2. Survey of American Literature I from the beginning to 1870 DR. ETTA MADDEN

3. Questions? Syllabus? Responses? Abstracts?

4. Introductions Major? Minor? Lit courses? Writing courses? Why this course? Desire to accomplish? Pretest results?

5. Summary Class composition Pretest results Facts vs. Ideas Why American literature?

6. Literature Beautifully or interestingly written material Contains universal truth Elevates understanding of human condition

7. Literature Is reflection of culture Contributes to creation of culture Culture: –Ways of being, co-existing, understanding life

8. Beginnings: Beliefs and Texts Genesis & Exodus The Geneva Bible (1560) Creation & Emergence Accounts: ◦ How does its visual appearance make you feel? Why?

9. Beginnings: Beliefs and Texts Genesis & Exodus ◦ Content: ◦ What does the creation & emergence story tell you?

10. Knowledge & Authority Sources of knowledge: –How do we know what we know? Authority Figures: –Whom do we trust, obey, respect? Why?

11. Both appearance and content tell us something about Authority figures Reading practices Gender roles Attitudes toward Nature or Natural World Clans/Nations/Cultures Laws

12. Key Dates: Printing Press, Gutenberg, 1439 The Bible, 1456 Columbus, 1492 Luther’s Theses and Excommunication, 1517 and 1520 Geneva Bible, 1560

13. Direct Reading and Protestantism ◦ the Bible in the hands of the people ◦ priesthood of all believers ◦ primary and secondary texts The Age of Exploration ◦ literal placement of Garden of Eden ◦ reading the Bible as factual history rather than myth

14. Myth? Widely held belief that provides meaning and understanding for a culture No use of “true” or “not true” in definition Example: The “Literacy Myth”

15. Literacy Myth Literacy contributes to success & progress of individual & culture True or not true? Our culture upholds it

16. “The Literacy Myth” Literacy contributes to success & progress of individual & culture C hallenges: –What is literacy? Functional literacy vs. critical literacy –What is success? Financial, spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual –What is progress? Buildings, bridges, roads, computers

17. The Literacy Myth & the culture of the Geneva Bible How has our understanding of the production & function of this text changed? What does it say of functional & critical literacy? Authority figures? Ways of reading? Sources of knowledge?

18. Next time: Responses: groups 2 & 3 Zuni creation account –Compare Zuni account to Geneva account –Use intro to help –How do appearance & content make you feel & why?

19. Next time: Columbus’s journals –Who are his authority figures? –What are his sources of knowledge? –How does his writing reflect the Geneva Bible? –Would you want to be at a party with him? Why?