The American Renaissance and Mark Twain

This course explores Mark Twain's literary rivalry with Harriet Beecher Stowe and discusses why Huckleberry Finn’s story is labeled as a "tall tale". The module also defines "realism" and "naturalism" in terms of Twain's works. Next, it examines how blackface minstrelsy display the ambivalence as the basis for interracial bonds in the United States and compares the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Mark Twain's own autobiographical work, "Life on the Mississippi"

• Review Twain’s literary rivalry with Beecher Stowe
• Understand story classifications and narrative style
• Analyze blackface minstrelsy and interracial bonds
• Compare Twain’s novels with his autobiographical works

• Basic computer and internet skills
• Ability to read instructions in English