LITERATURES OF THE AMERICAS

CMLIT 005
Instructor: Sarah Rude Email: rude@psu.edu
Class Time: M-F, 1:2-2:1 !""ice #ours: M 11:$%-1:%%, F 2:1-$:&
Class 'ocation: $() *illard and +, appointment
!""ice 'ocation: $- .urro/es
Course Description
This course in0esti1ates literature in the 2mericas throu1h comparati0e interpretation o" the oral
and /ritten literar, traditions o" 3orth, Central, and South 2merica. Throu1h critical readin1 and
discussion o" te4ts "rom a ran1e o" pan-2merican cultures, /e /ill address the "ollo/in1
5uestions:
- *hat ma6es these /ritin1s distinctl, American te4ts7
- #o/ do these /or6s, /hether ori1inall, oral or /ritten, ma6e use o" storytelling as a 0ital
cultural resource7 *hat is the po/er and si1ni"icance o" stories, and ho/ do the, +oth
a""ect and re"lect cultures in times o" turmoil or triumph7
- *hat is the relationship +et/een history and myth7 #o/ do /e conceptuali8e and deplo,
as readers concepts o" the 9ma1ical: and the 9real:7
Texts
Course pac6et, a0aila+le "rom ;opease <22= S. 2llen Street>
?unot @ia8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Aa+riel Aarcia Mar5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
'eslie Marmon Sil6o, Ceremony
Requirements: To pass this course ,ou must complete the maBor assi1nments and e4ams, prepare
readin1 and home/or6 assi1nments dili1entl,, and participate acti0el, in class. I" ,ou "ail to turn
in an, o" the maBor assi1nments or do not complete +oth e4ams, ,ou cannot recei0e a passin1
1rade "or the course. Capers must +e handed in on time. 'ate papers /ill normall, +e doc6ed one
letter 1rade per da,, unless ,ou 1et m, appro0al "or an e4tension +e"ore the due date.
Clease ta6e notice: participation is /orth 1D o" ,our 1rade. 2ttendin1 e0er, class is e4pected,
and merel, attendin1 class /ill earn ,ou a C. Eou must be active in class i" ,ou /ish to earn a
hi1her participation 1rade.
r!"es
CarticipationF 1D
@iscussion Guestions D
Caper I 1D
Caper II 2D
E4am I 2%D
E4am II 2%D
FCarticipation includes attendance, discussion, and home/or6 assi1nments.
Atten"!nce: Re1ular attendance is e4pected. Clease come to e0er, class. The course depends
upon ,our acti0e participation. Eour 1rade ma, +e lo/ered "or poor attendance, do/n to and
includin1 9F.: This is Hni0ersit, polic,. Speci"icall,, ,ou are permitted t#ree !$sences. E4cused
a+sences are appropriate, +ut +e,ond that, let me repeat CSH polic, <Policies and ules, &2-2)>:
2 student /hose a+sences are e4cessi0e 9ma, run the ris6 o" recei0in1 a lo/er 1rade or a "ailin1
1rade,: /hether or not some o" those a+sences are 9e4cused.: I" ,ou miss a class, then it is ,our
responsi+ilit, to 1et notes and assi1nments, complete /or6, and su+mit papers.
Discussion %uestions: Each student /ill +e responsi+le "or pro0idin1 T&O "iscussion questions
"or the te4ts discussed durin1 one class meetin1 durin1 the semester. Guestions should +e poste"
to t#e A'EL "rop $ox $( 5:00 )M t#e "!( $e*ore t#e c+!ss meetin, in /hich the te4ts /ill +e
discussed, and should meet the "ollo/in1 re5uirements:
- %uestion - should in0ol0e a close readin1 o" a speci*ic p!ss!,e "rom the te4t and include
the pa1e num+er<s> o" the passa1e.
- %uestion . should en1a1e one o" the m!/or t#emes o* t#e course, such as concepts o"
2merican cultural identit,, intersections +et/een m,th and histor,, or the si1ni"icance o"
stor,tellin1 to culture and sel".
Ex!ms: The t/o e4ams in the course /ill co0er the content o" the assi1ned readin1s and class
lecturesIdiscussions and /ill as6 students to respond criticall, to the te4ts the, ha0e read. .oth
tests /ill include identi"ication 5uestions and an essa, 5uestion. E4am I /ill co0er material
assi1ned prior to sprin1 +rea6, and E4am II /ill co0er material "rom the second hal" o" the
semester. .oth e4ams /ill ta6e place durin1 re1ular class time.
Ess!( Requirements: Eour essa, /ill "ollo/ standard M'2 "ormattin1 1uidelines as "ollo/s:
Eour paper /ill +e dou+le spaced, /ritten in 12pt Times 3e/ Roman "ont <the "ont ,ou are
readin1 ri1ht no/>. Caper mar1ins should +e 1: <MS *ord de"ault is 1.2: "or ri1ht and le"t
mar1ins>. Clease spea6 to me i" ,ou need help /ith this. Cara1raph spacin1 should +e set to % "or
+oth 9.e"ore: and 92"ter.: Include a header /ith ,our last name and the pa1e num+er in the upper
ri1ht hand corner o" each pa1e. Essa,s must meet the minimum pa1e len1th re5uirements as
stipulated in the assi1nment 1uidelines "or each indi0idual essa,.
Success"ul papers "or this course /ill +eJ
1. %uestion0Dri1en: *hat is at sta6e in this te4t7 *hat 5uestion can ,ou help ans/er "or this
te4tKs readers throu1h ,our anal,sis7 The thesis o" ,our paper should +e a response to a speci"ic
and meanin1"ul 5uestion that the te4t raises "or ,ou.
2. En,!,e" in 2Listenin, R#etoric3: This includes listenin1 to other 0oices in the discourse
communit,, esta+lishin1 rapport /ith potential readers, and "indin1 common 1round /ith
opponents.
$. Concerne" 4it# Critic!+ An!+(sis o* Texts as the, relate to common themes in the course:
This practice includes usin1 0arious sources and incorporatin1 into the paper the pro"essional
literature surroundin1 a topic.
&. 5!se" on m!6in, c+!ims +, usin1 te4tual e0idence to support a particular 0anta1e point or
methodolo1,.
2
)+!,i!rism: The departmental polic, on pla1iarism /ill +e made a0aila+le on the course 23AE'
pa1e. I" ,ou ha0e an, 5uestions a+out pla1iarism and its conse5uences, please as6. Cla1iarism
demonstrates contempt "or ethical standards, ,our instructor, and ,our peers. I" ,ou are cau1ht
pla1iari8in1, ,ou ris6 "ailin1 the course. Eou ma, also +e re"erred to the !""ice o" ?udicial 2""airs,
and this ma, result in pro+ation, suspension, or e4pulsion "or academic dishonest,.
'ote: The Cenns,l0ania State Hni0ersit, encoura1es 5uali"ied persons /ith disa+ilities to
participate in its pro1rams and acti0ities. I" ,ou anticipate needin1 an, t,pe o" accommodation in
this course or ha0e 5uestions a+out ph,sical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possi+le.
$
COURSE SCHEDULE
&EE7 -
1I- L Introduction to the Course
1I11 L #istorical and Cultural Conte4t o" the #emispheric 2mericas
#istor, 0. M,th
Ma1ical Realism
1I1$ L 3ati0e 2merican !ri1in Stories
Si1n Hp "or @iscussion Guestions
&EE7 .
1I1( L 3! C'2SS <M'; @a,>
1I1= L 3ati0e 2merican poetr,
1I2% L 2ccounts o" Contact: European
&EE7 8
1I2$ L 2ccounts o" Contact: 3ati0e
1I2 L Cue+lo Fol6tales
1I2) L Sil6o, Ceremony
&EE7 9
1I$% L Sil6o, Ceremony
2I1 L Sil6o, Ceremony
2I$ L Sil6o, Ceremony
&EE7 5
2I( L Sil6o, Ceremony
2I= L Aenesis, E4odus
2I1% L Re0elation
&EE7 :
2I1$ L 'atin 2merican Stories
Due: )!per I
2I1 L Chi+cha M,th, El @orado
2I1) L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
&EE7 ;
2I2% L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
2I22 L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
2I2& L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
&EE7 <
2I2) L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
2I2- L AarcMa MNr5ue8, One Hundred Years of Solitude
$I2 L Ex!m I
&
S)RI' 5REA7
&EE7 =
$I12 L 2"rican 2merican Fol6tales
$I1& L 2"rican 2merican Fol6tales
$I1( L Sla0e 3arrati0es
&EE7 -0
$I1- L @a0id *al6er, Toussaint 'K!0erture
$I21 L *hat Is 2"rica to Me7 L poems
$I2$ L Fl,in1 2"ricans, E+os 'andin1
&EE7 --
$I2( L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
$I2= L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
$I$% L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
&EE7 -.
&I2 L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
&I& L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
&I( L Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
&EE7 -8
&I- L TaMno Fol6tales, @ere6 *alcott
&I11 L Captain Mar0el
&I1$ L Lord of the ings, the #ero Monom,th
&EE7 -9
&I1( L ?unot @Ma8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
&I1= L ?unot @Ma8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
&I2% L ?unot @Ma8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Due: )ropos!+ *or )!per II
&EE7 -5
&I2$ L ?unot @Ma8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
&I2 L ?unot @Ma8, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Course Summar,
&I2) L 'ast @a, o" Class
Ex!m II
&EE7 -:
I1 L )!per II "ue to 23AE' drop +o4 +, 11:- CM