In addition to the required texts used in the course, a listing of the readings and supplemental materials due for each session are outlined below.
Required Texts
Editions of some of the required texts for the course are available via the Project Gutenberg site. See the link next to each available text.
de Léry, Jean. History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil. Edited and translated by Janet Whatley. U of California Press, 1990.
The Jesuit Relations: Natives and Missionaries in Seventeenth-Century North America. (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) Edited by Allan Greer. Bedford/St. Martin's. (Jesuit Relations online, searchable text)
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest (Oxford World’s Classics). Edited by Stephen Orgel. Oxford University Press. NB: Also contains readings in Montaigne and Strachey (Download from Project Gutenberg site)
Rowlandson, Mary. Sovereignty and Goodness of God. Edited by Neal Salisbury. Bedford/St. Martin's, 1997.
Seaver, James E. A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison. Univ. of Oklahoma Press. (Download from Project Gutenberg site)
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe: An Authoritative Text, Contexts, Criticism. Edited by Michael Shinagel. W.W. Norton & Company. (Download from Project Gutenberg site)
Coetzee, J. M. Foe. Penguin USA, 1988.
Smith, John. General Historie of Virginia. Edited by Philip Barbour. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986. (Selections)
Walcott, Derek. Collected Poems 1948-1984. Noonday Press, 1987. (Selections)
Daily Reading Assignments
| SES # | TOPICS | READINGS | SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introductions | ||
| 2 | Montaigne. "Of the Cannibals." In Orgel, Tempest. | ||
| 3 | De Léry. History of a Voyage. | Ch. I-II, IV-VI, XIII | |
| 4 | De Léry. History of a Voyage. | Ch. XIV-XX, XXII | |
| 5 | Jesuit Relations. | Pp. 20-36, 48-75, 78-91 | |
| 6 | Jesuit Relations. | Pp. 94-106, 137-85 | |
| 7 | Screening | ||
| 8 | Movie: How Tasty was my little Frenchman... | ||
| 9 | "The Strachey Letter" (Orgel, Appendix B). Tempest. | Act I sc. i | |
| 10 | Shakespeare. The Tempest. | I. ii-II i | |
| 11 | Shakespeare. The Tempest. | II. ii-III iii | |
| 12 | Shakespeare. The Tempest. | IV i-end | |
| 13 | Smith. Generall Historie. | Pp. 136-58 (CP) | Reading John Smith (PDF) |
| 14 | Smith. Generall Historie. | Pp. 180-207 (CP) | What Happens in Smith (part 2) (PDF) |
| 15 | Screening | John Rolfe's Letter (PDF) | |
| 16 | Movie: Pocahontas. John Rolfe's Letter (See "Backgrounds.") | After Pocahontas (PDF) | |
| 17 | Rowlandson. Sovereignty. | Pp. 63-87 | American Identities; Mary Rowlandson (PDF) |
| 18 | Rowlandson. Sovereignty. | Pp. 87-112 | |
| 19 | Jemison. Narrative. Preface and Introduction. | Ch. I-VII | |
| 20 | Jemison. Narrative. | Ch. VII-XVI. | |
| 21 | Paper Workshop | ||
| 22 | Defoe. Crusoe. | Pp. 1-71 | |
| 23 | Defoe. Crusoe. | Pp. 71-140 | |
| 24 | Defoe. Crusoe. | Pp. 141-208 | |
| 25 | Coetzee. Foe. | Parts I-II (Pp. 1-113) | |
| 26 | Coetzee. Foe. | Parts III-IV (Pp. 114-157) | |
| 27 | Walcott, "The Castaway," "Crusoe's Island," "Crusoe's Journal." | Notes on Walcott (1) (PDF) | |
| 28 | Paper Writing | ||
| 29 | Walcott, "Ruins of a Great House," "New World," "The Sea is History." | Notes on Walcott (2) (PDF) |