ENG 3035 - MARK TWAIN, COSMOPOLITAN AND CONTRARIAN

credits: 3.0
An overview of life and works of Elmira’s most renowned resident, focusing on works through which Twain antagonized the conventions of his time and depicted encounters with unfamiliar cultures. Students will read both fiction and memoir, and be expected to participate in daily discussion about these works, their historical context, and their relevance to contemporary culture. Objectives: Describe Twain’s career, selected works, and the literary techniques, trends, and innovations with which he is commonly associated. Analyze specific passages in Twain’s work with attention to historical context, hermeneutics, and modern critical controversies. Define the ideological frameworks of cosmopolitanism and contrarianism using examples from Twain’s works. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion. Method of Evaluation: Short Written Response Papers, Daily Participation in the form of Discussion Questions and Collaborative Analysis, and Finals Week Presentation. Meets *WEP Distribution Requirement.