Title: AMERICAN LITERATURE: 1920-1960

PRQ:

In this course, we will explore one of the most significant periods in American literature, from the avant-garde modernist experiments of the 1920s to the subversive Beat poetry of the 1950s. We will also address the great flowering of African American literature in this era, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout the semester, we will examine drama, short fiction, poetry, novels, film, and even music. While we will consider the complex interrelation between American literature and its social contexts, particular emphasis in this class will be placed upon skills of close textual analysis.

Requirements include regular, short thesis-driven papers and two exams (a midterm and final). Please note: active and regular participation in class discussion is absolutely crucial to this course and will make up a significant proportion of the final grade.

The readings for the course are still being finalized. Previous versions of this class have included works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Anzia Yezierska, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, ee cummings, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston, Lillian Hellman, Nathanael West, Carson McCullers, Eugene O’Neill, Allen Ginsberg, James Baldwin, Flannery O’Connor, and Grace Paley. For additional details and a full reading list as soon as it becomes available, please e-mail Professor Ryan at tryan@niu.edu.