AML 3311 Fall 2021 Garnder

This course will include a selection of 19th century U.S. authors whose works are considered important to the development of American cultural identity. We will approach 5 novels (James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Kate Chopin’s Moby Dick), through the perspective of 4 central themes: Idealism & Materialism, Law & Order, Gender Issues, Heroes and Heroism. Students will choose one of the 4 themes as their primary focus and apply it to each of the 5 books. Quizzes will take the shape of objective/factual questions and short essays. There will be a final paper summarizing the results of the student’s chosen theme.