Howard Sklar, PhD

University Lecturer

Department of Modern Languages (English Philology)

University of Helsinki

 

Title of Docent in Literary Studies, with a Special Emphasis in Narrative Theory (University of Tampere)

Proseminars (Courses in BA Thesis Preparation)

Master Narrative and Counter-Narrative: How Short Fiction Has Challenged the American Story

 

American culture is comprised of a number of defining, all-encompassing stories -- “master narratives” (Bamberg 2004) or “dominant cultural storylines” (Andrews 2004) -- that shape the ways that many Americans view themselves and conceive of their place within American history and society. Such narratives, while important in the formation of identity in the United States, can also limit the ways that Americans understand themselves. It is for this reason that these notions are constantly tested and challenged through “counter-narratives” (Bamberg 2004, Andrews2004) that question or contest particular ideas or assumptions. One of the ways that these ideas are constructed and then challenged is through literary fiction. In this proseminar, we will study examples of American short fiction that attempt to push back against the master narratives that many in the United States take as given. Some of the themes that are explored in these works include race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and other ideas that both unite and divide.

 

 

The Good Fight: Social and Political Activism in the American Short Story (2018-19)

 

This proseminar will introduce works of American short fiction that have challenged the political or social status quo in the United States during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. We will look particularly at stories that have presented or provoked discussion about issues of discrimination or inequality in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, disability and class. I am especially interested in having us look at works that deal with the complexities and nuances of these issues, and are not simply propaganda for a particular cause. In this way, hopefully, we will discover some of the ways that stories can enhance our understanding of the challenges that have divided -- and continue to divide -- people in the United States and around the world.

 

In preparing to write their BA theses, students will also be introduced to theories that will help them to analyze the content (postcolonial theory, gender theory, etc.) and form (short story theory) of the stories.

 

Proseminar in Ethical Approaches to American Short Fiction (2016-17)

 

This proseminar will introduce students to the broad range and development of American short fiction since 1900.  We will focus particularly on conventional short story forms, but we will also look at longer short fiction, such as the novella; more recent “short short fiction” (or “flash fiction”); stories that are designed to contribute to larger works (“story cycles,” thematic collections, etc.); and other types of short fiction.

 

As the title of the proseminar suggests, this course will also introduce students to the role of ethics and ethical theory in the study of literature.  Among other issues, ethical criticism looks at:

 

· The effects of stories on readers, whether or not these effects were intended by the author

· The ethics of representation, particularly the portrayal of populations that are underrepresented or are denied a voice in society, such as women, people who identify as LGBT, African Americans, people with disabilities, and so forth.

· The study of ethical relations between characters, or between readers and characters

· The ethical questions raised by the ambiguity or uncertainty of meaning in works of fiction

 

We will look at these and other issues in response to the stories that we will read for the course.  We will also read a number of theoretical articles (short story theory, narrative ethical theory, gender theory, postcolonial theory, ecocritical theory, cognitive literary theory, etc.) to support our interpretations of the stories.

 

The authors whose works we will read include some (but not all) of the following: Sherman Alexie, Sherwood Anderson, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Raymond Carver, Sandra Cisneros, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Shirley Jackson, Henry James, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Bernard Malamud, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Tillie Olsen, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Katherine Anne Porter, Annie Proulx, Philip Roth, John Steinbeck, Amy Tan, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright.

 

 

Proseminar in American Short Fiction: 19th Century to the Present (2015-16)

 

This proseminar will introduce students to the broad range and development of American short fiction from the beginning of the 19th Century to the present.  We will focus particularly on conventional short story forms, but we will also look at longer short fiction, such as the novella; more recent “short short fiction” (or “flash fiction”); stories that are designed to contribute to larger works (“story cycles,” thematic collections, etc.); and other guises in which short fiction has appeared.  The authors whose works we will read include some (but not all) of the following: Sherman Alexie, Sherwood Anderson, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Raymond Carver, Sandra Cisneros, Stephen Crane, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Shirley Jackson, Henry James, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Bernard Malamud, Herman Melville, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Tillie Olsen, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Edgar Allan Poe, Katherine Anne Porter, Annie Proulx, Philip Roth, John Steinbeck, Amy Tan, Mark Twain, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright. We will also read a number of theoretical articles (short story theory, narrative ethical theory, etc.) to support our interpretations of the stories.

 

During the autumn term, we will primarily focus on reading and discussing the assigned fictional and theoretical works.  Students will also be expected to complete one short paper on a topic to be decided in consultation with the instructor. Ideally, the short paper will be the basis for the longer BA thesis that will be written in the spring.

 

During the spring term, we will continue to read works of short fiction and discuss essays on short fiction theory.  Students will also begin to formally plan and outline the thesis in consultation with the instructor.  The thesis may analyze the work of a particular author, may compare the works of two or more authors on a particular theme, may consider certain theoretical ideas as exemplified by particular stories, and so forth. A draft of the thesis will be submitted for peer review by a date that will be announced at the beginning of the spring term. Students will then revise the thesis and resubmit it to the instructor for additional feedback. Based on the feedback that they have received from their peers and the instructor, students will again revise the essay and resubmit it for final approval and grading.

 

 

Proseminar in 20th-Century American Drama (2014-15)

 

This proseminar will introduce students to the broad range and development of American drama during the 20th Century, with an emphasis on works produced after 1930.  We will focus particularly on plays that were influential in the development of American theater during that century, as well as works that reflected the social, political, and/or aesthetic values of the periods during which they were written. 

 

During the autumn term, we will primarily focus on the reading and discussion of six or seven plays. In addition, we will read analytical essays and theoretical works that relate to the plays and the literary and social issues that they raise.  Students will also be expected to complete one short (8-page) paper on a topic to be decided in consultation with the instructor.  Also during the autumn term, students will begin to discuss with the instructor their ideas relating to the BA thesis, and will produce a formal proposal before the end of the term.  (Ideally, the short essay should serve as the basis for the 20-page BA thesis, which will be written during the spring.)

 

During the spring term, we will continue to read and discuss theoretical material that can later be used in supporting student research.  Students will also continue to plan and outline their theses in consultation with the instructor.  In the thesis, students may analyze the work of a particular author, may compare the works of two or more authors on a particular theme, may consider certain theoretical or social ideas as exemplified by a particular play, and so forth.  Throughout the spring, students will complete drafts of the thesis by dates that will be announced at the beginning of the spring term. At the end of the term, students will then make a final revision of the thesis and resubmit it to the instructor for a grade.

 

The authors whose works we will read will be selected from the following: Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansberry, Edward Albee, Tony Kushner, Eugene O’Neill, David Mamet, William Gibson, William Inge, Neil Simon, Sam Shepard, Luis Valdez, August Wilson, Beth Henley, David Henry Hwang, Susan Glaspell, Thornton Wilder, Mary Chase, and Ntozake Shange.

 

 

Proseminar in 20th-Century American Short Fiction (2013-14)

 

This proseminar will introduce students to the broad range and development of American short fiction during the 20th Century. We will focus particularly on the conventional short story form, but we will also look at longer short fiction, such as the novella; more recent “short short fiction” (or “flash fiction”); stories that are designed to contribute to larger works (“story cycles,” thematic collections, etc.); and other guises in which short fiction has appeared. The authors whose works we will read include some (but not all) of the following: Sherwood Anderson, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Raymond Carver, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Shirley Jackson, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Bernard Malamud, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Tillie Olsen, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Katherine Anne Porter, Annie Proulx, Philip Roth, John Steinbeck, Amy Tan, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright. We will also read a number of theoretical articles (short story theory, narrative ethical theory, etc.) to support our interpretations of the stories.

 

During the autumn term, we will primarily focus on reading and discussing the assigned fictional and theoretical works. Students will also be expected to complete one short paper on a topic to be decided in consultation with the instructor, as well as complete weekly responsive writings in the course blog. Students will also begin to discuss with the instructor their ideas relating to the BA thesis, which will be formally planned and written during the spring term. At the conclusion of the autumn term, student will present an informal plan for the thesis.

 

During the spring term, we will continue to read and discuss essays on short fiction theory. Students will also plan and outline the thesis in consultation with the instructor. The thesis may analyze the work of a particular author, may compare the works of two or more authors on a particular theme, may consider certain theoretical ideas as exemplified by particular stories, and so forth. A draft of the thesis will be submitted to all of the students and the instructor by a date that will be announced near the end of the autumn term. Students will read and comment on each other’s work. Students will then revise the thesis and resubmit the thesis to the instructor for final approval and grading.