure of the course. The Department of English has a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. Formal records are currently kept by the Department of English and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I may also send a copy of the plagiarism form to the home department of any student who is found to have plagiarized.