Ethnic Literature of the American West will examine the texts of Western American writers selected from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The class will focus on the distinctive features of the various cultures in these works, a comparison of their themes, symbols, characterizations, styles, narrative techniques, and cultural significance, as well as their place in the American literary tradition.

The educational goals of this course are to help students:

1) appreciate the important American heritage that has influenced the lives of those living in the United States, including traditional and non-traditional literatures as well as works by women and cultural minorities;

2) discover writers not often covered in traditional canon-oriented survey courses;

3) identify and compare the major themes, symbols, concerns and techniques of culturally diverse American writers;

4) promote an understanding of the continuing cultural conflict that is a repeated theme in minority literature;

5) increase their knowledge of the individual, family, and community values portrayed in multicultural literatures;

6) view American literature in a more diverse context;

7) improve critical reading and oral communication skills;

8) improve research and critical writing skills;

9) and become an integral part of a community of scholars who share their insights, resources, and special abilities.

The following books will be required reading for this course:

Students will have the option of choosing the grade they wish to work toward from the following assignments. All assignments will fulfill the Writing Intensive requirements; however, the higher grades require substantially more writing and revising.

EACH student will be expected to read the assigned pages for each class session. In order to stimulate class discussion and to ensure that the assignment has been thoughtfully read, students will write a critical response to the reading assignment. It must be typed, and the number of words counted and included at the bottom of the page. Responses will be collected each class period.

Students will respond to the texts using the critical approaches (formalistic, historical, sociological, biographical, archetypal, and reader-response) presented at the beginning of the semester; however, students should not rely on the personal reader-response approach for all of their assignments. Choose one idea, one scene, one theme, or one quote and discuss it in depth, including quotes (with page numbers where the quotes are found) from the text as support and using the "Sandwich" technique.(Step 1: Set up quote giving background information; Step 2: Quote; Step 3: Explain how quotation supports the idea under discussion).

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Student will be required to write one paper critically analyzing or comparing the literary works being studied in class. The number of pages and outside sources required will be determined by the grade for which the student chooses to work.

All theses must be approved by the professor before the student begins to write, and students are strongly encouraged to consult with the professor and to submit rough drafts for revision suggestions. Former student essays to consult as models will be in the "Bloomfield" Reserve file at the front desk of the library.

The paper must be submitted according to MLA format with the number of words typed at the end. Proper structure, style, and grammar will be taken into consideration in assigning a grade. The final paper and ALL rough drafts must be included in a two-pocket folder when submitted for grading.

BOOK ANALYSIS

Students will read one full-length book from the reading list, or one approved by the professor, and write a critical Book Analysis following the required format. It will be due near the end of the semester, although students are encouraged to be working on it during the semester and may submit it at any time. Former student book analyses to consult as models will be in the "Bloomfield: English 254" Reserve file at the front desk of the library.

MOVIE REVIEW

Students will view one film from the movie list, write a critical Movie Review following the required format, and present a short panel discussion to the class. These will be due according to the assigned schedule. Former student movie reviews to consult as models will be in the "Bloomfield: English 254" Reserve file at the front desk of the library.

Students will choose the assignments they will complete from the list below to earn to earn the following grades:

• A 8-10 page Critical Analysis using at least three outside research sources for support (minimum 2,000-2,500 words). Paper must be revised to "A" quality:

• A 6-8 page Critical Analysis using two outside research sources for support (minimum 1,500-2,000 words). Paper must be revised to "B" quality:

5) Some minor grammar and punctuation flaws are allowed.

• 4-6 page Critical Analysis; no outside research necessary (Minimum 1,000-1,500 words). Paper must be revised to "C" quality:

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Attendance is important. After TWO ABSENCES, grades WILL be lowered accordingly, usually at 1/3 of a grade increments for each additional absence. (A=A-, A-=B+, B+=B, etc.). Only under exceptional circumstances will modifications be made.