Howard Sklar, PhD

University Lecturer

Department of Modern Languages (English Philology)

University of Helsinki

 

Title of Docent in Literary Studies, with a Special Emphasis in Narrative Theory (University of Tampere)

Howard Sklar, PhD

 

The Migrant Experience in American Literature

 

(Intermediate Option, Fall 2018; Advanced option, Spring 2022)

 

The recent attention given to migrations from the Middle East and Latin America have sensitized the public to the experiences that migrants endure when they are uprooted from their homes and are forced to settle in new lands, far from their experiences and the relationships that have sustained them throughout their lives.  To scholars in the humanities, these events bring to mind expressions of other migrant experiences that have been represented in works of literature.  As a nation comprised largely of generations of immigrants, the United States has a long and interesting tradition of literature representing the experiences of migrants, both from other countries and within the US itself.  In this course, we will read a variety of literary works that portray the lives of migrant peoples, especially novels and stories that involve the process of migration itself, as well as the adjustments made by new (im)migrants to life in the country.  Assessment will be based on two short essays, along with regular attendance and participation.  (Note: The course will be offered as an intermediate option to BA students and as an advanced option to MA students.  In order to receive credit for the course as an advanced option, MA students will need to do an additional assignment, which will be arranged in consultation with the instructor.)

 

 

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