120 The best aspect of this course was Professor Hickman’s great way of communicating material in a thought provoking manner. Many students felt that there was a heavy amount of reading, which was often dense. Students also found lectures dull and difficult to follow. A suggestion was to make the readings more effective, whether that meant choosing different books to read, or reading less to make time for deeper discussion. Prospective students should know that this course is reading intensive and that exams can be rather difficult without ample preparation.

Professor Hickman’s passionate and approachable demeanor, as well as his thought-provoking lectures were what students most enjoyed about this class. Students appreciated the variety of readings and authors covered, as well as the provided introduction to the foundations of American literature. Many agreed that the assigned readings could be a lot to handle from week to week. This class would have benefited from having less assigned reading, and the inclusion of different genres of literature (such as poetry). Prospective students should know that this class is worth taking if interested in early American literature.