Together, I hope this blog will provide our class with a forum for shared communication about the broad scope of American history as experienced in some of the contemporary literature – principally novels – of various, distinctive eras in American history.  We cannot, of course, depend on novels (which are by definition fiction) to accurately reflect the unvarnished “truth” about history, but literature (as well as other forms of story-telling, such as plays and film) has a way of bringing  life, perspective, representation, and understanding to history that scholarly historical texts often lack.  Understanding of history is particularly important because understanding our past provides an opportunity, limited though it may be, to conceive and decide our future.

In addition, good literature often can describe history at dual levels; it can tell us something about both the history of the period the story purports to describe, as well as the era in which the text was written and published.

I look forward to sharing information, analysis, and substantive discussions on this blog and in class during the Winter Term.

Please leave a comment about your own perspective on the value of history and the role that fiction (novels, plays, movies, etc.) might play in discovering, appreciating, and understanding the history of the United States.

Denis Brennan