Dr. Susanne Bloomfield

Great Plains Literature will trace the history of the settlement of the Plains from pre-European contact to the present day. In each unit, texts will feature Native American as well as immigrant experiences to trace the conflicts and the changes over time, not only in the land itself but within the cultures. 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 significances, and their place in the American literary tradition. 

Texts by Native American writers include Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria, The Long Knives Are Crying by Joseph Marshall III, Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich, and Miko Kings by LeAnne Howe. Giants in the Earth by O.E. Rolvaag focuses on Norweigan immigrants, Yonnondio by Tillie Olsen describes German Jewish immigrants, Old Jules by Mari Sandoz depicts the Swiss settlers, and My Antonia by Willa Cather  depicts Swedish and Bohemian immigrants. The more traditional works, which present the contrasting Euroamerican world view, include A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich, Plains Song by Wright Morris, Plainsong by Kent Haruf, and Sandhills Ballad by Ladette Randolph. Gender will also be addressed. For example, A Lantern in Her Hand is written from a woman’s point of view while Giants in the Earth is from a male perspective; Waterlily is female centered whereas The Long Knives Are Crying focuses on the male experience.

A special emphasis on primary and secondary research will help students understand the social, cultural, and political contexts of each work, and students will be assigned readings that address these issues. The Nature of the Place: A Study of Great Plains Fiction by Diane Dufva Quantic and Does the Frontier Experience Make America Exceptional? by Richard Etulain will provide literary and cultural backgrounds. Students will join Literature Circles as they study different texts in separate groups simultaneously. In addition, they will have a choice of final projects according to their degree emphasis, including researching and writing a formal seminar paper, designing a unit of lesson plans, or completing a creative project on an aspect of Great Plains history and culture.

Students wishing more information or the requirements and assignment schedule, please email Dr. Bloomfield bloomfields@unk.edu.