ENGL 40826 - South by Southwest: Literature, the U.S. South, and Greater Mexico

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

C. Vann Woodward, the late eminent historian of the U.S. South, once noted that the study of the U.S. South stood "in great need of comparative dimensions if suitable comparative partners could be found," comparative projects, he added, beyond the now stale North-South axis. Woodward was speaking specifically of comparative history, but other disciplines such as English, can also generate such comparative projects. This course will examine a significant range of two distinctive yet comparable bodies of American literature, mostly twentieth century, produced respectively in the U.S. South and in the culture area that Americo Paredes called "Greater Mexico." Americo Paredes, a U.S. intellectual and literary figure akin to Woodward, coined the phrase, Greater Mexico, to refer to all peoples of Mexican-origin wherever they may be geographically found although they continue to be concentrated in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. Our close examination of such literary works, all written in English, will proceed from a broad understanding of these two cultural-geographical areas as historically created peripheral zones relative to a dominant capitalist core even as we will also take account of direct connections between these two peoples. Authors: Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh, Caballero: A Historical Novel ; Richard Wright, Uncle Tom's Children; Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs; William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!; Carlos Fuentes, The Death of Artemio Cruz; Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man; Americo Paredes, George Washington Gomez: A Mexico-Texan Novel; Walker Percy, The Movie-Goer; Rolando Hinojosa, The Valley and Rites and Witnesses; Mary Karr, The Liars' Club; John Phillip Santos, Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation; Bobbie Anne Mason, Shiloh and Other Stories; Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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