Category Archives: American literature

From Pam Belluck and the New York Times: “For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekhov.”

From A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson, the collection of scholarly essays edited by Vivian R. Pollak, here is an chronology of Emily Dickinson’s life. It provides some context and may help give your research direction.

Consider The Columbian Orator, a copy of which Douglass describes as crucial to his own literacy. Also, here are other examples of 19th century schoolbooks. What do these texts suggest about the historical context around Douglass and other slaves? How might … Continue reading →

Here are three points to guide our discussion and an assignment: Slave narratives begin as conversion stories (from about 1770 to 1820), but become arguments against slavery from about 1820 to 1865. Following the Civil War, the focus of the … Continue reading →

From A Historical Guide to Nathaniel Hawthorne, the collection of scholarly essays edited by Larry J. Reynolds, here is an chronology of Hawthorne’s life. It provides some context and may help give your research direction.

Looking for a searchable electric edition of Moby-Dick? You’ve found it.

This PDF contains a transcription of Winthrop, Hutchinson, Dudley, and others at her trial.

John Smith, William Bradford, and John Winthrop are often the focus of attention, but the English (in many varieties) alone started fourteen colonies in about 115 years. This chart briefly describes them. Other European nations, of course, started many colonies … Continue reading →

English 3510 Our introduction to Hope Leslie suggests that Sedgwick sees her texts as teaching morals: “Nineteenth-century critics endowed literature with both an aesthetic and moral purpose, which accorded with her perspective. Their laudatory recognition of her moral intent gave … Continue reading →

•What models does Franklin encounter? How do they influence him? •What texts did Franklin find compelling? Why? “Texts” might include behaviors. •List differences between Franklin’s values and those of the people around him. List commonalities. •How does Franklin understand the world? … Continue reading →