When thinking about where literature comes from, we often think in terms of how location informs our ideas of what literature is and who it represents.  In this course, we will examine what makes American literature “American” and just who this literature represents.  This includes examining what has been called American literature and how that definition has evolved over time, who is represented and who is excluded over the course of the history of this body of literature, and what the scope of American literature involves today.

English 1310 also introduces students to the foundational concepts, ideas, and methods related to literary study and uses these techniques to examine a body of American literature.  Students will work with texts from a variety of genres, including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and from a variety of historical periods in American history.