We all know the saying that you cannot step into the same river twice. Similarly, you cannot “step into” the same story twice. Reading great literature is an experience, and that experience changes as we notice more and our insights deepen. In that spirit, participants in this class will examine together five examples of enduring short fiction written in the twentieth century. Authors will include Lu Xun, Susan Glaspell, James Baldwin, Philip Roth, and Nadine Gordimer. Focus will be on what a story conveys to us both at the moment of reading and upon reflection and on how it accomplishes these effects. Especially salient to our analysis will be how each author’s use of narrative point of view (e.g., first-person, omniscient, limited omniscient, reliable vs. unreliable) influences readers’ shifting responses. We will also consider the historical contexts for composition with emphasis on the cultural tensions that influenced each author. Interesting comparisons and contrasts among the stories will inevitably emerge, along with reflections on how these stories resonate with our current social and political conditions.

The format of the class will be guided discussion based largely on questions that I will supply in advance.  Preparation time will be approximately 90 minutes each week.