20th CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE
An exploration of the major literary movements of the period and the exemplary authors.
Welcome to class!
Week One: An Introduction to Modernism
During our first lecture I attempt to place the Modernist tradition of 20th Century literature within the framework of the preceding periods, beginning with the "faith-based" writings of the early European settlers, progressing through the "reason-based" thought of the Enlightenment, on through the "emotion-based" underpinnings of the Romantic and Transcendentalist movements, and finally to the "reality-based" methods of the late 18th Century. The following lecture attempts to outline the historical and literary background of Modernism. (Image: Pablo Picasso."Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler 1910." Art Institute of Chicago.)
Week Two: "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
Week Four: "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway
Week Seven: Modern PoetryWeek Nine: Introduction to Post-modernismWeek Ten: "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg
Week Eleven: "The Most Beautiful Girl in Town" by Charles BukowskiWeek Twelve: Twentieth Century CinemaWeek Thirteen: American Counter-cultureWeek Fourteen: TBAWeek Fifteen: TBAWeek Sixteen: Final Exam |
Midterm Exam InformationThe time/date/rooms are:
The exam will have two parts. The first part will be a multiple choice test covering the readings and lectures from the class. The second part will be an essay question to be completed outside of class and handed in during the exam:
Course Documents
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