ENGL 250 - Introduction to American Literature

Credits: 5
Variable Credit Course: No

Lecture Hours: 55
Lab Hours: 0
Worksite/Clinical Hours: 0
Other Hours (LIA/Internships): 0

Course Description: This course introduces analysis and interpretation of a diverse selection of works of American literature from several major movements and time periods, with an emphasis on interpreting the works in cultural context.

Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 with a C or higher.
Distribution Requirements:

Humanities Distribution Requirement

General Education Requirements:

Fulfills Engage General Education Requirement

Meets FQE Requirement: No
Integrative Experience Requirement: No

Student Learning Outcomes

Identify major authors and themes from several periods in American literary history.
Identify relationships between social/historical contexts and literary works in different periods.
Read critically to understand the themes of literature and how they are treated by different authors.
Demonstrate a range of critical thinking skills in reading, discussing, and writing about literature.
Demonstrate the ability to apply diverse analytical frameworks to understand and interpret American literature.
Demonstrate the ability to identify and describe how diverse perspectives about race, class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and/or culture are expressed through literature.

Course Contents

This class is designed to prepare students for upper-division literature courses. Class discussion and exercises will help students to analyze texts from various genres and to develop well-supported arguments about works of literature in their cultural and historical contexts. Students will practice close reading and other techniques of literary analysis.
Students may be exposed to a variety of critical approaches to literature, with a particular emphasis to be determined by the instructor.

Instructional Units: 5