ENGL 443
The American Renaissance
Catalog Entry
ENGL 443. The American Renaissance
Three hours lecture (3).
Prerequisite: ENGL 111 and ENGL 112
Study of several major 19th-century American writers and general intellectual climate of the period.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
1. Close reading of significant works by major American authors in the period from
the 1830s through the Civil War.
2. Examination of the history of the volatile political and intellectual climate of
the period, including transcendentalism, the anti-slavery movement, the Free-Soil
movement, the women's movement, and the Civil War.
3. Study of varying critical approaches to the literature, such as historical, reader-response,
and feminist.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
I. Class Format--a selection from the following:
II. Writing Requirements--a selection from the following:
III. Exam writing--In which students will be asked to write at length, demonstrating their understanding and critical appreciation of the assigned reading.
Goals and Objectives of Course
The course has three major goals: (1) for students to read some of the most important works of American literature of the first half of the 19th century, and to examine these works in a variety of contexts; (2) to reinforce and extend interpretive strategies first introduced to students in general education writing and literature courses; (3) to engage students, through reading literature, in examining their own lives and worlds.
Assessment Measures
Either alone or in collaboration with others, students will (1) demonstrate their understanding of the art and interpretation of literature by participating in discussion and by formulating written analyses of the reading in their journals, papers, and exams; (2) demonstrate in writing and discussion their familiarity with, and analytical understanding of, several of the assigned readings; and (3)make personal connections to the literature and express those connections through talk, personal writing, creative projects, or class presentation or performance.
Other Course Information
Review and Approval
October, 2009
March 01, 2021