Engl 150A:
Early American Literature
Course Description
In Fall 2008, this course will focus on
representations of the Native American in early American
Literature. Images of braves, redskins, warriors, and noble
savages have pervaded American culture from the earliest
days of European colonization of the New World. In this
class, we will explore representations of native Americans
in literature, art, and popular culture from the colonial
period through 1830, and we will inquire into the ways that
the mythologizing of native peoples bears on the forging of
American identity. Our study will include colonial and
early national essays, captivity narratives, nineteenth-
century poetry, short stories and novels, art, and recent
historical and critical works.