AMST 238(S) American Literature since 1945: Racial Formations and Transformations (Same as English 238)

ENGL 238(S) American Literature since 1945: Racial Formations and Transformations (Same as American Studies 238)
Sociologist Howard Winant has argued that World War II heralded a significant "break" in racial order: that is, it signaled the beginning of marked shifts in how people-and states-perceived, thought about, and managed race and racial inequality. Subsequent decades in the United States witnessed the end of segregation, passage of Civil Rights, liberalization of immigration policies, and the rise of "multicultural" awareness and curriculum in social, political, and academic arenas. These landmark events and shifts contributed to a narrative of racial progress as the dominant "story" of post-war America. However, as Winant cautions, the "break" was not absolute, nor did it put an end to all racial hierarchies. Following this argument, we will consider and discuss how literary and cultural texts reflect, produce, and/or complicate the narrative of progress (racial and otherwise) that has often characterized 20th-century U.S. culture and society. Authors we will be reading include (but are not limited to): James Michener, Luis Valdez, John Okada, Sherman Alexie, Colson Whitehead, Jhumpa Lahiri.
Format: discussion/seminar. Requirements: midterm exam, several short response papers and a longer final essay (7-8 pages).
Prerequisite: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 25).
Hour: UM