Department of English

This course conducts a survey of contemporary American fiction that
explores stories and histories of repression and oppression in this nation.
Some of the questions our texts will provoke are:  Is the notion of
American identity suffocating or liberating?   Should our culture value the
particular over the universal?  Are our differences more compelling than
our similarities?   Does one gain or lose authority by being an "outsider"?
We are likely to read works by:   Silko , Morrison, William Kennedy,
Erdrich, DeLillo , E.L. Doctorow , and others.  I aim to provoke as much
duscussion as possible, so course requirements include conscientius class
preparation and attendance, as well as one short paper and one longer one,
a quiz-like midterm, and a comprehensive final exam.