Course description
This introductory-level college course examines the literature and culture of American modernism (1880s-1920s). Emphasizing the genre of the novel, we attend to major works by Henry James, Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Willa Cather, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Jean Toomer. Lectures explore the dynamic relationship between literature and historyincluding the history of visual art, technology, media, politics, and ideas. Special attention is given to the relationship between innovative literary practices and themes such as migration, urban versus rural experience, war and its aftermath, work and leisure, the rise of consumer capitalism, vision and visuality, and the shifting pressures of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class during the modern era. Students who complete this course gain a broad knowledge of American modernism, and attain the fundamental skills necessary to succeed in college-level courses in literature, culture, arts, and humanities. While lectures guide the readings, assignments help students refine their abilities in critical thinking, close reading, and analytical writing.
