American Literature from 1945 (undergraduate survey course): Spring 2017
Edited ASN/JB
Instructor: Dr. Casie Hermansson
Aims of the Course:
This course will survey major literary and cultural trends in American Literature from 1945 to the
present day across several literary genres (fiction, poetry, drama, essay), focusing on both major
practitioners and traditionally marginalized or less canonical authors. In addition to learning literary and
cultural contexts for the works and authors studied, the class will explore historical context as it impacts
the evolution of American Literature over this period, and will include examination of the various and
shifting constructions of “American-ness.”
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
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Identify and articulate reasons for identifying select literary works and their artistic, cultural and
historical contexts;
Describe and understand the main trends and evolutions of American Literature over this period
and how and where various authors’ works fit into that framework;
Perform close readings and literary analyses using correct and applicable terminology for the
relevant literary genres (eg: drama) and subgenres (eg: science fiction, beat literature) both
orally and in writing;
Write a research essay that argues a main thesis and supports it with relevant evidence from the
literature as well as pertinent and correctly cited secondary criticism, and shows evidence of
editing.
Textbooks (2):
The Norton Anthology of American Literature 8th edition v2: 1865 to the Present, volume E (1945present) **Please note: for students using the 6th edition, the corresponding page numbers are
displayed here in italics.
A Thousand Acres, novel by Jane Smiley—any edition
Assessments:
20%
20%
30%
30%
Poetry close reading group presentation
Fiction or Drama close reading group presentation
Final exam
Final research essay (topic, preliminary bibliography, final essay): 3,000 words.
SCHEDULE NOTE: the course will use the calendar dates of Åbo Akademi for Q4 (dates accomodations
can be made for TY students at the end of the course where there may be time conflicts)
Week 1 (week of March 20)
20.3 LECTURE: Introduction to the course, “American Literature Since 1945,” Death of a Salesman.
23.3 TUTORIAL: Death of a Salesman Act 1 (p.238-68) (2111-41)
Week 2 (week of March 27)
READING: Death of a Salesman Act 2 (268-303) (2141-76) and: Jarrel (177) (2744), Brooks The Mother
(324) (2780) and We Real Cool (326) (2782)
30.3 TUTORIAL: Death of a Salesman Act 2, poetry close reading
Week 3 (week of April 3)
READING: Flannery O’Connor The Life You Save May be Your Own (437-44) (2204-11) and Ginsberg
HOWL Part 1 (492-500) (2865-72)*
*NB – Footnote to HOWL is not included in the 6th edition. A handout will be provided.
6.4 TUTORIAL **Poetry Close Reading--Group Presentations
Week 4 (week of April 10) (Lecture only, no tutorials this week)
READING: Anne Sexton Sylvia’s Death(560) (2935) and Little Girl (562) (2937); Adrienne Rich Diving into
the Wreck (573) (2949); Sylvia Plath Lady Lazarus (625) (2969) and Daddy (629) (2972), preview of A
Thousand Acres (novel and film)
TUTORIAL: King Lear review (to help prepare A Thousand Acres).
Week 5 (week of April 17)
No class April 17, Easter Monday.
20.4 TUTORIAL READING: Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” (583-7)* ; Anzaldua How to Tame a Wild
Tongue (849-58) (2446-55)
*NB – MLK is not included in the 6th edition. A handout will be provided.
Week 6: research essay topics and bibliographies (week of April 24)
READING: A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley (novel)
27.4 TUTORIAL **Fiction or Drama Close Reading--Group Presentations
Week 7: (May 1)
No Monday lecture this week. Tutorials on Thursday.
3.5 READING FOR TUTORIAL: Leslie Marmon Silko Lullaby (1015-21) (2543-50); Louise Erdrich Dear John
Wayne (1105-06)*; Sherman Alexie This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona (1178-87)*
*NB – Erdrich and Alexie are not included in the 6th edition. A handout will be provided.
Week 8: (week of May 8) No classes: individual conferences with me on research essays
Final exam after course; take-home exam format will be used. Exam due back to me by Monday May
15.
Research essay due by Monday May 22 (printed copy AND emailed copy).
Research essay expectations: A typed, 3,000 word research essay on a topic or theme deriving from the
course readings. Sample topics provided. Various due dates for topics, bibliographies, conferences over
progress will be provided.