CLITR 3329 Race, Ethnicity, Identity in United States Literature
This course will focus on the question, “How is Race, Ethnicity, and Identity portrayed in U.S. Literature,” and, more specifically, “How do the lives portrayed in this literature reflect the knowledge, identity, and experience of the authors?” We will investigate a wide range of diverse perspectives and marginalized histories and voices, exploring concepts such as “otherness,” “difference,” “race,” and “gender,” among others. We will study these concepts within a theoretical framework that involves the roles of intersecting identities and bias in systems of oppression (including Eurocentrism, colonialism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism, among others). We will also examine our own biases as we analyze the self and identities of the narrators, exploring how their lives – and our own – might reflect a collective memory and experience of what it means to be American.
Prerequisite
CLITR 1100