THEMES IN AMERICAN LITERATURE
Reading Sequence
Course description and tentative reading sequence
America’s history is a unique experiment. Its literature expresses hope, ideals, conflicts and contradictions. Certain themes have emerged in American literature across the 20th century and into the new millennium: racism, materialism, economic injustice, the plight of minorities, the struggle of the individual against society, commitment to the common good, coming of age, questions of war, and the difficulty of maintaining human relationships. In this course, students extract some of these ideas in order to consider vital issues woven into the fabric of American life.
Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements [1940s-1970s]; justice
· Black-Eyed Susans and Midnight Birds ed. Dr. Mary Helen Washington
anthology of short stories
The goal of education: entering the consciousness of others
· Sailing Alone Around the Room Billy Collins, poetry
Immigration, Sanctuary, diversity, Native American heritage, the disinfranchised
· The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver, novel
Work Ethic, American Dream, the success myth
· Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller, drama
· Punching Out Jim Daniels, poetry
Demystifying violence; building and rebuilding family & social structures
· The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold, novel
Life in the war zone; do you feel the death of strangers?
· The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien, novel
· The Weight of All Things Sandra Benitez, novel
Week 1 Introduction to American Literature World War II - present
1st reading selection: 1940s - 1960s
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Memory of Kin: Stories about Black Families, ed. Mary Helen Washington |
Selections of poems and short stories from this anthology will be identified in class.
2nd reading selection: 1980s-present
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The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver |
3rd reading selection:
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The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan |