The purpose of this class is at least three-fold: firstly to introduce you to some texts coming out of the literary movement known as American Realism, secondly to acquaint you with some other texts, often by these same authors, which we might glibly dub the American Gothic. As we read, we will also try to explore the different approaches scholars have adopted to access these texts. The teacher's own interest lies in the social issues addressed in these works and how they are treated in both "serious" literature and more "sensational" genres, but this should be taken as a starting point rather than a limitation.