American Literature I

Catalog description

This course investigates the intellectual, social, and literary influences on the literature of what became the United States, from the early exploration of North America by European explorers and the establishment of Puritans and other settlers, through its growth into an independent country, up to the beginning of the Civil War. The course emphasizes the diversity of authors and perspectives found in early American texts, and it compares the differing linguistic, ethnic, racial, gender, religious, and socioeconomic identities expressed through the literature. Prerequisite: ENGL 111.