ENG 362 "Asian American Writers"
Professor David LiPLC 275Tel 6-3940
Winter 2004Condon 360MWF 11:00-11:50
Office hrs: MW 9:00-10:30 & by appointments
Description:
Reading Asian American texts as a form of cultural representation, the class will be concerned with the following: 1. Where is Asian America? What are its geographical, social, and epistemological boundaries? 2. What is Asian American? Is it a racial concept, cultural construct, biological determinant, historical condition, individual choice, political collectivity or a varying combination of these possibilities? 3. Who are determining the meanings of Asian America or what it means to be Asian Americans? The ideal class will be an engaged intellectual dialogue between students and the professor through interpretations of the assigned texts. We hope to gain both a deeper appreciation of Asian American literature as a means of imagining community and a deeper understanding of language and discourse in the shaping of individual, ethnic, and national identities.
Required Texts:
Jen,Who's Irish?
Lahiri,Interpreter of Maladies
Lee,A Gesture Life
Liu,The Accidental Asian
Ng,Bone
Wong,American Knees
Yamanaka,Blue's Hanging
Policy Statement:
Reading: Everyone enrolled is expected to finish the assigned readings prior to the class meeting.
Papers and Due Dates: Two 5-6pp critical essays. Your grade will depend on the quality of your ideas, organization, and prose style. All papers must be typed and double-spaced with sufficient margins.You are responsible for retaining a photocopy of the paper you submit.
ForPaper 1dueW 1-21, you are expected to offer a critical reading of Lahiri's "A Temporary Matter" and "This Blessed House." Address the shared anxiety of the stories' protagonists and discuss if race and ethnicity are central to such anxieties.
ForPaper 2, dueM 3-1, you are asked to approach the subject of romance and marriage in Jen's "House, House, Home" by focusing on the concept of "space," personal and social.
For both papers, you should generate a thesis of your own, and support your argument with close textual analysis. Detailed instruction on the paper assignments will be given prior to their deadlines.
You must turn in your essay by the beginning of the class hour. All late papers will receive an "F." Exception in cases of serious medical incapacity.
Semester Grades: The scaled numerical sum of all essays, exams and quizzes will determine your final grade. 2 critical essays (1st, 10%; 2nd, 20%) a mid-term (20%) and a final (25%). Indefinite number of quizzes (25%) that will also serve as measures of class attendance.
95-100=A+
85-95=A
75-84=B
68-74=C
60-67=D
Below 60=F
Plagiarism(i.e. the misrepresentation of another person's ideas or words as your own):automatic flunk of the course.
Exams: A Mid-termM 2-9and a final examination.No rescheduling of exams. Make-up exams for serious medical incapacity only. Cheating in exams will result in "F" for the exam portion of the grade.The professor reserves the right to keep both the mid-term and final exams for his file after reviewing them with the students.
Accommodations for Disability: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this class, please provide me with a letter from Disability Services, verifying your disability and stating needed accommodations.
Academic Courtesy: I have several requests pertaining to this category. Students who feel unable to honor these should enroll in some other courses.
The professor reserves the right to adjust the syllabus when necessary.
Syllabus
M 1-5Introduction
W 1-7Ng,Bone: 3-89
F 1-9Ng,Bone: 90-194
M 1-12Lahiri, "When Mr. Pirzada. . . " "Interpreter of Maladies"
W 1-14Lahiri, "A Temporary Matter" "This Blessed House"
F 1-16Lahiri, "Mrs. Sen's" "The Third and Final Continent" "Sexy"
M 1-19MLK's Day: No Class
W 1-21Lee,A Gesture Life: 1-84;First Paper Due
F 1-23Lee,A Gesture Life: 85-152
M 1-26Lee,A Gesture Life: 153-216
W 1-28Lee,A Gesture Life: 217-305
F 1-30Lee,A Gesture Life: 306-356
M 2-2Liu,The Accidental Asian: 3-84
W 2-4Liu,The Accidental Asian: 85-114
F 2-6Liu,The Accidental Asian: 115-206
M 2-9Mid-term Exam
W 2-11Mid-term Review
F 2-13Yamanaka,Blu's Hanging: 3-64
M 2-16Yamanaka,Blu's Hanging: 65-135
W 2-18Yamanaka,Blu's Hanging: 136-192
F 2-20Yamanaka,Blu's Hanging: 193-260
M 2-23Jen,"Who's Irish?" "Birthmates"
W 2-25Jen,"Duncan in China"
F 2-27Jen,"House, House, Home"
M 3-1Jen,"In the American Society";2nd Paper Due
W 3-3Wong,American Knees: 1-75
M 3-5Wong,American Knees: 76-115
W 3-8Wong,American Knees: 116-181
F 3-10Wong,American Knees: 182-240
M 3-12Final Review
FINAL EXAM:W 3-17th 10:15 am at Condon 360.