LIT 2010 Fall 2024 - Destin

This course will explore depictions of girlhood in American fiction with a particular emphasis on how (and for whom) girlhood has been constructed in contemporary literature. We’ll consider how notions of girlhood intersect with race, class, and sexuality, and how writers employ different styles of writing in their treatment of girlhood. Our primary focus will be on literary analysis, but we will also consider elements of craft from a writing perspective. The course will include regular short writing assignments, at least one presentation, and a final paper. Potential texts include Fledgling, Lolita, The Virgin Suicides, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Her Body and Other Parties, and My Dark Vanessa.