A study of the creative process as exemplified by An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser, for which Penn's Van Pelt Library holds the original papers, with revisions, from manuscripts, through typescripts, to author's galleys and revised page proof. The seminar will read the entire published novel and discuss it in literary, historical, and social context. A one-hour examination will follow. Each student will independently analyze the changes in a chapter of the first complete
manuscript and subsequent stages, if possible; report to the seminar on work in progress; and submit a written summary as the final assignments. We shall be concerned throughout with rhetorical strategies and verbal resonances as well as theme, plot and character.  

The methods of manuscript analysis will be introduced at the first class meetings, where we shall discuss revisions and multiple versions of severalpoems from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Seminar limited to fifteen interested students.  No prior experience necessary.