Background

The Department of English at Mason reserves the ENGH 442 course number for “American Literary Periods.” This designation typically refers to a distinct era of American literature, comprised of works that share certain stylistic and thematic characteristics. Some examples of American literary periods include 19th century naturalism, 20th century modernism, and post-war postmodernism. But what is 21st Century literature? What are its defining narrative modes and concerns?

The glib answer is that 21st century literature is whatever people are writing in the 21st century. A more serious answer is that 21st century literature is whatever people are writing in the 21st century. Beyond looking at publishing dates, it’s futile to make any other claims about the distinguishing features of 21st century literature. It’s true that the first 12 years of the new millennium have been marked by September 11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and a crippling, never-ending recession. It’s also true that the new millennium has seen the rise of YouTube, Justin Bieber, iPhones, and Minecraft. Yet whether any or all of these events have distilled into the defining literature of the era is an impossible question to answer. It’s simply too soon to know.

However, it  is possible to consider 21st century literature within the broader context of literature itself, and to approach contemporary literature as a reaction to and dialogue with existing forms of expressive culture. Thus ENGH 442 focuses on texts that somehow rework or engage with earlier works of literature and film. We will study works that go beyond superficial engagements with older texts (such as adding zombies to Pride and Prejudice) or revisiting a well-known story from an existing but minor character’s point of view (such as the father in Little Women). Instead, we will grapple with literature that is deeply entangled in a web of intertextuality.