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Description: |
Autobiography is the foundation of the tradition of African American literature. It is also a genre that performs the construction of identity and represents the role of narrative in that process. Therefore, autobiography is not only “writing about a life by oneself,” but also the life of the self in the form of writing. This course surveys the tradition of autobiographical writings by African Americans, from slave narratives to recent bestsellers, in order to promote an understanding of autobiography as a narrative form shaped by its historical context as well as the imagination, memory, aesthetic choices, and political purposes of the author. In addition, the course provides students with insights into African American culture and history. Readings include texts by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Frederick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano, Harriet Jacobs, Barack Obama, Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X, and more. Requirements include two formal writing assignments, bi-weekly reading responses, and participation in class discussion. |