Course Outline for English 32
U.S. Women's Literature

Effective: Fall 2024
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:

ENGL 32 - U.S. Women's Literature

3.00 Units

Chronicles the expression of U.S. women authors through readings in a variety of genres such as fiction, poetry, drama, and the essay. Explores works by authors of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds in an effort to understand the diversity of women's voices, especially in the 20th century.
1501.00 - English
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. demonstrate familiarity with the writing of various women authors whose works are not often anthologized or discussed in general literature courses;
  2. differentiate the works studied in relation to and as expressions of or reactions to cultural and historical influences;
  3. identify and define literary terms—such as point of view, plot, character, tone, irony, simile, metaphor, allusion, and symbol—and apply these terms to literary works by US women writers;
  4. demonstrate an appreciation for the diversity of the literature while identifying some common themes (such as oppression, intersectionality, and self-realization) and topics (such as first, second, third, and fourth-wave feminism);
  5. recognize aspects of personal experiences reflected in and validated by the literature.
Course Content:
  1. Critical reading of a representative sample of literary works by diverse women authors, with some attention to works not typically anthologized in general literature courses, including:
    1. Poetry;
    2. Drama;
    3. Essays;
    4. Fiction, including at least one novel.
  2. Lectures, supplemental readings, and visual media providing context for the literature, including:
    1. Historical;
      1. First, second, third, and fourth waves of feminism
    2. Political;
    3. Critical; 
    4. Thematic.
  3. Study of and application of literary elements and how these are utilized in traditions of female authorship, such as:
    1. Metaphor/simile;
    2. Characterization;
    3. Imagery;
    4. Point of view;
    5. Symbolism;
    6. Plot.
  4. Commonalities as well as differences between the experiences and thematic concerns of diverse women authors with emphasis on the emergence of intersectionality in modern and contemporary literature.
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Group work
  2. Guest lectures by writers and critics when possible
  3. Lecture/Discussion
  4. Distance Education
  5. Group Activities
  6. Lectures
  7. Class and group discussions
  8. Oral and Written Analysis
  9. Presentation
  10. Large and small group presentation
  11. Lecture/Discussion
  12. Written assignments
  13. Online Assignments
  14. Multimedia
  15. Student presentations
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. What do you learn about the situation of Black women in the early 20th century from a close study of the main characters in "Sula"?
  2. Compare the portrayals of heterosexual love and traditional marriage in two of the following works: "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "Eyes of Zopata" by Sandra Cisneros
  3. Analyze gender identity and non-traditional relationships as portrayed in Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home."
  1. Class Work
  2. Research Projects
  3. Papers
  4. Final Examination
  5. Oral Presentation
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate familiarity with the self-expressed perspectives of the represented groups.
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with the structure and literary devices of the works studied
  3. Read and appreciate the diversity of the literature while identifying some common themes
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Toni Morrison (1987). Beloved Plume Pub.
  2. Sandra Cisneros (1995). Loose Woman: Poems Vintage Pub.
  3. Lan Cao (1997). Monkey Bridge Viking Pub.
  4. Kate Chopin (1991). A Vocation and a Voice: Stories Penguin.
  5. Louise Erdrich (2020). The Night Watchman Harper.
  6. Octavia Butler (2020). Parable of the Sower Grand Central Publishing.
  7. Marge Piercy (1997). Woman on the Edge of Time Ballantine.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Chronicles the expression of U.S. women authors through readings in a variety of genres such as fiction, poetry, drama, and the essay. Explores works by authors of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds in an effort to understand the diversity of women's voices, especially in the 20th century.
Discipline:
English*