Lowe, John
TR 12:45 PM
Park Hall 259
English 4740 - Autumn Term, 2021
Professor John Wharton Lowe
Literature of the U.S. South
The U.S. South has always been linked in the popular imagination with a bizarre combination of the courtly, the gothic, the romantic, and the grotesque. It has also been the central stage for much of our often tragic racial history. As such, it offers both a central expression of the American experience and an alternative vision. This course will examine the stereotypes that obscure this fascinating region, and seek to penetrate them. The texts we shall read examine slavery, ante-bellum society, and the Civil War, from both black and white perspectives. Reconstruction, the Southern Renaissance, and the rise of the “New South” will be handled in a similar manner in an effort to take the idea of the “Southerner” beyond its usual, monochromatic romanticism. Requirements: Two papers, one involving research; frequent reading quizzes; mid-term and final examinations.