Introduction to masterpieces of the American literary tradition, emphasizing historical, generic, and thematic connections.
One of the following: English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, or Tutorial Course 603A
We will survey major works of American literature from colonial times to the present. We will read each of our texts in reference to its historical context, and we will define our highlighted contexts on the bases of Puritan (17th century), Enlightenment (18th century), Emersonian (19th century), and Modernist (20th century) thought. However, we will examine some of our selections, particularly those authored by women and people of color, as reconfigurations or confrontations with the ideals contained within these highlighted contexts.
