This survey course in American literature explores the notion of noticing both as a method of analysis and as a theme in literary texts. Covering works from the eighteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to a wide range of authors, genres, and historical contexts.
Throughout the semester, we will practice close reading by attending to what we notice in literary texts: the words, images, and tensions that become the cornerstones of broader interpretations and critical arguments. At the same time, we will ask what each text itself notices or, conversely, neglects or obscures about the American experience, and how questions of visibility and representation shape literary expression.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- identify major developments in American literary history from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first century;
- analyze literary texts through close reading and attention to textual detail;
- understand how scholars construct critical arguments;
- engage with key debates and approaches in American Studies;
- summarize and discuss scholarly arguments;
In-class discussion will play an important role throughout the semester.
Students will be required to maintain a Research Notebook based on these discussions in order to keep track of our observations and of critical interpretations.
The final assessment will consist of a three-hour written exam based on a literary text and short excerpts from critical scholarship.
