The course is conceived in
conjunction with "Literatura Norteamericana 2" as a review
of the literature of what is now known as the United States from its
colonial beginnings to its contemporary writers. Limitations of time
naturally restrict the number of works to be treated in class and
economic considerations determine the choice of the Norton anthology
as the source of the texts analyzed. But within these limits our aim
is to survey the variety and diversity of American literature through
close analysis of a series of what could be considered representative
texts. At the same time, our readings of these texts will include a
reflection on what makes these or any texts "representative",
in this case, of a body of work considered “American” literature. These texts will be treated, roughly, in
chronological order, with attention being paid to their historical
contexts and their reflection of the literary and rhetorical concerns
of their period. This is especially the case of early American
literature (Puritan and colonial writings) where, beside the literary
value and rhetorical strategies of these texts, we will be interested
in identifying the appearance of characteristic American themes and
cultural forms that constantly reappear in the later literature.
Focusing on these aspects, we will try to sketch out what is
peculiarly "American" about American literature and why it
is of interest to non-Americans. Most, if not all, class-work will concentrate on
close analysis of the texts themselves. This course is not only an
introduction to American literature; it is also an exploration of how
texts work, what reading and writing strategies they demand (i.e.,
both how the reader "reads" and how the writer "writes"
in response to other texts), and how this affects the way we respond
to them. As we shall see, this is especially pertinent to American
literature given its concern with how "America" itself
should be read and written. |