James T. Farrell: A Case Study in Twentieth-Century American Literary Trends and Contemporary Research Techniques
Nancy Shawcross profile
TR 1:30-3
Irish-American writer James T. Farrell (1904-1979) struck a maverick
path in American letters that nonetheless managed to intersect with
the major movements of his time as well as with an exceptionally
diverse readership. This course examines Farrell's career as an
avenue into American literary trends from the Depression through the
Cold War, including American Naturalism; the Urban Novel; the Literary
Left and the Cold War; the Ethnic Experience in American Society; and
the Marketing of American Culture. The course will also provide an
introduction to practical scholarship through the study of Farrell's
published and unpublished writings (the latter held by Penn's
Department of Special Collections) utilizing New Historical,
femininist, and autobiographical approaches and considering such
questions as the literary marketplace, the politics of literary
reputation, and the nature of literary value. Readings will include
Farrell's signature trilogy, Studs Lonigan; additional works of his
fiction and non-fiction; and a selection of secondary readings in
Farrell scholarship, as well as in critical approaches to literary
studies. Students will be required to choose a research topic that
draws on the personal papers of Farrell and to prepare a class
presentation, as well as a final paper, on their critical analysis of
the primary source materials. (NOTE: We highly recommend this course
as an introduction to the use of rare, archival materials. Penn's
Farrell manuscript collection is one of the most important of its kind
in the U.S.)
updated 2006-10-25
