AML 4111 - Spring 2026 - Roberts

In this course we will examine 19th century American writing as an Atlantic phenomenon. American novelists were inspired and influenced by British authors, but also rejected many of those writers’ forms and conventions as they struggled with slavery, the central issue of the pre-1861 period, and the question of who is an authentic American. We’ll explore E.A. Poe, Charlotte Bronte, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry James, among others. Students will be expected to read and comprehend at a very high level (this is an advanced course and will be taught as such) and produce sophisticated, erudite, clear, and intellectually-rigorous work. Meets the 4000+ and genre requirements.