"This course examines how the concept of the American Dream shapes American literature from the mid-19th to the late-20th century. Emphasis is placed on the ways in which American literature tries to expose or resolve ideological binary oppositions and ambiguities generated by the concept of the American Dream in different cultural periods, from Romanticism to Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. Students will study the dynamic interrelation between literary text and cultural context as well as content and aesthetic form in a variety of texts from all four major literary forms: Prose: Fiction, Prose: Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. In the process, they will develop skills in both the contextual and close reading of a text as well as advanced critical thinking, commentary, essay writing, and research skills. Focus is placed on encouraging students to create literary commentaries and essays that demonstrate deep understanding of a text, sophisticated appreciation of the author’s aesthetic choices as well as use of advanced academic vocabulary, coherent structure, and supportive evidence. Texts studied: