Week two focuses on close reading and literary analysis of Little Caesar, examining Burnett's characterization of Rico Bandello, the dual "animal/revolutionary" portrayal, and Burnett's innovative use of vernacular language and sentence structure. Students will analyze how literary techniques contribute to the novel's effectiveness and explore the gangster's moral complexity.

Week three examines the structure of Little Caesar, the role of Chicago as setting, and the gangster's obsession with public image and reputation. Students will analyze how gangsters construct their identities through media, appearance, and performance, and how Burnett's novel self-reflexively examines the role of writing and literacy within gangster culture.

Week four steps beyond Little Caesar to examine how language, books, publicity, and narrative function as tools of power in both fiction and everyday life. By tracing how Rico constructs his public persona—and how Burnett elevates vernacular speech—we explore different forms of literacy and what they reveal about status, ambition, and identity. The week culminates in applying literary analysis to film, media, and the stories we tell about ourselves.