Department of English

Americans believe strongly in their rich heritage of dissent, believing that both their nation’s foundation and their nation’s continued strength arises out of the freedom Americans have to speak truth to power.  Students in this course will read foundational American texts, such as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, as well as lesser known texts such as Rebecca Harding Davis’s “Life in the Iron Mills” and Richard Wright’s “Bright and Morning Star.” Throughout students will be asked to hone their writing and critical reading skills while viewing texts both as literature and as historical and sociological documents.