This textbook is a sixth reader. Selections are taken from English and American literature, and when possible, conform to the original works. Many selections have elocutionary value. In making up the Selections for Reading, great care and deliberation have been exercised. Upwards of one hundred leading authors are represented, and thus a wide…

This syllabus describes a three-credit course entitled "American Humor," offered at the University of New Haven (Connecticut). According to the syllabus, "American Humor" will identify traits of American humor as historical phenomena with relations to national character, business attitudes, regionalism, folk humor, and health;…

Designed to combine with studies in various disciplines, such as history, costume, language, dance, music, and social studies, the 10 plays in this book are drawn from the fount of American folklore and popular culture. They range from European, African, and Asian folktales recast in New World settings to the mythology associated with real-life…

Intended as an accessible resource for students researching America's greatest literary figures, this collection of essays about John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" contains a biography of the author and essays taken from a wide variety of sources. The essays are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension level of young adults;…

Intended for high-intermediate/advanced level students of English as a foreign language, this book contains selections from the wide range of American literature, from its beginnings to the modern period. Each section begins with a general introduction to the literary period, and then presents essays about individual authors, selections from the…

"The Old Man and the Sea" remains one of Ernest Hemingway's most beloved works. This casebook helps readers interpret and appreciate the thematic concerns of the novel, as well as the contextual issues it explores. Topic chapters provide information on Cuba, including its natural geography, sociopolitical history, and the ethnic…

Today, more than 70 years after its publication, the novel "The Great Gatsby" seems as fresh and pertinent to American life as it did in the 1920s. The social, cultural, and historical milieu of the 1920s reflected in its pages is not so very different from that of today. This interdisciplinary collection of commentary and collateral…

When the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" was published in 1939, it had an explosive effect on the public, calling attention to the problems of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. This casebook provides primary materials on the period and the plight of the migrant worker that bring to life the problems John Steinbeck…

In "Black Boy," Richard Wright triumphs over an ugly, racist world by fashioning an inspiring, powerful, beautiful, and fictionalized autobiography. To help students understand and appreciate his story in the cultural, political, racial, social, and literary contexts of its time, this casebook provides primary historical documents,…

Intended as an accessible resource for students researching America's greatest literary figures, this collection of essays about John Steinbeck's (1902-1968) work contains an in-depth biography and essays taken from a wide variety of sources. The essays are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young adults; each essay is…

Intended as an accessible resource for students researching America's greatest literary figures, this collection of essays about Ernest Hemingway's (1899-1961) work contains an in-depth biography and essays taken from a wide variety of sources. The essays are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young adults; each essay is…

The social, cultural, and historical documents and commentary in this casebook illuminate the reading of "The Catcher in the Rye," a novel that has become an important rite of passage for many young adults. In addition to a literary analysis, the casebook acquaints students with the larger world in which Holden Caulfield, the…

Designed for use in a one-semester course in U.S. history or literature at the intermediate or secondary level, this collection of the Civil War letters of Lewis Bissell, a Union soldier, is divided into two major parts. Part I (chapters 1 though 5) covers the period of time Bissell spent guarding Washington, District of Columbia. Each chapter…

The appeal of the novel "The Red Badge of Courage" is both historical and universal. It is historical in its Civil War setting and universal in its relating of the experiences of a young man who is thrust into a situation he does not understand and cannot cope with. This collection of historical documents, collateral readings, and…

Prepared as part of a project aimed at redressing the neglect of American drama in college and secondary school programs in drama, American literature, and American studies, this booklet provides primary and secondary source materials to assist teachers and students in the study of James K. Paulding's nineteenth century comedy, "The Lion of…