Realism/Naturalism
A group of social outcasts exiled from a town confronts harsh wilderness and moral redemption during a snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada.
Bret Harte. “Outcasts of Poker Flat”
A tribute to a conscientious objector who suffers for standing by his pacifist beliefs during wartime.
“i sing of Olaf glad and big” (pgs. 934-936)
A powerful meditation on the consequences of deferred dreams within the African American experience.
“Harlem”
A brief, imagistic poem comparing fog to a silent, creeping cat.
“Fog”
follows a young boy as he escapes his abusive father and journeys down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, confronting issues of freedom, racism, and moral growth.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
A man’s overconfidence and disregard for nature lead to his demise in the brutal cold of the Yukon.
Jack London. “To Build a Fire”
A fragmented, ironic elegy reflecting on the death and faded glory of the American icon Buffalo Bill.
e.e. cummings’ “Buffalo Bill’s”
A brief, poignant account of how a single racist encounter can shape a lifetime.
Countee Cullen’s “Incident”
A somber reflection on how nature quietly covers the scars of war and human forgetfulness.
“Grass” (pgs. 705-707)
A confident, spirited essay asserting Black individuality and pride amid racial prejudice.
Zora Neale Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” (pgs. 929-931)
A woman is cast out by her husband due to the ambiguous racial identity of their child, only for a tragic irony to later reveal the husband's own heritage.
Kate Chopin. “Desiree’s Baby”
A nostalgic meditation on youth, imagination, and the desire to escape the harshness of adult life.
“Birches”
A contemplative poem questioning the necessity and meaning of boundaries between people.
Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall”
A hopeful declaration of African American equality and resilience in the face of racism.
Langston Hughes’ “I, Too”
A disillusioned World War I veteran returns home to find himself emotionally detached and unable to connect with his former life.
Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” (pgs. 1063-1068)
A Confederate sympathizer imagines his escape from execution in the final moments of his life, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
Ambrose Bierce. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
A symbolic reflection on life choices and the way decisions shape our paths.
“The Road Not Taken”
A gritty yet proud celebration of the vitality and resilience of an industrial American city.
Carl Sandburg’s “Chicago”
A satirical critique of patriotic rhetoric that exposes the contradictions in blind nationalism.
“next to of course god america i”
A subtle, symbolic story exploring a woman’s unfulfilled desires and gender limitations in rural America.
John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” (pgs. 1079-1086).
A woman briefly experiences a sense of freedom upon hearing of her husband’s death, only to die from shock when he unexpectedly returns.
“The Story of an Hour”
A gothic story about a reclusive woman whose life and secrets reflect the decay of Southern tradition.
William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” (pgs. 1039-1045)
A modernist exploration of a man’s inner turmoil, insecurity, and paralysis in a fragmented, alienating world.
T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (pgs. 763-766)
A quiet, contemplative poem balancing the allure of nature’s beauty with the responsibilities of life.
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
A conflicted reflection on African heritage and identity from the perspective of a Christian-raised Black poet in America.
“Heritage” (pgs. 1088-1091).