Assignments

Essays/Projects are worth 60% of the final grade: two first essays 15%, final essay/project 30%.

Report

Each student will research a topic and make a 10 minute presentation to the class once during the semester. Your presentation should include a print handout, illustrations (using the multimedia database or materials researched on your own, arranged in print or electronic form), and an outline with bibliography to be handed in.

Essays/Projects

The written work for the course includes two essays, one on Melville and one on Morrison, and a longer essay/project comparing works by both authors. You will be asked to submit a proposal for the final project, to meet with me in conference, and to present a report to the class in the week of sessions 25-26. Each assignment should include a bibliography showing familiarity with the literary texts themselves and relevant secondary and multimedia texts. Because of the fluid nature of our materials, your final work can take a variety of forms but must center on a written essay.