In the Beginning
Voices from the Past
A young man climbs aboard a well-worn sailing ship. His lungs fill with wind and salt air, his heart bursting with hope and adventure. His knees knock just a little with adrenaline, a fear of the unknown. "Write it down," a voice in his head whispers. "Write it down, because this is the start of something amazing. Hundreds of years from now people will want to know how it all began, so for the love of Pete, write it down!"
Hundreds of years later, you are sitting looking into an electronic screen, about to vicariously embark on one of the greatest journeys of mankind—the building of this nation known as America. Welcome to your American Literature course.
In this first unit, you will hear the stories of the people who listened to that voice telling them to write their adventures down. You will learn how to read and better understand the words of those people. You will also step onto the stage to experience the lives of early Americans through the allegorical stage play, The Crucible.
So take heart, trim the sails, and begin the journey.
