Presents a transcript of an interview with the American literary theorist and cultural critic Jane Tompkins. Covers aspects of her various writings. Relates her thought to the field of English studies. Analyzes recent trends in college English. (HB)

Analyzes Mark Twain's novel, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," to determine the ways in which the masculine is constructed by a series of forces or discourses. Argues that this novel articulates the social construction of gender in a manner similar to Michel Foucault's theory of disciplinary discourses. (HB)

Presents a transcript of an interview with the American literary theorist and cultural critic J. Hillis Miller. Covers aspects of his various writings. Relates his thought to the field of English studies. Analyzes recent trends in college English. (HB)

Discusses the female characters in the novels of Lois Duncan, especially in their roles as victims. Argues that, although these characters often begin the novels as stereotypes, they usually turn out to be complex individuals by the novel's end. Shows how Duncan encourages readers to take responsibility for their actions. (HB)

Discusses the processes by which students think through and compose essays. Shows how writers often begin with the conclusion, or the ending. Provides a basic three-step model which allows students to analyze literary works systematically, with the objective of producing organized essays. (HB)

Describes a project that immerses students in the world of Nazi-occupied Europe. Students study the works of Holocaust victims and survivors, examining influences on style, content, and themes as a writer. (AEF)

This annotated bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English addresses the following topics: (1) Discourse/Narrative Analysis/Cultural Difference; (2) Literacy; (3) Literary Response/Literature; (4) Reading; (5) Professional Development/Teacher Education; (6) Second Language Literacy; (7) Technology/Media; and (8) Writing.

When reading educators encounter a student's interpretation of a text that is different than that which an author may have intended, they have to determine if such an interpretation is valid according to their criteria for students. Much of this rests with educators' conceptions of the reading process and the role of the reader in the…

A literature course developed at the College of Staten Island concerns the human experience with other animals and the environment. Recently, the course has been significantly altered in line with insights gained through participation in a faculty seminar on the topic of inclusion of the "other." The alterations in the course design…

A course in gay literature, intended to help raise the consciousness of gay college students, is described. (JH)

During the past 15 years, a fundamental change has taken place in literary criticism, with a decline in New Criticism (literature viewed as a public object) and an increase in reader response criticism (literature viewed as a private experience). New Critics considered the meaning of a literary text to exist within the text as an independent and…

Intended as a guidebook for high school English teachers, this book contains analyses of American novels commonly read in high school English classes. Each chapter is divided into two sections: an analysis of the novel, including discussions of story and setting, characters, themes, and language and style; and a guide to teaching the novel in the…

Developmental theories, especially the moral development theory of Lawrence Kohlberg, can enhance the teaching of adolescent literature. Expanding on J. Piaget's model of moral development, Kohlberg's model consists of three levels--preconventional, conventional, and postconventional--subdivided into six stages: (1) punishment and obedience, (2)…

Any teacher can teach black literature if he is willing to give it the same respect he gives white writing. (JH)

The study of perceptual genres offers opportunities for the treatment of films in a variety of course structures. (JH)