WGS.512
Major Authors: After the Masterpiece: Novels by Melville, Twain, Faulkner, and Morrison
Fall 2006
This seminar provides intensive study of exciting texts by four influential American authors. In studying paired works, we can enrich our sense of each author's distinctive methods, get a deeper sense of the development of their careers, and shake up our preconceptions about what makes an author or a work "great." Students will get an opportunity to research an author in depth, as well as making broader comparisons across the syllabus.
Readings
- Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick . Edited by Andrew Delbanco. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2002. ISBN: 9780142437247.
- ———. Israel Potter . Chicago, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780810115910.
- Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2002. ISBN: 9780142437179.
- ———. Pudd’nhead Wilson . New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1969. ISBN: 9780140430400.
- Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury . New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1991. ISBN: 9780679732242.
- ———. As I Lay Dying . New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1991. ISBN: 9780679732259.
- Morrison, Toni. Beloved . New York, NY: Plume, 1998. ISBN: 9780452280625.
- ———. Love . New York, NY: Vintage Books, 2005. ISBN: 9781400078479.
- SES #: 2 · READINGS: Moby-Dick . Chapters 1-23 (include “Etymologies,” “Extracts”).
- SES #: 3 · READINGS: Moby-Dick . Chapters 24-50.
- SES #: 4 · READINGS: Moby-Dick . Chapters 51-79.
- SES #: 5 · READINGS: Moby-Dick . Chapters 80-108.
- SES #: 6 · READINGS: Moby-Dick . Chapters 109-“Epilogue.”
- SES #: 8 · READINGS: Israel Potter. “Dedication,” Chapters 1-13.
- SES #: 9 · READINGS: Israel Potter. Chapters 14-25.
- SES #: 10 · READINGS: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Chapters 1-16.
- SES #: 11 · READINGS: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Chapters 17-27.
- SES #: 12 · READINGS: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Chapter 28-“Chapter the Last.”
- SES #: 13 · READINGS: Pudd’nhead Wilson .
- SES #: 15 · READINGS: The Sound and the Fury . Section 1.
- SES #: 16 · READINGS: The Sound and the Fury. Section 2.
- SES #: 17 · READINGS: The Sound and the Fury . Section 3.
- SES #: 18 · READINGS: The Sound and the Fury. Section 4.
- SES #: 19 · READINGS: As I Lay Dying . pp. 3-136.
- SES #: 20 · READINGS: As I Lay Dying. pp. 137-261.
- SES #: 22 · READINGS: Beloved . pp. 3-165.
- SES #: 23 · READINGS: Beloved. pp. 169-235.
- SES #: 24 · READINGS: Beloved . pp. 239-275.
- SES #: 25 · READINGS: Love . pp. 3-106.
- SES #: 26 · READINGS: Love. pp. 109-202.
Fall 2003 · Major Authors: Melville and Morrison
Topics
- Typee
- Moby-Dick
- “Bartleby, the Scrivener”
- “Benito Cereno”
- The Confidence-Man
- Playing in the Dark
- Sula 1
- Sula II
- Beloved
- Jazz
- Paradise
- Conclusion
Readings
- Melville, Herman. Typee. Penguin.
- ———. Moby-Dick. Penguin.
- ———. Tales, Poems, and Other Writings. Edited by John Bryant. Modern Library.
- ———. The Confidence-Man. Oxford.
- Morrison, Toni. Sula. Dutton, Signet.
- ———. Beloved. Penguin.
- ———. Jazz. Plume.
- ———. Paradise. Plume.
- ———. Playing in the Dark. Knopf.
- SES #: 2 · TOPICS: Typee · READINGS: Chap. 1-18
- SES #: 3 · TOPICS: Typee · READINGS: Chap. 19- “Afterword”
- SES #: 4 · TOPICS: Moby-Dick · READINGS: Chap. 1-23
- SES #: 5 · TOPICS: Moby-Dick · READINGS: Chap. 24-50
- SES #: 6 · TOPICS: Moby-Dick · READINGS: Chap. 51-79
- SES #: 7 · TOPICS: Moby-Dick · READINGS: Chap. 80-108
- SES #: 8 · TOPICS: Moby-Dick · READINGS: Chap. 109-“Epilogue”
- SES #: 12 · TOPICS: The Confidence-Man · READINGS: Chap. 1-22
- SES #: 13 · TOPICS: The Confidence-Man · READINGS: Chap. 23-45
- SES #: 14 · TOPICS: Playing in the Dark · READINGS: Chap. 1-2
- SES #: 17 · TOPICS: Beloved · READINGS: Pp. 3-165
- SES #: 18 · TOPICS: Beloved · READINGS: Pp. 169-275
- SES #: 20 · TOPICS: Jazz · READINGS: Pp. 3-113
- SES #: 21 · TOPICS: Jazz · READINGS: Pp. 115-229
- SES #: 22 · TOPICS: Paradise · READINGS: Pp. 3-138
- SES #: 23 · TOPICS: Paradise · READINGS: Pp. 141-217
- SES #: 25 · TOPICS: Paradise · READINGS: Pp. 221-318
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗Historical OpenCourseWare
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2003
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.