In this third lecture on The Human Stain, Professor Hungerford addresses the influence of legal and market constraints on literature. She discusses the history of censorship, including notable cases, and connects these issues to the canon debates of the 80s and 90s. The lecture culminates with an examination of Roth's controversial representations and his ability to tackle fundamental human concerns, despite market pressures.
In this introductory lecture, Professor Hungerford outlines the course's academic requirements and central themes. She contrasts differing views on reading literature through a magazine advertisement for James Joyce's Ulysses and Nabokov's essay. These discussions set the stage for understanding the literary debates from Modernism to post-1945. Additionally, the controversy surrounding Richard Wright's Black Boy is explored, focusing on themes of truth, memory, and autobiography, which will recur throughout the course.
Professor Hungerford continues the exploration of Richard Wright's Black Boy, analyzing its key passages and the oscillation between socioeconomic struggles and the power of imagination and words. By examining Wright's correspondence with Dorothy Canfield Fisher, the lecture reveals the high stakes involved in presenting an uncompromising view of American ideals during WWII. Students gain insights into the autobiographical elements and thematic depth that characterize Wright's narrative.
In the first lecture on Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood, Professor Hungerford introduces critical questions surrounding faith and interpretation. By utilizing O'Connor's correspondence, she frames the discussion within her Catholicism while encouraging students to look beyond redemption. The lecture explores the layers of understanding in the text, asking what characters perceive and what remains unseen, and how readers' methodologies influence their interpretations.
In the continuation of the Wise Blood discussion, Professor Hungerford deepens the analysis by exploring the southern social context, particularly concerning race and gender. She connects O'Connor's theological commitments with the New Critical writing program of her time. This lecture emphasizes how O'Connor's work illuminates the relationship between formal unity and religious influences, fostering a comprehensive understanding of her narrative techniques.
Professor Hungerford begins her exploration of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita by discussing students' reactions to the text, highlighting the tension between enjoyment of Nabokov's style and discomfort with its subject matter. The lecture provides context by outlining Nabokov's childhood in tsarist Russia and its influence on his preoccupations with memory, imagination, and language. Additionally, the narrative structure is examined, particularly how it preempts moral judgments while celebrating language's seductive qualities.
This guest lecture by Andrew Goldstone focuses on Modernism and Nabokov's relationship with literary forebears such as T. S. Eliot and Joyce. He introduces the concept of the "knight's move" to describe Nabokov's indirect, evasive style, arguing that his parodies reveal a commitment to Modernist aesthetics. Goldstone asserts that Nabokov's art reflects a sense of exile, paralleling the violence found in Lolita's narrative.
In the final lecture on Lolita, Professor Hungerford discusses the broader context surrounding the novel, emphasizing debates about censorship and artistic originality. She connects Nabokov's interest in lepidoptery with his concerns about the materiality of language and the danger of art becoming static. By examining the relationship between the living world and the written word, the lecture underscores the thematic violence present in the narrative.
Professor Hungerford introduces Jack Kerouac's On the Road by contrasting the Beats' pursuit of direct language with Modernist complexity. The lecture examines the structures of desire within the novel, emphasizing the significance of male connection over sexual pursuits. Kerouac's depiction of the open road is juxtaposed with middle-class domesticity, symbolized through recurring motifs, offering insight into the duality of the American experience.
In this second lecture on On the Road, Professor Hungerford focuses on obstacles to achieving community through communication. She critiques Sal Paradise's desire to cross racial boundaries and the eventual breakdown of Dean's exuberant language. Despite these challenges, the novel's vision of "America" endures, continuing to inspire interest among readers and artists alike, including references to contemporary digital art.
In this lecture on J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Professor Hungerford demonstrates how to construct a literary critical paper using textual evidence. By analyzing the novel's religious themes, she shows how Salinger's investment in mysticism remains grounded in personal relationships and family dynamics. Through this lens, writing serves as a spiritual performance, connecting the artist and audience in meaningful communication.
Professor Hungerford's lecture on John Barth's Lost in the Funhouse delves into the metafictional elements of Barth's work, revealing a profound commitment to language. She discusses how Barth's narratives explore the relationship between language and love, suggesting that desire can drive or disrupt narratives. The lecture emphasizes Barth's inquiry into the representation of presence through language, highlighting the tension between oral and written forms.
In this lecture, Professor Hungerford reviews how preceding authors have approached the relationship between language and reality. Positioning Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 within the political turbulence of the 1960s, she argues that Pynchon's work invites sincere reflection on meaning and connection, despite its playful and ironic tone. The lecture encourages students to consider the novel as both a puzzle and a lament.
In this lecture on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, Professor Hungerford contrasts Morrison's approach to language with other authors studied. She articulates how language becomes a site of violence, particularly for an African-American woman writer. The narrative intricately weaves around a young black girl's construction of identity and beauty, revealing the complexities of voice and silence in the context of societal oppression.
At the course's midpoint, Professor Hungerford presents her guiding thesis of the Identity Plot, positing it as a framework for understanding post-1945 American novels. By examining Kingston's The Woman Warrior and other syllabus texts, she highlights the tension between individual and collective identities, scrutinizing the authenticity of these competing identities. This discussion provides a foundation for analyzing subsequent works in the course.
Professor Hungerford situates Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping within American literary traditions that focus on individual relationships with nature. She connects Robinson's themes to influences from the Bible, Melville, and Emerson, emphasizing the fragility of identity in relation to the built environment. Through a close examination of voice and consciousness, the lecture explores the interplay between materiality and the individual's search for meaning.
In this continuation of the discussion on Housekeeping, Professor Hungerford offers a platform for students to pitch novels they believe should be included in the syllabus. While the class votes on the final selection, she reflects on themes of loss in Robinson's narrative, addressing the concept of an "anorexic aesthetic" and its implications for feminist interpretation. This interactive session encourages student engagement in course content.
In her first lecture on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, Professor Hungerford traces the novel's literary influences and historical context. She highlights the intertextual connections with works like the Bible and Moby-Dick, emphasizing how McCarthy engages with American history. The discussion centers on how the novel challenges traditional narrative structures, pushing boundaries in its exploration of human potential and the nature of violence.
In the second lecture on Blood Meridian, Professor Hungerford develops an argument regarding the moral dimensions of good and evil within the narrative. She analyzes the significance of a small detail: the protagonist's illiteracy juxtaposed with his possession of a Bible. This detail serves as a metaphor for McCarthy's invocation of moral questions without providing clear answers, inviting students to grapple with the text's complexities.
In this lecture on Philip Roth's The Human Stain, Professor Hungerford examines the novel's adherence to and deviation from the Identity Plot framework. She explores how racial identity is presented as a multifaceted concept, emphasizing concealment as a defining characteristic. The discussion highlights the relationship between secrecy, identity, and desire, prompting students to think critically about narrative construction and character motivations.
In this third lecture on The Human Stain, Professor Hungerford addresses the influence of legal and market constraints on literature. She discusses the history of censorship, including notable cases, and connects these issues to the canon debates of the 80s and 90s. The lecture culminates with an examination of Roth's controversial representations and his ability to tackle fundamental human concerns, despite market pressures.
In the final lecture on The Human Stain, Professor Hungerford argues that desire drives narrative structure in Roth's writing, examining how characters navigate identity through passing. The discussion highlights Roth's exploration of homoeroticism and the implications of blending identities in character relationships. Through this analysis, students are encouraged to reflect on the complexities of desire, narrative, and representation in Roth's fiction.
In her first lecture on Edward P. Jones's The Known World, Professor Hungerford explores the significance of knowledge within the novel. She poses questions about the nature of knowledge and its role in storytelling, contrasting Jones's approach to historical narrative with other syllabus authors. The lecture emphasizes the importance of the narrator's omniscience while noting the lack of consolation typically found in traditional narrative structures.
In the second lecture on The Known World, Professor Hungerford discusses Jones's relationship with literacy and the power of narrative. She emphasizes the fragility of text and the moral dilemmas surrounding slavery and freedom. By reflecting on Jones's background and creative process, the lecture explores how his unique perspective shapes the narrative's self-consciousness and its engagement with themes of loss and memory.
In the first of two lectures on Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated, Professor Hungerford models methods for evaluating contemporary fiction. She examines Foer's thematic and stylistic borrowings from authors on the syllabus, illustrating how he seeks to connect with historical traumas through narrative. The lecture encourages students to recognize the risks of sentimental clichés while appreciating Foer's ambition in merging different literary traditions.
In her final lecture, Professor Hungerford evaluates Everything is Illuminated within the context of American writing about the Holocaust. She discusses trauma theory and the novel's innovative approach to the inheritance of Holocaust experience for third-generation Jews. By examining how Foer's narrative provides a witness for the past, she encourages students to reflect on the complexities of memory, history, and identity.
In this review session, Professor Hungerford guides students through practice questions for the final exam. By creating an open forum, she addresses student inquiries and offers insights into her own experiences and preferences regarding the syllabus. This session aims to prepare students for their upcoming exam and clarify any lingering questions about course material.