ENGL3380 · English

True Stories: Nineteenth-Century American Novels and the News

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Fulfills the pre-1900 requirement. This course considers three landmark nineteenth-century American novelsThe Coquette(1797),Moby-Dick(1851), andClotel(1853)and their relationship to the true stories that drive their plots. Each novel was inspired by a ripped-from-the headlines event:The Coquetteis based on the scandalous life and death of Elizabeth Whitman;Moby-Dickwas inspired by the sinking of the whale ship Essex, the most notorious maritime disaster of the nineteenth century; andClotelarticulates the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, a woman he enslaved.Before reading the novels, we will first explore primary documents, court transcripts, police reports, diaries, and letters surrounding the historical events. Then, we will read a wide range of contemporary multimedia responses to the events, including newspaper articles, pamphlets, songs, poetry, and short fiction. With a thorough understanding of the events historical context, we will then read the novel. By situating these novels and historical events within their media landscapes, we will explore the central question of literary studies: what can novels do that other written forms cannot?