American Literature

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to English-language prose and poetry written in what would eventually become the United States of America from the mid-17th to the mid-20th century. The course takes a historical approach, beginning with writings by the early English colonists, continuing with texts by the Founding Fathers and other antebellum writers, and including pieces by authors writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Writers of interest for the course include William Bradford, Benjamin Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, T. S. Eliot, and Flannery O’Connor. Students are expected to read, consider, and write about substantial literary texts over the week between classes. The course grade is based primarily on original student essays on the class texts, short quizzes, and in-class discussions.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course,

1. The student will be able to identify, locate historically, and discuss major texts written by significant figures in the history of American literature, including colonial writers, the American Founding Fathers, writers from the 19th century (both antebellum and postbellum), and authors from the early 20th century.

2. The student will be able to understand and identify major and (some) minor literary themes in each of the texts assigned for the course.

3. The student will be able to comprehend and express, both verbally and in writing, the significance underlying each of the texts assigned for the course in both historical and literary/thematic terms.

4. The student will be able to compose well-crafted, persuasive, and insightful essays on English-language literature that demonstrate his or her familiarity with and ability to analyze common literary devices and themes.

Prerequisites: English Composition (Recommended)

This course is typically offered in the Fall semester and is taught by Dr. Hobbs.