ENG 337: American Literature
1850 -1950
This class will cover a wide
range of literary movements including Sentimentalism, American romanticism,
dark romanticism, and naturalism so as to survey American literary productions
from 1850 to 1950. Special attention will be given to how each of the movements
responds to the social conditions of their time and the literary movements that
preceded them. For example, we will ask how does dark romanticism function as a
response to American romanticism? What
is the principal philosophy behind naturalism? How can we trace the evolution of American thought through literature? The goal of this course is to
increase close reading skills, critical thinking, writing, and to understand
literary movements.
Readings
Melville, Herman. Bartleby The Scrivner, Benito Cereno, Billy
Budd
Wright, Richard. Native
Son
Toomer, Jean.
Cane
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle
Tom’s Cabin
Selected Essays by Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents
in the Life of a Slave Girl
Chopin, Kate. The
Awakeing
Neihardt,
John. Black Elk Speaks
Assignments
4 Close Readings
Midterm Paper
Reading Quizzes
Final Paper
1 Presentation