Spring 2009

E 316K • Masterworks of Literature: American

Course Description

Restricted to students in the Longhorn Scholars Program of Connexus.

This course will examine American literature from the Enlightenment era of 18th-century America through the end of the 20th century. We will focus on a myriad of American voices of the late 19th and 20th centuries, noting, as we proceed, both continuities and innovations. We will seek to define, if possible, a genuine national literature that is strong, multicultural, and inclusive. There is a fair amount of reading to be done in this class, but the rewards in seeking to understand America past and present are immense.

Grading Policy

Quizzes 25%
Mid-Term Exam 20%
Essay 20%
Final Exam 25%
Class Participation 10%

Texts

Stephen Crane, Maggie, A Girl of the Street, and Other New York Writings
Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman
Van Jordan, M-a-c-n-o-l-i-a
Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Packet of short stories and poems

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