Realism and the American Novel

An inquiry into the form, purpose, longevity, and afterlife of American realism. In what way did it differ from its British counterpart? In what ways was it different from naturalism, modernism, and romanticism? What was its aesthetic and political legacy? How has it been read by critics? Writers to include Melville, Dreiser, Norris, James, Chestnutt, Wharton, Jewett, and Wright. Enrollment limited to 15.