https://courses.vccs.edu/colleges/escc/courses/ENG246-AmericanLiterature

Effective: 2026-01-01

Course Description

Examines American literary traditions and texts from diverse time periods, genres, and authors. Analyzes literary works within their historical, cultural, social, and/or literary contexts. Emphasizes skills of close reading. Develops critical thinking and interpretive skills through discussion, interpretation, and analysis of these texts. This is a Passport and UCGS transfer course.
Lecture 3 hours. Total 3 hours per week.
3 credits

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

ENG 246 introduces students to texts and traditions within American literature. This course requires close reading, interpretation, and analysis.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: ENG 112, ENG 113, or departmental approval.

Course Objectives

  • Critical Thinking
    • Evaluate and interpret information, ideas and arguments from a variety of perspectives (including the written arguments of others) to analyze complex issues related to literature
    • Interpret and combine information to reach and/or evaluate well-reasoned conclusions about literature
  • Communication
    • Explain the complex ideas of others, as they relate to literature and its traditions
    • Develop, convey, and exchange ideas in writing that focuses on literary analysis
    • Develop writing that is appropriate to a given context and for a specific audience
  • Cultural and Civic Engagement
    • Assess the impact of culture across local, national, and global literary communities
    • Develop knowledge and civic values, within a humanities framework, that are necessary for contributing to civic life and the well-being of local, national, and global literary communities
  • Literary Traditions
    • Describe salient features of writers, literary movements, genres and/or texts within the American literary tradition.
  • Inquiry
    • Construct and explore meaningful questions about diverse human experiences through literary study
  • Historical and social contexts
    • Explain connections between literary texts and related historical, social, and literary contexts
  • Close Reading and Literary Analysis
    • Analyze literary texts using appropriate vocabulary and a variety of methodological approaches and perspectives, exploring the ways literary texts reflect and challenge cultural values and beliefs
    • Support interpretations of literary texts with valid textual evidence and use scholarly sources as appropriate to inform inquiry into literary texts
  • Writing
    • Compose literary analysis that is well-organized and features substantial, logical, and concrete development of ideas with appropriate documentation

Major Topics to be Included

  • Literary Traditions
  • Inquiry
  • Historical and social contexts
  • Close Reading and Literary Analysis
  • Writing