Instr:                  Andrea Deacon
Office:               CRT 408,   229-6442,
e-mail:                abd@uwm.edu
Office hours:    by appointment

Course Information:                    TR   12:30-1:45    AUP 116
 

Course Description

English 223 is a survey of American literature from the 17th century through the Civil War.  We will read and discuss a wide variety of authors and examine a range of genres including poetry, autobiography, short stories, letters, sermons, songs, and the novel.  We will examine each piece we read in various historical and rhetorical contexts.  For example, we will explore how certain works shaped and reflected particular political, social, and religious institutions of the 18th and 19th century.  We will also discuss how certain works were originally received by audiences and how this reception has changed throughout time.  Therefore, in addition to reading primary texts, we will examine historical and contemporary criticism of many texts and will relate our reading and discussion to several cultural and political movements in early America, ranging from the framing of the U.S.  Constitution and Westward expansion to the creation of utopian communities in the 19th century.

Required Texts
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Vol 1. Bruce Lauter, (ed).
Course packet of supplemental readings and critical essays