American Characters

We believe that the great "classic" American writers still have a great deal to say, some of them more now than when they were written. This series aims to give these time-honored writers an opportunity to present their message today. Our method is to approach these classic texts from two opposite but mutually reinforcing points of view: as stories of individuals and as stories of culture.

Just as any culture is understood through its individuals, so are individuals understood through their culture. Literature directs us both ways, since it portrays both individual persons (the author as well as people in the book) and the culture in which they lives. Individual and culture reinforce and explain each other.

The title of this series, American Characters, indicates this double perspective, since the word "character" points in both directions. One of its definitions is the nature, qualities, and behavior patterns of a society; thus we can talk about "the American character." Another meaning is a noteworthy, eccentric, memorable individual.

"American Characters" theme materials (1992) were written by Dr. David Barber, retired, University of Idaho.

Books for this series include:

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (1884) Study Guide and Discussion Questions
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau (1854)Study Guide and Discussion Questions
Final Harvest: Emily Dickinson's Poems (1858-1955)Study Guide and Discussion Questions
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)Study Guide and Discussion Questions
The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (1923-1938)Study Guide and Discussion Questions
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Theme Essay and Books for Further Reading