Students shall achieve the following objectives by the end of the course:

• Students will gain an understanding of major writers, key texts, documents, critical theories, and debates in the Twentieth Century American literature. They will demonstrate this knowledge in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will identify major literary genres in American literature and trace their ongoing development (i.e., what distinguishes the short story from any other literary genre, apart from length). They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will apply relevant critical and theoretical frameworks to evaluate the literature within social, historical, and multicultural contexts. They will demonstrate this comprehension in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will learn how to apply theoretical approaches to the analysis and interpretation of texts chosen by them for research, based on the examples that have been investigated from the course readings. They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

Students shall achieve the following objectives by the end of the course:

• Students will gain an understanding of major writers, key texts, documents, critical theories, and debates in the Twentieth Century American literature. They will demonstrate this knowledge in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will identify major literary genres in American literature and trace their ongoing development (i.e., what distinguishes the short story from any other literary genre, apart from length). They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will apply relevant critical and theoretical frameworks to evaluate the literature within social, historical, and multicultural contexts. They will demonstrate this comprehension in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

• Students will learn how to apply theoretical approaches to the analysis and interpretation of texts chosen by them for research, based on the examples that have been investigated from the course readings. They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

With the advent of the 20th century, the end of Victorianism, and the entrance into a World War, a profound shift occurred in American fiction. This class will examine the form of the literary short story as it evolved through modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, social realism, the mid-century Southern Gothic, postmodernism, minimalism, and more. Readings will focus on complete, stand-alone collections of short stories. Relevant criticism and secondary materials will also be required course readings.
Students will be required to make 1-2 brief research presentations to the class. Assigned writing includes one shorter essay (5-7 pages) and a longer, research-based essay (15-20 pages).

With the adventure of the 20th century, the end of Victorianism, and the entrance into a World War, a profound shift occurred in American fiction. This class will examine the form of the literary short story as it evolved through modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, social reality, the mid-century Southern Gothic, postmodernism, minimalism, and more. Readings will focus on complete, stand-alone collections of short stories. Relevant criticism and secondary materials will also be required course readings.
Students will be required to make 1-2 brief research presentations to the class. Assigned writing includes one shorter essay (5-7 pages) and a longer, research-based essay (15-20 pages).

Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio. 1919. Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Charles E. Modlin and Ray Lewis White. New York: Norton, 1996.
Baldwin, James. Going to Meet the Man: Stories. 1965. New York: Vintage, 1995.
Carver, Raymond. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. 1981. New York: Vintage, 1989.
Hemingway, Ernest. In Our Time. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2003.
Li, Yiyun A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories. New York: Random House 2005.
O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. New York: Harcourt, 1955.
Welty, Eudora. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. New York: Harcourt, 1994.

Note: A selection of relevant secondary journal articles & literary criticism will also be provided via Moodle.


Academic Honesty
Faculty expect students to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. If you are unclear about a specific situation, ask me. I will explain what is and is not acceptable in this class. Penalties for plagiarism, misrepresentation, and/or cheating may range from failure for an individual assignment up to and including failure for the course and the filing of a charge of academic dishonesty with the university administration.

Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio. 1919. Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Charles E. Modlin and Ray Lewis White. New York: Norton, 1996.
Baldwin, James. Going to Meet the Man: Stories. 1965. New York: Vintage, 1995.
Carver, Raymond. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. 1981. New York: Vintage, 1989.
Hemingway, Ernest. In Our Time. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2003.
Li, Yiyun A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories. New York: Random House 2005.
O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. New York: Harcourt, 1955.
Welty, Eudora. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. New York: Harcourt, 1994.

Note: A selection of relevant secondary journal articles & literature criticism will also be provided via Moodle.


Academic Honesty
Faculty expect students to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. If you are unclear about a specific situation, ask me. I will explain what is and is not acceptable in this class. Penalties for plagiarism, misrepresentation, and/or cheating may range from failure for an individual assignment up to and including failure for the course and the filing of a charge of academic dishonesty with the university administration.