Chicago Literature
Chicago Literature
Chicago literature explores literature inspired by and about Chicago in an attempt to make sense of its disparate peoples and their experiences throughout history. Chicago has many names: The Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, The Second City, Paris of the Midwest, a City of Neighborhoods, a City on the Make, The Jungle, and so on; each of these names helps characterize aspects of Chicago, but none fully encapsulate its many sides. This course seeks to delve into a number of Chicago’s sides through their portrayal in various works of both fiction and non-fiction. Course materials will investigate the growth of Chicago from a swamp to a metropolis, and look at the diversity of experiences that helped build and continue to shape the city.