ENG4308 – Toni Morrison: Writing Race
Course content
This course treats the authorship of one of the United States's most eminent living writers, the African American Nobel laureate Toni Morrison (b. 1931). Students will study six of Morrison's novels focusing primarily on their form and structure and how the author represents race, gender, sexuality, and history in her literary works. The theoretical background for the course is a combination of African American and black feminist literary theory and narrative theory.
Learning outcome
Students will develop an in-depth understanding of Toni Morrison's novels from the 1970s up until today and particularly how she depicts the challenges confronting African American women. Further, students will develop their analytical and critical abilities with reference to literary texts that focus on gender, race, and sexuality.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Minimum 3, maximum 15 students.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
For students outside the literature program at least 20 study points of English-language literature, English grammar or British or American civilization are required.
Teaching
The course is taught throughout the semester with 2 hours per week, 28 hours in all. Half-way through the semester there is a period of one (autumn term) or two (spring term) reading weeks without teaching, to be used for individual study and work on assignments. The students are supposed to attend the course regularly.
Examination
Students will give an oral presentation (pass/fail) on a given topic and work on a term paper of 10 pages, that may later form a part of their master's thesis. The written work will be graded on a scale where A to E are passing grades and F is a failing grade.
Other
With an extended reading list, this course can be taken as a 15 credit "hovedemne" for "hovedfag" in English.