This course is a survey of the literature by and about Americans inside and outside of America and their relationship to major literary and intellectual movements. The course focus is to examine fiction and nonfiction that shapes a multidimensional perspective of America and its history. The literature in focus includes traditionally canonical works alongside texts by authors of notable mention and lesser known American authors. The literature sampled emphasizes a comparative approach toward analyzing writing by Americans from diverse backgrounds from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present.