Last time this course taught: Fall 1995

Texts:
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography & Other Writings
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
Horatio Alger, Ragged Dick, & Mark the Match Boy
Claude Brown, Manchild in the Promised Land
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique
Barbara Ehrenreich, The Hearts of Men

About the course:

In 1782, the French author Hector St. John de Crevecoeur asked: "What, then, is the American, this new man?" Crevecoeur's query, posed during the last years of the American Revolution, has sparked an enduring controversy on the nature of the American character that has yet to be resolved. This question, as well as the controversies it has engendered, provides the central focus of this course.

In our pursuit of an answer to Crevecoeur's question we will explore various efforts to create a coherent sense of self known as the American character within a social and cultural context that has been characterized by perpetual conflicts based on religious, regional, class, ethnic, gender and age distinctions. Moreover, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the distinctive elements of the American character as it has evolved over time, we will explore changes in the values, beliefs and patterns of behavior that have defined it, and examine alterations in the institutions and relationships that have helped to shape it.

Examinations and Grading:

There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. The essay questions that you will be asked to write on will deal exclusively with the material derived from the readings, the lectures, and class discussions. The midterm exam will count for 40% of the course grade, while the final exam will stand for the remaining 60%. Although class participation will not be given numerical weight in the formulation of the final grade, active and intelligent contributions to class discussion will be rewarded.