ENG 281 - Special Topics in 19th-C American Literature

Nineteenth-century literary culture in the United Staes was a highly competitive marketplace, both aesthetically and economically. Novels, in particular, were common vehicles for artistic, social, and political experimentation. In the first half of this seminar, we will explore dominant modes of sensationalism and sentimentality, seeking to understand why some novels are considered “high” and others “low” art. (Get ready to hunt white whales at sea, cry for orphans stranded in rural New England, and drop through an implausible number of trap doors in scandal-ridden Philadelphia.) In the second half of the semester, we will take a deep dive into three novels that grapple in very different ways with contests over race and nation in the lead-up and aftermath of the Civil War. From the popular to the obscure, from the revered to the infamous, we will read six novels in fourteen weeks and discover how battles over politics and culture in the nineteenth century influenced its novels, and vice versa. For English majors, this special topic will fulfill the D2 (seminar 1700-1900) requirement.

May be repeatable for credit.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: One 100-level English literature course (ENG 100-199) or permission of instructor

Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically