ENGL 166 - Introduction to African American Literature: CD

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the formal elements, techniques, and genre traits of African American literary works read in class.
2. Summarize major African American literary traditions and their roles in American culture.
3. Explain how historical forces and events have shaped literary themes, e.g, slavery and abolition; oppression and resistance; political movements and empowerment; communities and identities; creative expression and culture; celebration and joy.
4. Describe literary representations of power, identity, and intersectionality in relation to such factors as race, gender, sexuality, and class.
5. Describe the influence of and resistance to the “white gaze,” or the centering of white perspectives, in selected literary pieces and scholarly critiques.
6. Compare major concepts in contemporary critical approaches, e.g., Anti-Racism; Critical Race Theory; Post-Colonial Theory; BIPOC Feminism; and Queer Theory.