I’ve set aside the following times during Finals Week for make-up tests. You may sign up to take any test that you missed. If you didn’t miss any, but would like to retake ONE of the tests (#1-#4), you may also do so. Either way, email me at jdudley@usd.edu by this Friday, May 2 to sign up for a time.
UPDATE
See below for room numbers:
Tuesday, May 6
3:30 pm – Dakota 13
Wednesday, May 7
11:00 am – Dakota 13
2:00 pm – Old Main 201
Thursday, May May 8
10:30 am – Dakota 13
1:00 pm – Dakota 13
A reminder that our final exam is scheduled for 12:30-2:30 pm on Tuesday, May 6. The exam will include questions on material from the entire semester, and the format will be much like the earlier tests. If you have any suggestions for topics or memorable passages, or if you have questions, please post them here, and I’ll try to respond or include them as possible.
In class we discussed the characteristics of Postmodernism, as both a literary descriptions and a broader cultural phenomenon. A very good overview of some of the key ideas involved in Postmodernism can be found at this website maintained by Dr. Mary Klages, Associate Professor of English at the University of Colorado. Among the major critics who have defined Postmodernism is Frederic Jameson, who connects Postmodern art and literature to the rise of global capitalism, and the onslaught of marketing produced by our consumer-based society. Other important critics include Jean-Francois Lyotard (whom I mentioned in class), who sees Postmodernism as a reflection of new ways of defining knowledge in what “post-industrial” societies, and Jean Baudrillard, who suggests that we are surrounded by “simulacra,” or simulations, which rely on the suggestion of a coherent “original” that doesn’t really exist.
Donald Barthelme’s “The Balloon” is certainly a prime example of postmodern fiction. It’s very much about the act of reading and understanding, a story about reading a story, in other words. Like a lot of postmodern writing, it serves as a philosophical text more than a traditional “story.”
The grades for Test #4 are posted on WebCT. As always, stop by my office hours with any questions.
Also, since technology let us down today, here are some links to a site where you can hear some poets read their work:
Allen Ginsberg
Adrienne Rich
The tension between conforming to what is perceived as “normal” and maintaining individual liberty is always a big issue in American literature and culture, but it seems particularly prominent in later 20th-century writing. What do these texts suggest about ways to successfully negotiate this problem? Writers such as Allen Ginsberg and Gwendolyn Brooks emerged from the apparently “conformist” 1950s with works and ideas that challenged the status quo in a number of ways, but which also reflected the existence or emergence of subcultures (or countercultures) that provided a sense of community and belonging to their members. How important are such communities in providing support for individuals who may not fit into “mainstream” society? Would the existence of some sense of community have helped, for instance, Darl or Blanche…? Moreover, does the fragmentation of postmodern America into an assortment of subcultures undermine or strengthen the culture as a whole?
Several of the works we’ve read recently are set in the American South – As I Lay Dying, A Streetcar Named Desire, and “Good Country People.” All of these texts might be considered a part of the “Southern Literary Renaissance” of the 20th century. Why do you think so many significant writers and artists emerged from the South during this period, and what are some common themes or problems that you see connecting these texts?
Readers and audiences usually have strong reactions to the play: Who, if anybody, do you sympathize with here? All of the characters are certainly flawed in various ways. Is Blanche right that she understands Stanley better than Stella? What does she think she understands? You might also think about this in connection with Faulkner and his depiction of the South… Are both texts responding to some of the same social forces and upheavals?
One of the themes that we’ve discussed in relation to modernism, and which also comes up in connection with the American South, is nostalgia. Certainly, in the early 20th century, a mythology of the agrarian South as a peaceful, harmonious place destroyed by the Civil War (as in, for instance, Gone With The Wind) offers a counterpoint to the alienation and confusion of modernity. It’s hard to see As I Lay Dying, however, as very nostalgic for the way of life that the Bundrens have experienced. While they embody the Northern stereotypes of “backward” Southerners, they also “belong” to the modern world in many ways, in their selfishness and materialism, for instance. The paradox here is that Darl the most “cosmopolitan” (in his own limited way) is the one who doesn’t belong to their future. As Cash says at the end of the novel, “This world is not his world” (1955). What is Faulkner saying about “this world” and where it’s going?
The grades for Test #3 are now posted on WebCT. I’m a bit concerned that the class average for this text is down significantly from earlier tests… I’m considering various ways of addressing this, both in terms of offering some opportunity to improve your grade and as this relates to future tests. If you have any thoughts on this, please post them here, or email me privately. And, of course, stop by my office if you want to have a look at your test.
If you’re finding the novel a bit confusing — and really, who wouldn’t? — you might take a look at some of the information on this page from William Faulkner on the Web, a site at the University of Mississippi.
As a couple of people have pointed out, I put the wrong page numbers for As I Lay Dying on the syllabus. My apologies! You should read up to 1889 for Thursday — I’ll update the posted schedule and correct the various problems as soon as I can. Thanks!
