Mark Twain, the father of the great American novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This course explores the historical, biographical, and literary contexts of his work. (Public Domain. Library of Congress.)
Instructor(s)
Wyn Kelley
MIT Course Number
21L.006
As Taught In
Spring 2013
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course studies the national literature of the United States since the early 19th century. It considers a range of texts - including, novels, essays, and poetry - and their efforts to define the notion of American identity. Readings usually include works by such authors as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, and Toni Morrison.