ASRC 6513 - Toni Morrison’s Novels

(crosslisted) ENGL 6513, FGSS 6513

Spring. 4 credits.

Co-meets with ASRC 4509/ENGL 4509/FGSS 4509.

R. Richardson.

Toni Morrison is best known for her body of novels that began with publication of The Bluest Eye in 1970. We will focus on reading novels by Morrison, including The Bluest Eye, Sula (1973), Song of Solomon (1977), Beloved (1987), Jazz (1992), Paradise (1998), Love (2003) and A Mercy (2008). The presentation of her novels in trilogy form and her contributions to the genre of historical writing will be given some consideration. We will explore the author’s stylistic innovation and expansion of this genre. We will consider topics such as how to read novels critically. In this course, we will examine some of the distinctions between how novels are discussed and written about in popular and academic contexts.