Graphic Medicine: Comics and Mental Illness

This course will mainly examine American literature from the nineteenth century, a period that many consider the most influential in terms of mythmaking and the formation of American identity, culture, and values. Yet, in order to understand nineteenth-century American identity, we will look at the literature produced by the preceding two hundred years of colonial history. We will engage with authors both within and on the margins of the canonical tradition of American literature, coming to terms with the faultiness of a singular American narrative and instead embrace a chorus of voices. We will develop critical perspectives on privilege and sovereignty, the implications of racialist strategy, and the voices and cultures who affected—and who were affected by—the lives of diverse communities. To understand the importance and value of nineteenth-century literature today, we will focus on the significance and meaning of these texts in our daily class discussions.