2018 - 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0626-2343-01 | 'Indians' in American Imagination | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The “Indian” in the American Imagination
Dr. Dalit Alperovich
Spring 2019
Course description: This course explores the significance of “Indian” images in American culture. What are the major images of the American Indian in American culture, and what is their importance in changing historical, social, political and cultural contexts? In what ways are “Indian” images used to address questions of racial and national identity and draw boundaries of normalcy? What is the meaning of prevalent American cultural phenomena such as going Native and playing Indian? The course will address these questions by exploring twentieth and twenty first century works.
List of works:
Sherman Alexie, “Dear John Wayne”
---“Postcards to Columbus”
---“The Game Between the Jews and the Indians is Tied”
Willa Cather, The Professor’s House
Louise Erdrich, “Captivity”
William Faulkner, “Lo!”
---“Red Leaves”
Thomas King, “A Seat in the Garden”
D. H. Lawrence, “The Woman Who Rode Away”
Philip Roth, Nemesis
Eudora Welty, “Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden”
Course requirements:
A midterm paper – 35%
Three short forum assignments – 15%
A final exam – 50%