Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature

Understanding the past as a record of human experience necessary for addressing contemporary problems.

Students in the History and Literature Program will gain an appreciation of the past as a record of human experience that brings greater depth of understanding to our efforts at addressing contemporary problems. Through the combined study of history and literature, students will explore one of two concentrated fields of study—one with an American focus and one that has a European/World focus. The historical component within each track will foster an understanding of the social, cultural and political transformations that have shaped our world and, as a consequence, ourselves.

Language as a form of communication and expression is central to the evolution of human culture and self-awareness. Thus, the literature component of the major will serve to deepen and enrich its historical component. In literature courses, and in the seminars, students will be exposed to the study and close analysis of significant writers representing a diversity of traditions and genres.

Study in both disciplines will develop skills that are vital to successful careers, responsible citizenship, and satisfying engagement with life, such as the ability to gather, weigh, and sift evidence; to form hypotheses from complex data; to respond critically to the written word, and to express oneself clearly in spoken and written communication.

Featured Courses

CHIST 2121 American History from the Colonial Period to the Civil War

This course examines major themes and events in the history of America from European colonization to the Civil War. The interaction among the cultural, political, economic, and social forces that shaped America during this period will be given special emphasis. We shall also search for possible parallels between past events and current circumstances. Topics to be covered include: the pre-Columbian settlements; Europe on the eve of colonization; cultural encounters in colonial North America; the formation of colonial society; revolutionary America and the framing of the Constitution; the growth of the party system; emerging industrialism and its impact on American society; cultural, intellectual and reform currents of the Early Republic; westward expansion; slavery; sectionalism; and the coming of the Civil War.

CLITR 2240 World Literature from the 17th Century to the Present

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the great literature of the modern world. Representative selections from the Middle East, China, Japan, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America will be read and discussed. Students will survey a number of works, in a variety of literary modes, which both reveal something central about the particular historical period and culture in which they were written, and constitute a significant literary response to some of the eternal questions posed by all ages and societies.

Student Spotlight

Alex Zhitnik - Erik Erikson in the Garden of Eden

Student Alex Zhitnikt The interpretation of the story of the Garden of Eden is often the source of contentious disagreement. Traditional and progressive religious traditions argue over how the biblical text should be read, while many people struggle to see the relevance to modern society of what may seem like nothing more than a fairy tale. This paper suggests that the tale of Eden be read as the story of a passage by Adam, Eve, and God through Erik Erikson’s first three stages of development. During their time in the Garden, Adam and Eve secure a sense of basic trust in God and their world, a sense of autonomy in their own capabilities, and a sense of initiative in their familial and social roles. By the end of their time in Eden, Adam and Eve are prepared to face a world of responsibility. So like children who have matured out of infancy, Adam and Eve are expelled from the paradise of early life.