Individual identities are rarely fixed in stone. Often they are confused, obscured, mistaken, or ignored. Sometimes an identity is intentionally hidden or suppressed in order to gain an advantage or prevent a negative outcome. This course will explore how these notions apply to both literary characters and actual people, including ourselves. Who are we? Who do we pretend to be? What are the consequences of mistaken identities? The goal of the course is to use this thematic framework to improve our critical writing and thinking skills. By closely examining texts and by digging deeply into the stories we tell about ourselves, we will become stronger writers who are better equipped to face the challenges of participating in a rigorous academic community.

In addition to completing multiple drafts of several analytical writing assignments, each student will maintain a personal blog that will showcase short weekly responses to the class literature. The reading list for the course is likely to include The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson, Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, as well as essays and stories by Sherman Alexie, Sandra Cisneros, Michelle Tea, Philip Roth, and Karen Russell. We also may study films such as Catfish, Big, and Exit Through the Gift Shop.