American
Literature 1865-1918
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In this class students will not only study American literature between the Civil War and World War I, but they will also familiarize themselves with the cultural context of the period. We will read the work of canonical writers who were producing novels, plays, poetry & nonfiction, and we will learn about the political, cultural, and intellectual activity in the States during the era. Our discussions will work toward an understanding of how the canon of this period was formed: what was (and was not) considered Literature? How do our shifting senses of what's valuable about these texts affect the ways we read them? What definitions and connotations did/does the term American carry, anyway? Students will write responses to several study questions and quizzes, collaborate with two other students to present some aspect of the cultural context of the literature we read, complete a reflection paper evolving out of the presentation, and produce a final project at the end of the term
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