An introduction to American Literature from 1860 to the 1960’s. Explore the religious views, politics, and ideologies of late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century of America through its literature. This course studies American authors, poets, and playwrights beginning with realism through naturalism, continuing with the political themes of early twentieth century, through the writers of the Great Depression, post World-War II, up to the 1960’s
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:
- Describe aspects of their cultural past as represented in literature
- Describe and differentiate between the literary movements brought about by the changing American society
- Explain the importance of literature in modern life.
- Identify and discuss outstanding literature 1860-Present
- Identify the major writers and their major contributions and their place in progressive literary movements.
- Explain in writing the ways in which late 19th and early 20th century literature reflects cultural values and concepts with are a part of current American culture.
- Explain in writing the ways in which late 19th and early 20th century literature reflects changes to American attitudes toward ethnicity, race and gender.
Course Content Outline
- Canonical literature from 1850 to 1970, including, but not confined to, such authors/poets/playwrights as Mark Twain, Charles Chesnutt, Jack London, Zora Neale Hurston, Ernest Hemingway, Rita Dove, Tennessee Williams, Flannery O’Conner, Allan Ginsberg, Maxine Hong Kingston, Phillip Roth, Toni Morrison and John Updike.
- Historical and ideological progression including:
- 19th Century realism through naturalism
- Political works from the early 20th Century through post- WWII
- Cultural upheaval in the 1960’s to modernism.
- Theories of modernism, including the works of canonically-central modernist authors like T.S. Eliot as contrasted with new voices which became canonical as a result of modernism like Willa Cather, John Dos Passos and Gertrude Stein.
- Experimental/pioneering writing styles and their significance in the modern American canon.
- Progression and interrelationships between literary movements and styles up until 1970
- Analysis of the influence as well as the aesthetic and cultural significance of literary trends and ever-expanding modes of expression.
- Connections between texts, pinpointing seminal thought that influence progressive literary trends.
Department Guidelines
- Audiovisual elements may be included to supplement written texts, but assessment methods must emphasize the written text.
- Evaluation will include a combination of exams and essays.
- Each of the categories of literature described in the course description must be covered during the course of the term. Others may be added, with the understanding that the course is focused on thorough coverage of a variety of different types of literature as opposed to in-depth analysis of a small number of texts.
PO4 should be assessed: Students will be able to recognize or articulate personal/interpersonal aspects of, or connections between, diverse cultural, social, or political contexts.
PO5 should be assessed: Students will be able to solve problems by gathering, interpreting, combining and/or applying information from multiple sources.