Welcome to English 400 Anatomy of the Novel: Women, Meat and Meaning. Over the course of the Spring 2015 semester, students in this class read and analyzed three twentieth-century novels: The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood, The Shooting Party  by Isabel Colegate, and My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki. In addition to these novels, students referred to personal narratives and testimonies collected in Lisa Kemmerer's Sister Species,  to illuminate the current and immediate voices of individuals who are working to spread awareness about the connected oppression of animals and women.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     In the midst of absorbing a plethora of information pertaining to the feminist-vegetarian theory that anchored this class, students individually composed and revised creative pieces that shared and expanded upon their personal interactions and histories with meat, as well as with various forms of consumption. These pieces proved powerful in sparking class discussions and in unearthing memories and experiences shared between classmates. Students then went on to research and write academic papers exploring theory, text, and the practice of meat eating. Some of the questions raised through class discussions and in response to the challenges of feminist-vegetarian theory:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The English 400 Capstone class is a chance for English students to engage in a challenging and complex theory-based study which tests their abilities to think critically and apply what they internalize in the classroom to the outside world. The crux of the Capstone is to be challenged. Both emotionally and intellectually, students must rise to the occasion and stay nimble, navigating the stimulating and demanding aspects of the course. The English 400 Capstone culminates in presentations given to the general public, in which students introduce their own thoughts and summations regarding their academic paper, their journey through the course, or through a roundtable discussion. These presentations start in the Leak Room at Guilford College on Wednesday May 6th, 2015 at 1pm.