Lesson 1
Introduction: Connecting Your Learning
"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill." - Barbara W. Tuchman
(American popular historian and author, 1912-1989)
If you have clicked through the course to preview the work you will accomplish by completing all of the lessons, you will notice that this first lesson is the longest.
There are two main goals for this lesson:
(1) to provide a student-friendly framework for reading the literature of this course;
(2) to provide the actual starting point for reading a sampling of American literature, beginning with the Native American oral tradition.
Selections in this course include works by Native Americans, early Hispanic, French, and English explorers, Puritan preachers and poets, African Americans, famous American historical figures, women, and white males. Together, these offer you a clearer and broader idea of what went into the making of this country and its literature. Throughout this course, it is important to remember that the history and literature of a society are closely intertwined. To understand a written work, it is imperative to remain aware of the author's perspective at the time of writing. Particularly important are the cultural, social, and political issues of the time, and the people for whom the author wrote. Only then can a student of literature begin to analyze and appreciate the author's use of language in attempting to meet his/her original purpose for expressing thoughts in the first place.
Literature provides insight into human attitudes and behaviors. Any literature is a door into another time or place and into another human being's mind, experiences, and perceptions of this world. In this course, your overall goals for reading a variety of literary selections are to learn about the development and diversity of the material that makes up American literature. However, it is just as important for you to learn how to read and understand various literary works and to enjoy many of them.
The following timelines will help you to maintain a perspective of the literature that you read throughout this course. The correct social, political, and historical perspective is necessary to analyze literature. It would be valuable to place the following links into the bookmarks or favorites folder within your web browser.
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Timeline of Events in the West from PBS.org |
You know, everything had to begin, and this is how it was: the Kiowas came one by one into the world through a hollow log. They were many more than now, but not all of them got out. There was a woman whose body was swollen up with child, and she was stuck in the log. After that, no one could get through, and that is why the Kiowas are a small tribe in number. They looked all around and saw the world. It made them glad to see so many things. They called themselves Kwuda, "coming out."
Kiowa folk tale
Lesson 1 focuses on the literature of various Native American tribes. Remember that you will read and work with literature originating from other cultures. Cultural differences can require you to switch perspectives and set aside assumptions to experience this literature closer to the way the original audiences experienced it. Most of the literature in this lesson was originally performed by speaking — it was transmitted from one person to another or from one generation to another orally. Many Native American poems and stories were not written down until the late 1800s or early 1900s. Although the examples of oral literature differ depending on the culture creating the work, there are elements common to oral literature. These are presented in more detail later in this lesson. When you read poems and stories that were intended for oral performances, remember that you are one degree removed from the original experience. Therefore, because the material was created originally to be read aloud, you might find it easier to read it aloud yourself.
Readings, Resources, and Assignments |
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Required Textbook Readings |
None |
Multimedia Resources |
Various websites provided throughout the lesson and listed at the end of the lesson. |
Required Assignments |
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Understanding the structure and requirements of the course will help you to do well. Each lesson has four major sections: (1) the Introduction, which links you to material previously learned and prepares you for the upcoming lesson; (2) Focusing Your Learning, which gives you the course competencies and learning objectives for the lesson; (3) the Assessment, or ways to test your understanding of the material; and (4) the Summary, which is a final check on your learning, as well as a learning technique to fix that information more strongly in your memory. In addition, within the four major sections of the lesson is background information about that particular lesson; reading and writing assignments; important terms that you will be able to define linked to a glossary so that you can check your definitions; and, finally, Internet links for further information. Within the text, certain terms are clickable. When you want further information, click on the term. Definitions of these clickable terms are very likely to be included on the exams.
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Finally, throughout the course you are provided with web links that will guide you to learn concepts necessary to understand American literature within its correct context. Always click on the links and explore the concepts to help you better understand the literature of the lesson and prepare for the lesson assignments and exams. The links add interactivity and allow personal exploration of different topics. You will find that it is very important to take advantage of this valuable aspect of online learning. The computer mouse icon reminds you to explore a subject beyond the text provided within the lesson. |
In addition to reading the lessons and the literature selections in the textbook and online, you are instructed to complete Reaction Journals, Reading Responses, and/or Reading Guides at different points within the course. Click on Reaction Journal, Reader Response, and Reading Guides for specific instructions and examples on how to complete these. Finally, knowing about the exams in this course will help you prepare for them as you complete the various lessons. The Midterm and Final exams include objective questions, such as multiple choice, true false, and matching. Most questions focus on general concepts about the material you read and the times or literary periods the authors represent. There are some questions that will ask about specific works that you've read.
Reading Literature for Analysis
Is the selection fiction or non-fiction?
Non-fiction
Click here for a reading guide to assist with reading non-fiction works:
- Briefly summarize the Subject.
- Determine the Occasion of the writing.
- Identify the intended Audience.
- Define the author's Purpose for writing the piece.
- Identify the author's role as Speaker by stating the author's attitude (inherent/not chosen) and the author's tone (chosen for this piece).
Fiction
Click here for a reading guide to assist with reading fiction works:
- Research and note details about the author with regard to this particular work.
- Identify the work's genre.
- Briefly summarize the plot.
- List the main characters and identify the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s).
- Identify the principal setting of the work.
- Determine the work's narrator and the point of view from which the story is told.
- Identify the main conflict.
- Briefly state the author's treatment of the work's ending (denouement).
Use this activity to help you learn important terms found in the lesson! |
Note: In some lessons, you are asked to complete a reading guide for points. However, you are urged to always have a blank reading guide handy as you read to help with comprehension and the other assignments that go with each lesson.
These notes encourage active reading, which helps you both understand it more fully and remember more about it later. In addition, such notes are very effective study aids for the Midterm and Final exams.
Lesson Objectives
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Preview the required assignments that you will submit at the end of the lesson by scrolling down to the "Assessing Your Learning" section near the end of the lesson.
Key Terms
· Antagonist · Attitude · Audience · Author · Ceremonial songs · Chants · Conflict · Culture hero stories · Denouement · Earth-diver story |
· Genre |
· Protagonist |
Practice important Terms
Approaching the Objectives
The majority of the earliest literatures began as oral works. In many cultures, specific individuals were responsible for learning and retelling the stories about the group's heroes, its beliefs about the group's beginnings, its expected social behaviors, and its cultural values and beliefs. The epic poem about the Anglo-Saxon cultural hero, Beowulf, was originally transmitted orally as were many African tribal folktales, African American folktales, Hispanic corridos, and Native American narratives.
Unlike written literature, oral literature is designed to be performed, not read silently. In addition, many examples of oral literature are created, shaped, and reshaped by many authors; so often what you hear is a communal voice developed over time, and aimed at an audience already familiar with the story line.
Since oral literature is intended to be performed or read aloud, reading the works aloud is another effective way to gain understanding. As you read the examples of oral literature in this lesson, remember that you are not reading the original work as performed by the Native American in the original language, but the work as it has been transcribed into contemporary English.
You can find an outline of conventions found within Oral Literature: Myths and Legends. Click on the link and print the file because it is needed to complete one of the assignments at the end of the lesson.
Common themes in Native American oral narratives include the belief in living in physical and spiritual harmony with one's environment. This may remind you of the Native American's respect for the earth, which is another typical theme. Another belief is the importance of communal living, where the well-being of the group is more important than that of a single individual. This belief results in a focus on cooperation rather than on individual competition. Other themes include the importance of family and identity and of place and language.
Typical subjects in Native American oral literature involve stories about how the earth and its people originated; the actions of the group's heroes; significant events in the group's history; and attitudes about the meaning or nature of human life. Stories concerned with how the earth and the people originated are called Origin and Emergence stories. These focus on a group's beliefs about how the earth and the people, specifically those telling the story, were created. In your text, the "Talk Concerning the First Beginning" and "Changing Woman and the Hero Twins after the Emergence of the People" are examples of Origin and Emergence stories.
There are two major kinds of Origin and Emergence stories: the Earth Diver Stories and the Emergence stories. Earth diver stories concern a great flood that results in the creation of the earth and are typically found in the literature of tribes in Canada and the Northeastern United States. Some scholars see similar elements in the Earth Diver stories and those about Noah in the Bible or the great floods told about in Greek and Egyptian mythologies. Emergence stories are unique to Native American beliefs and values. This type of story explains how the people emerged from the earth's womb, moving from dark to light or from chaos to order. Such stories are usually part of southwestern tribes' oral literature.
Culture Hero Stories, sometimes called trickster-transformer stories, are about an individual, usually part god and part human, which bring an important cultural artifact, belief, or practice to the tribe. Specific trickster stories involve a character that, through deception, tricks, and cunning, tests the limits of the group's codes of behavior and belief, or behaves in unacceptable ways to obtain his goals. One function of the trickster story is to satirize accepted beliefs and behaviors to provoke change. Tricksters are often depicted as animals — frequently coyotes, ravens, or rabbits.
Historical narratives are either about significant events in the tribe's history, or they concern legends about cultural heroes. "Talk Concerning the First Beginning" tells of the Zuni tribe's early encounters with Spanish explorers in the southwest. Later in this course, you will read some of the diaries, journals, and narratives written by early European explorers. These give opposing views about the meetings of different cultures.
Native Americans also created oral poetry, ceremonial songs, and chants. They often used a prescribed poetic form, varying from tribe to tribe. They also drew heavily on cultural images and symbols and intensely emotional language. Like oral narrative, most oral poetry was created to be performed publicly. For instance, Aztec poetry often deals with the transitions and unpredictability of physical life, while Inuit or Eskimo poetry reflects the harsh arctic environment.
Extending Your Learning: A Modern Connection
To learn what Native American traditional wisdom is teaching us about global warming and environmental change, read the following article:
“The Melting Ice Cellar,” by Patricia Longley Cochran and Alyson L. Gelier, American Journal of Public Health, September 2002, vol. 92 issue 9, p 1404-1409. Academic Search Premier Database. (Note: once you have clicked on the link, you will need to select the PDF Full Text option to read the entire article).
Assignments
- Submit the syllabus acknowledgement form to your instructor. Please note that your submission of this statement indicates that you plan to participate in this course.
Submit Syllabus Acknowledgement.
Read selections of Native American oral narrative and poetry tradition and then analyze the readings based on Oral Literature: Myths and Legends. Describe characteristics and explain subjects and themes found within the reading.
You will also describe the subject and theme and then discuss the characteristics, purposes, and use of oral narrative as applicable to the stories you read.
If you have questions about the readings or other general questions, please email your instructor. You might find it helpful to email your instructor questions about the readings before you write the Reaction Journal or Reader Response.
Required Reading
Native American Oral Narrative Tradition
Zuni
"Zuni Origin Myths" - Read the section entitled "Talk Concerning the First Beginning"
Navajo
"Navajo Creation Myth" - Read the sections entitled "First World," "Second World," "Third World," and "Fourth World."
"Navajo Origin Legend" - Read all of the text provided
Native American Poetry Tradition
Aztec
"The Flower Songs of Hungry Coyote" - Read all of the text provided
"Rig Veda Americanus" - Read the Introduction and choose at least two other hymns to read from the list provided
Inuit
"Eskimo Folk-Tales" - Read the Introduction and choose at least two other stories to read from the list provided
Lesson 1 Assignments
Click on the link for assignment details.
- Complete the Lesson 1 Journal Response (25 points)
- Complete the Lesson 1 Reading Response (50 points)
Access your questions. Then, submit your Journal and Reading Responses via the assessment links located in the "How to Submit Assignments" section below. Follow the instructions given.
Remember to name the works you are discussing in your writing. Titles of poems, stories, and parts of books are enclosed in quotation marks, while the titles of books, magazines, and other completed works are either underlined or italicized.
How to Submit Assignments
Important information: Please follow the procedure below to complete your assignments.
Compose your response to the assignment in a word processing program. Run a spell check. Review your work to make sure you complete questions before clicking the "Submit" button. Copy your work by simultaneously holding down the "Ctrl" and "A" keys to select the text, and then simultaneously holding down the "Ctrl" and "C" keys to copy it. Then, click on the link below to open up the online submit form for the assessment. Paste your document into the online submit form by inserting your cursor in the submit box, and simultaneously holding down the "Ctrl" and "V" keys.
When you finish, close the browser window to return to your course.
Lesson 1 Journal Response (LESN 1 Journal 1 N)
Lesson 1 Reading Response (LESN 1 Assignment 1 N)
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
- Describe specific characteristics of Aztec, Inuit, and other Native American poetry.
- Discuss the characteristics, purposes, and uses of Native American oral narratives.
- Explain typical subjects and themes used in Aztec, Inuit, and other Native American poetry.
- Describe typical subjects and themes used in Native American oral narratives.
Optional:
Choose one or more of the following and explain them to a friend or to yourself. If you are a kinesthetic learner, you might find it helpful to write your response. If you are more of a visual learner, draw a diagram or a picture illustrating the differences. If you are more of an auditory learner, explain the differences by talking aloud; or, try a mix of all the above methods to develop and strengthen your learning style repertoire.
- If you were presented with a selection of poems from various cultures, written in English or translated into English, could you identify the Native American poems? What characteristics would you look for?
- Choose a myth, short story, or a fairy tale you are familiar with (e.g., Cinderella, Paul Bunyan, Aladdin, Hercules, a creation story from your culture, etc.). Explain how you would turn the written material into an oral narrative. What would you have to eliminate from the original written material? What would you have to add? What specific characteristics would you add to make it more like a Native American oral narrative?
- Return to the Key Terms section to check your learning by defining each term in a sentence or two.
Have You Met The Objectives For This Lesson?
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