Students will read learn how to understand and analyze American literature, mainly through the genre of the classic short story. The literature will be presented from two angles: as subjective art and also through the context of American history and social/historical conditions, both as presented inside the fiction and the authors' lives and time. Students will read a variety of American perspectives through diverse authors, styles, and points of view. 

Class time will be spent contextualizing the literature so students are able to read with a great sense of understanding just where our authors are coming from with, especially in regard to questions of identity and equity. Connections are also made between literature and other fields of the humanities, including music and visual art. Students are invited to share their personal perspectives and experiences with their peers in an accepting and respectful environment.     

In particular, students will read stories from those from cultural backgrounds that are underrepresented in the traditional canon of American literature. In essence, they will read the new canon, while at the same time understand the broad scope of literary traditions in the United State and the continuity of past traditions with the present. The traditional elements of literary analysis will be introduced and reinforced so students are able to identify the elements of plot, characterization, setting, symbolism, theme, style, tone, and irony, with a emphasis on understanding point of view. 

This course can function as an introduction to American Literature for grades 9-10, although the content should be of interest to all high school students. It is also good preparation for my Advanced High School English course here on Outschool and to prepare public and private school students  for AP and IB courses in subsequent semesters and years. 

While there are no prerequisites, students should have completed English courses at the middle school level and be ready to advance their skills to reading adult literature. This course does not include remedial instruction or explicit teaching of lower level comprehension or writing skills.     

Students should come to class prepared for group discussion on the readings. Optional writing assignments include short answer questions on our Classroom page that are analytical in nature and also offer students the opportunity to reply responsively to the literature and integrate their personal perspective into their understanding of the authors’ works. I will offer students feedback on their writing and comprehension.   

The units of the course are arranged thematically. The following represent a partial selection of what the students will read in each unit. Students will do a deep dive into the literature and life of James Baldwin as a native of Harlem and who, like many American artists and intellectuals before him, emigrated to Europe.        

Each week, all reading and writing assignments will will be posted on the Classroom page, along with other relevant posts. Student discussion the Classroom page is encouraged and give students a chance to practice informal writing about literature and make connections inside and outside the texts.  

Week 1 - Introduction to American Literature. This class will introduce a basic outline of American history and the various movements for civil rights and assertion of identity by diverse groups, including African-Americans, Latinx-Americans, Native Americans, and others. I will introduce the framework for approaching the literature and the role of background knowledge in our understandings. 

Unit 1 - Class and Economics (Week 2-3)
Jean Toomer - Blood-Burning Man
Jhumpa Lahiri - Hell-Heaven
Stephanie Carta - The Important Man 

Unit 2 - Race and Ethnicity - (weeks 4-6)
Ralph Ellison - Battle Royal 
James Baldwin - Sonny's Blues
Ha Jin - Children as Enemies
Philip Roth - Defender of the Faith

Unit 3 - Politics and Satire - (weeks 7-8):
Samuel Clemens - Cannibalism in the Cars
John Cheever - The Country Husband
Edmund White - Give it Up for Billy

Unit 4 - Nature and Environment - (weeks 9-10):
Jack London - In A Far Country
Ray Bradbury - There Will Come Soft Rains
Annie Proulx - The Mud Below

Conclusion - Shirley Jackson - The Lottery