This is an introduction to American Literature from its beginnings until the 1890s. It goes beyond just books by looking at the fascinating places, people, and periods that produced the texts, in addition to sampling the many types of writing that have helped Americans tell their stories, from bloody captivity narratives on the frontier to haunting gas-lit ghost stories in the city. Themes might include “The Devil in the 'Howling Wilderness"', “Revolution: Reason Armed'', “American Renaissance: The Transparent Eyeball'', “Conditions of the Working Class'', “Women Write the Weird'', and “Black in the White City: Chicago's Columbian Exposition.'' This is an introductory course appropriate for first-year students.
EN 131: American Literature 17th-19th C.: Witch Hunts to the White City
Class Program
