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CS92PROD
The 1850s
ENGL 267
Fall 2020 not offered
Crosslisting: AMST 271

The 1850s was a period of tremendous social unrest in the United States. And yet, for all of its upheavals, the decade that immediately preceded the Civil War also witnessed the publication of some of the country's most iconic works of literature, what a later generation of scholars would call the "American Renaissance." This course sets out to explore the relationship between literature and its historical context(s). What were the material, political, and economic conditions that led to the production of so many great works of American literature? How does a literary text overcome its own embeddedness in history to become a "classic," a work of universal, timeless value? Keeping our own historical moment in mind, this class will examine the 1850s to determine whether periods of political turmoil produce better literature. (Let's hope that they do!)
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (ENGL)(ENGL-Literature)

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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