Survey of American Literature 1865-Present (online) [***]

This asynchronous, online course surveys American literature from the ending of the Civil War to present. We will read novels and short stories from writers like Charles Chesnutt, Henry James, Kate Chopin, Zitkala Sa, Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, and Tim O’Brien. As we read, we will explore how different perspectives represent American culture and important historical moments. We will try to answer questions like: how does perspective (race, gender, moment in time, etc.) impact the representation of American culture and history? Whose representations of America are considered “right”  across the 160-year timeframe of the class? How does this continue to shape our understanding of America and impact the literature American writers produce? Additionally, we will consider how texts represent various literary movements like realism, regionalism, modernism, and post-modernism. Assignments will include discussion posts, short writing assignments, and critical essays.