Wednesday, 3 September

We’ll start with some general introductions and then move to a discussion of the syllabus, all to build a solid foundation for the upcoming term. From there, we’ll set some context for our study that stretches from the early-17th century to the mid-19th century. We’ll discuss the outline for the class, address the many gaps that exist in our survey, and clarify the disciplinary needs of this type of study. We also look at some early American poetry to establish a relationship between literary text, historical context, and primary course themes. By the conclusion, we should have a number of queries in place to guide us through our survey of American and U.S. literature from 1620 to 1865.

     For Friday, 5 September

• Read Gustafson, “Literature” (pdf on Canvas)
• Record two entries in your commonplace book

Friday, 5 September

Today we build on our first course with a careful analysis of Sandra Gustafson’s keywords essay on “Literature.” We make sure we have some sense of the extended periodization of our course, and the issues that arise when addressing topics pertaining to “America” and “literature.” By the end of this first week, we aim for some stable ground in this less-than-familiar historical moment.

     For Monday, 8 September

• Read Winthrop, “A Model for Christian Charity” (A, 219-228)
• Read Bradford, from Of Plymouth Plantation, excerpts from Chapters 1, 11, and 12 (A, 171-173; 179-182)
• Record two entries in your common place book