Courses

In this course, we’ll be studying a subgenre of U.S. literature known as “the novel of slavery,” and we’ll be reading fictions by literary artists who attempted, in their various and distinctive ways, to come to terms with the atrocity of human bondage. The readings will be drawn from three different historical periods (the pre-emancipation era, the age of Jim Crow, and the years of the Civil Rights movement), and they’ll take very different perspectives on their shared subject (variously discussing slavery as a contemporary outrage, an object of personal memory, and an aspect of American history). We’ll dedicate most of our attention to the primary texts on our reading list, but we’ll also consult secondary literature, and your work in the course will culminate in a research paper.

NB: This seminar presumes that you’re already familiar with the most famous, most frequently discussed U.S. novels of slavery: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Roots, and Beloved. The aim of the course is to introduce you to some lesser-known, relatively under-studied texts on the subject. But if you’ve not read the aforementioned books before, you are very much encouraged to do so before our first meeting.