Historically, the epistolary novel is the first narrative genre to purport American national identity. While in the 19th century epistolary fiction was largely marginalized, contemporary authors return to it for aesthetic as well as other purposes. We will be analyzing several pieces of epistolary fiction for their constructions of an intimate relationship between reader and text, as well as reader and protagonist, through the narrative situation of the witnessed letters.
The aim of this course is to enable students to further their understanding of literature; to formulate research questions; to pursue these questions in a comprehensive and well-crafted paper; to apply theories and methods to literary texts; to lead group discussions; to deduce general phenomena in literature from specific texts.
- Lehrende/r: Silvia Schultermandl
- Lehrende/r: Chris Wahlig