Rise of the American Novel

Catalog description

This course will survey American fiction from the beginning of the nation through the first half of the twentieth century. We will look at early fiction, like Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" and mid-1800s classics like Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, up to twentieth-century works like The Great Gatsby and perhaps some contemporary novels. Through the term, we will ask how the fiction represents the special character of American experience. Alongside readings, you will write several short papers and present some of your research to the class. Prerequisites: 76-101 or 76-102 or ( 76-107 and 76-106 ) or ( 76-108 and 76-106 ) or ( 76-107 and 76-108 )