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Courses & Schedules
English 258 - Winter, 2011
American Literature: 1800 to the Civil War
Class Information
Instructor:
Hsu, Hsuan L.
CRN:
44349
Time:
W 3:10-6:00
Location:
248 Voorhies
Description
Herman Melville
This seminar will investigate the prose and poetry of Herman Melville in the contexts of political philosophy, historical developments, aesthetic theory, and the author’s career. In particular, we’ll consider how his experiments with genre, style, and characterization engage with the interrelated problems of capitalism, empire, racialization, and ethics. In addition to discussing how Melville’s work has been framed by influential critics and philosophers, we will attempt to understand the arc of his career alongside the massive personal and historical transformations of his time.
Readings:
Typee
Great Short Works of Herman Melville
Pierre
Moby-Dick
The Confidence Man
Battle-Pieces
Clarel
critical, historical, and theoretical readings in course packet.
