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COMING TO AMERICA: IMMIGRATION IN FICTION AND FILM

HON 3233.002 (#25704)

Eng 4973.003 (#23229)

Spring 2011

Tuesdays 2:00-4:45; HSS 3.02.26

Prof. Bonnie Lyons

bonnie.lyons@utsa.edu

MB 2.456

458-5350

Office hours 1-2 on Tuesdays and 4-5 on Thursdays

Course description: America is and has always been a country of immigrants. Many recent novels and films focus on this theme in interesting and diverse ways. In this new class we will study a variety of novels, such as Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, and films, such as El Norte, to pursue this rich theme. We’ll alternate films and novels, and the class requirements will include an oral presentation, weekly outlines and mini-papers, and a seminar paper. Class will include some lecture but stress discussion.

Required books:

Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake Houghton Mifflin 13-978-0-618-48522-2)

Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy (FSG 0374527350)

Edwidge Danticat, Breath, Eyes, Memory (Vintage, 978-0-375-70504-5)

Paule Marshall, Brown Girl, Brownstone (Consortium 1558614982)

Junot Diaz, Drown (Penguin 978-1-57322-606-6)

Fae Myenne Ng, Bone (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-0953-4)

Aleksander Hemon, Nowhere Man (Picador 9780330393508)

Course requirements and grading:

1. intelligent class participation. Perfect attendance is expected and more than one absence for any reason will result in your grade being lowered. (5%)

2. six (2-4 page) mini-papers and six outlines with well developed theses due the day the novel or film is scheduled. NO SECONDARY SOURCES 30%

3. one oral paper delivered on the day the book or film is scheduled. (15%) Accompanied by an outline and general, useful annotated bibliography (10%) for each member of the class. Pretend you are the author of the article and miniaturize the argument in sufficient detail so that the class members know whether they want to consult that work.

4. a 10-15 page seminar paper comparing two or more films or novels. If your oral paper was about a film, write about two novels; if your oral paper was about a novel, write about two films. 40%. Seminar paper due in my office by 5:00 on Tuesday, May 3.

Course outline: novels are underlined; films are in bold print

January 11 introduction

January 18 The Emigrants (available streaming on Blackboard and on reserve in UTSA library

January 25 Hester Street (UTSA library)

February 1 Brown Girl, Brownstone

February 8 The Namesake

February 15 The Namesake (film)

February 22 Breath, Eyes, Memory

March 1 El Norte

March 8 Drown

(March 14 spring break)

March 22 Lucy

March 29 Maria Full of Grace

April 5 Bone

April 12 The Visitor

(April 19 no class)

April 26 Nowhere Man

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