The literary representation and negotiation of borders and border experiences can be seen as a core topic in American literary history. The issues of border crossing and border formation characterize very different narratives that imagine the nation and American national identity. Such narratives are provided in diverse formats, such as 18th century travel accounts, F. J. Turner’s frontier thesis, immigrant autobiographies, Hispanic traditions of the Southwest and the Hollywood Western. The seminar will examine the significance of ethnic, racial, sexual and gender distinctions. We will analyse strategies of symbolic border constructions and will discuss their social and cultural functions. The reading will include novels, short fiction, films, as well as historiography, cultural theory and gender studies. A major focus will be on Mexican-American cultural production (literature and film). Film screenings will take place in addition to the seminar meetings. I encourage you to read James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 (1826) before teaching starts. A reader (not including novels) will be available for purchase. Please use AGNES for enrollment. |
