High School English

American Literature: A Survey Course

What does American Literature cover?

American Literature is a college-preparatory literature survey course. Focus works, including novels, short stories, poems, and drama, have been selected for literary quality, and for their place in the historical development of literature. Context readings provide background information about the author, the historical period, and the literary and artistic context of the focus work. Students will gain an understanding of the development of American literature and will practice the skills of close literary analysis through essays, approach papers, and other evaluative writing.

Objectives

By the end of this survey course, students will:

• Possess a broad knowledge of the history and development of American literature.
• Have specific understanding of selected representative texts by major authors of the periods studied.
• Have a general understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the works.
• Be able to analyze literary texts and present thoughtfully developed ideas in writing.
• Demonstrate competence in essay organization, style, and mechanics.
• Demonstrate competence in the MLA style of source documentation.

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Overview and Objectives for Excellence in Literature 7
Frequently Asked Questions 13
How to Read A Book 19
Discerning Worldview Through Literary Periods 25
Unit 1: Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin 29
Unit 2: Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleep Hollow by Washington Irving and Selected Works by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 39
Unit 3: The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper 47
Unit 4: The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne 57
Unit 5: Moby Dick by Herman Melville 65
Unit 6: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 73
Unit 7: House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 83
Unit 8: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 91
Unit 9: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 99
Honors 109
Formats and Models 111
Approach Paper Format 112
Historical Approach Paper Format 113
Author Profile Format 116
Literature Summary Format 116
Sample Poetry Analysis 120
What an MLA Formatted Essay Looks Like 122
Excellence in Literature Evaluation Rubric 125
Excellence in Literature Evaluation Rubric for IEW Students 127
Glossary 131
Selected Resources 141

Note: Books listed are focus texts only. Context and honors reading will be assigned on the syllabus.

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