First-Year Writing Seminar: Shifting Identities

Semester and Year	FA 2011
Course Number	FIRST-UG381
Section	001
Instructor	Laurie Woodard
Days	Tue,Thu
Time	2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Notes/Restrictions

Open to Gallatin first-year students only.

Description

Each day we construct, reconstruct, fine tune and attempt to harmonize the multiple facets of our identity. On any given day, we emphasize or de-emphasize different parts of ourselves. Sometimes we make it up altogether by passing – intentionally or unintentionally allowing others to believe that we are something that we are not. Many of us live moments, hours, days, years, or lifetimes under an assumed identity – a component or aspect of ourselves that seemingly contradicts the ways in which we see ourselves or the ways in which others see us – for myriad reasons such as professional advancement, physical safety, or social acceptance. In this writing seminar, we will explore representations of passing, such Harlem Renaissance author Nella Larsen’s study of early 20th century racial passing, Passing, or Modern Yiddish Literary movement Pulitzer Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer’s exploration of gender passing, Yentl the Yeshiva Boy. Our reading and writing will delve into t hemes including but not limited to race, gender, sexuality, religion, and social/economic status as we address why we pass, how we pass, and what happens when we get “caught.” Students will read essays, poetry, fiction, autobiography, film, and plays and will write three analytical essays and a literary-critical paper. Texts will include works by Elaine Ginsberg, Nella Larsen, Isaac Bashevis Singer, John M. Stahl, Neil Jordan, James Weldon Johnson, and Philip Roth.

Course Type

First-Year Program: Writing Seminars (FIRST-UG)