Module Texts
Paul John Eakin, ed. American Autobiography: Retrospect and Prospect (University of Wisconsin P., 1991)
James Goodwin, Autobiography: The Self Made Text (Twayne, 1993)
Sidonie Smith, ed. Women, Autobigraphy, Theory: A Reader (University of Wisconsin P, 1998)
Module Additional Assessment Details
First essay [Learning Outcome 1]
Second essay [Learning Outcomes 2,3,4]
Module Indicative Content
This module examines a body of writing about the self from a range of twentieth-century American authors. The issues explored include:
how subjectivity is shaped by social structures, norms, and expectations
how narrative conventions influence the representation of lived experience
the development of a tradition of autobiographical writing by women
the role of autobiography in giving voice to marginalized, deviant, or oppositional subjectivities
Authors studied my include Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Annie Dillard, Richard Rodriguez, Tim O'Brien, and Elizabeth Wurtzel.
Module Learning Strategies
The module will be taught via a mixture of lectures, independent study groups, student-led seminars, and tutor led seminars.
Module Resources
Library holdings, VCR/DVD, OHP