The American Literature course surveys fiction, non-fiction, and poetry written in the United States from colonial times to the present. The course is primarily a presentation of knowledge about literary works—their content, backgrounds, and authors. It also is concerned about and requires familiarity with concepts and terminology used by literary critics and literary historians. Traditional American writings are selected from a diverse group of authors. Students are required to read and write about them and their literary periods. They will gain an understanding of the historical development of American literature and how American authors were influenced by their time periods and by the heritage of the United States. For each time period, a sample of works and authors will be discussed while also digging deeply into a few selected works via the American Identity theme and related questions – for example, what is America, and what does it mean to be an American? Students will engage in discussions, quizzes, critical thinking. and essay writing. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to understand, describe, interpret, and evaluate the American experience through its literature.