Course Description: This required course will offer students an introduction to the “narrative” literature of the United States, which means we will be engaged in close readings of a select group of prose texts (short stories, novels, nonfiction essays, autobiography) written by a variety of important authors. During the semester we will address a number of issues that are at the heart of the nation’s literature: the tension between the religious and secular sense of mission; the significance of the land and “the other”; the ubiquitous nature of violence and racism; as well as the relationship between the individual and society. We will also examine the ways in which these writers have been influenced by nature and industrialism, the frontier and the city, democratic capitalism and the myth of the American dream. Because the literature of the United States is often closely connected to the culture outside the text, it is important to see the authors and their works in various contexts—biographical, historical, socio-cultural, as well as literary—in order to gain a better understanding of their place within the literary tradition. Through lectures and class discussions, PowerPoint presentations and a few video documentaries, the course will investigate the ways in which these authors and texts have contributed to the ongoing creation of a distinct literary tradition. The principle aim of the course is to introduce students to some of the major authors and texts that we commonly associate with the literature of the United States, but the course will also foster critical thinking, and help students learn how to speak about literary texts. While our reading and analysis will certainly help us see what these texts can tell us about the times in which they were written, it is hoped that they will also have something to say about the world we are living in now.

Requirements: The final exam (50%) will consist of essay questions dealing with the literary works discussed during the semester, and will be evaluated based upon the student’s ability to respond knowledgeably—in English, without too many grammatical errors—to the specific questions on the exam. Students will also be asked to submit an essay (50%) of between 750-1000 words (double-spaced, standard margins), devoted to some aspect of the course. Essay topics will be provided, and full instructions regarding the format of the essay will be given in class and during office hours. Students who submit plagiarized work (presenting another person’s words or ideas without proper citation) will automatically fail the course.

Reading List:
Edgar Allan Poe, “Ligeia,” “The Cask of Amontillado”
Frederick Douglass, excerpt from Narrative of the Life of
 Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself
Henry David Thoreau, excerpt from Walden
Kate Chopin, The Awakening
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Jack Kerouac, excerpt from On the Road
John Cheever, “The Swimmer”
James Salter, “Last Night”