English2200 American Lit, Fall2013-Scanlan Toggle navigation

This course examines a wide range of literature from the colonial era up to the American Civil War. Primarily, we will read poems, short stories, memoirs, journals, and diaries. But we will also read historical documents, such as newspaper articles and letters, to get a sense of the past. One goal of this course is to practice reading and examining several types of literary discourse which will prepare students to comprehend complex material in future courses and in future careers. Another goal of this course is to wrestle with these two questions: how are our present-day concerns connected to the past? And, in what ways does literature provide important knowledge about the past that differs from other forms of communication?