English 213: Diaries and Diarists     Fall Semester 2006

Keeping a diary is a personal activity that has a public appeal. In this course, which will be a four-credit writing intensive course, students will study various kinds of diaries and will keep diaries themselves.  The American Civil War will be explored in the context of The Diary of Caroline Seabury, 1854-1863, a diary kept by a New England teacher living and working in Columbus, Mississippi.  Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones' Diary, which features the diary format, will be analyzed in conjunction with viewing and analyzing the film adaptation.  The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara will be studied in light of ethical dimensions of political, social, and personal life.  The Freedom Writers' Diary will round out the course readings, providing contemporary context for the intensive diary/journal writing to be completed during the semester.

Everyone will have an opportunity to explore the burgeoning world of the online diary, first by exploring "The Emily Project" and then by studying specific diaries kept by individuals on such online clearinghouse web sites as the following: "The Diary Registry," "The Diary Project," "The Online Diary History Project." Students will keep online diaries during the semester. 

The instructor will guide each student as he or she keeps his or her own diary throughout the semester. Based on diary entries made in and out of class, each student will create a Professional Diary, which will be an integral part of each student's writing portfolio for the course.  Each student will also complete a long research and writing project by the end of the semester.
 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIARY'S APPEAL:

The diary’s appeal can be traced to its expansiveness and flexibility. The diary can incorporate a variety of writing styles; it can range from being formal and stylized to conversational and idiomatic. The diary can envelop a variety of themes; for example, the need for self-affirmation, the conflict between duty and desire, the quest for knowledge, the wish to make one’s mark on the world, the coming to terms with change and loss. Because it is expansive and flexible, the diary can be studied simultaneously as a historical document, a therapeutic tool, and a form of literature. The diary can provide valuable insights into individuals’ self-images, the dynamics of families and communities, and the kinds of contributions that individuals have made, past and present. The form and content of a diary are inevitably shaped not only by its writer’s personality but also by her or his experience of race, ethnicity, class, age, sexual orientation, and geographical setting. In this course, we will examine not only what the diaries say but also what they do not say, focusing on their context in society and history, their format, and their intent.

Questions to be explored:

Why are we drawn to read of another person’s daily experiences?
Why do diaries have such staying power?
What makes them appealing to writers, young and old?
What can diaries help us appreciate about the lives and experiences of those individuals who kept them?
What can diaries tell us, not only about the reasons why individuals write in diaries but also about the reasons why they (and others) preserve those diaries and make them available for others to read and appreciate?
What is the author's relationship to her/his diary once it is edited and published?
How is the design and form of different kinds of diaries related to their contents?
How can the diary function as not only an individual but also a community text?


General Education Competency:  CATEGORY 9: ETHICAL AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

Goal: To develop students' capacity to identify, discuss and reflect upon the ethical dimensions of political, social, and personal life and to understand the ways in which they can exercise responsible and productive citizenship. While there are diverse views of social justice or the common good in a pluralistic society, students should learn that responsible citizenship requires them to develop skills to understand their own and others’ positions, be part of the free exchange of ideas, and function as public minded citizens.

Learning Outcomes:  Students will be able to: (a) examine, articulate, and apply their own ethical views; (b) understand and apply core concepts (e.g. politics, rights and obligations, justice, liberty) to specific issues; (c) analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of legal, social, and scientific issues; (d) recognize the diversity of political motivations and interests of others; (e) identify ways to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.