Investigates the genre of autobiography in America from its inception to the present. American autobiography has been associated with the invention of national character and, thus, is a site of cultural contestation and identity formation. Its changing form crosses disciplinary lines and provides a site for discourses on ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, age, family, religion and other American cultural conflicts. Prereq., ETHN 2001 or equivalent. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: United States context. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).