Skip to main content
Department of English
Search
Log in
Navigation
About
Current Office Hours
Diversity Resources
English Library
Faculty Statement Archives
Internal Dept Resources
Medieval and Early Modern Studies
University Writing Program
Video Guides & Worksheets
Visit us on Facebook
Major/Minor in English
Advising
Creative Writing Application
Honors Program
Internships
Literary Magazines
Major Requirements Guide & FAQ
Minor Requirements
Study Abroad
Why Major in English?
MFA in Creative Writing
Admissions
Events, Prizes, and Resources
MFA Program Faculty
Newly Admitted Grad Students
Resources
Ph.D. in Literature
About
Admissions
Newly Admitted Grad Students
PhD Alumni Directory
Resources
Courses & Schedules
People
News & Events
Off the Syllabus Podcast
Recent News
Contests
Contest Winners
Previous Contest Winners
Newsletters
You are here
Home
»
Courses & Schedules
English 158B - Fall, 2015
The American Novel from 1900 to the present
Class Information
Instructor:
Stratton, Matthew
CRN:
73367
Time:
MWF 10:00-10:50
Location:
118 Olson
Description
We will read a variety of novels written in the United States during the twentieth century. Starting with a functional definition of "the novel" as a genre that predates the U.S.A., the course will read a wide variety of novels to think about how those novels relate to each other, and how they might both exemplify and complicate our understanding of American literature. By focusing our attention on points of contact between literary and political representation, we will consider the context in which the novels first appeared as well as how our own situation affects the work of interpretation. Throughout the readings, we will consider the contested question of what it might mean to be a specifically "American" novel, and what that form might have to do with problems of memory, history, identity, and democracy.
Grading
In-class responses . . . . . . . . . . . .15%
Short essay (4-5 pgs) . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Longer essay (5-7 pgs). . . . . . . . . . 35%
Final exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%
Texts
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
, Anita Loos
Under the Feet of Jesus
, Helena Maria Viramontes
Invisible Man
, Ralph Ellison
O Pioneers!
, Willa Cather
The Flamethrowers
, Rachel Kushner
The Crying of Lot 49
, Thomas Pynchon
Maus I
, Art Spiegelman