In this course, students will read a variety of texts by American authors, dating from pre-colonial times up until the present day. We will use the texts assigned in class to discuss literary analysis; form; genre; historical context; authorship; race and ethnicity; economic issues; systemic inequality; and how the idea of “American literature” has evolved over the centuries, including how we define the term today.

To achieve our goals, students will read numerous genres, including poetry, short stories, drama, speech, essay, memoir, and others. While we will place each text and author within their historical contexts, we will also investigate how interpretation of the text at the time of its publication can be contrasted with a present-day analysis.