History of American literature

studia pierwszego stopnia

English Philology

semestr 4

studia stacjonarne

profil akademicki

obowiązkowe

Realizowany w sali

ECTS points in relation to student’s duties

total number of ECTS: 2

1 ECTS – 30 hours: participation in classes,

1 ECTS – 20 hours: preparation (reading)

Course description

The course complements the Literary Interpretations 2 in the winter semester (the third semester). The purpose of the course is an overview of American literature from early American literature in colonial times up to contemporary Postmodern times. Close reading analysis of the works listed below will be accompanied by theoretical introductions to authors whose works will not be discussed during in-class discussions because of the time limit.

The course complements the Literary Interpretations 2 in the winter semester (the third semester).

Course objectives:

- to convey the knowledge of the ideological and aesthetic hallmarks of Modernism, Postmodernism, Puritan literature, the Enlightenment, the Romantic novel and realism;

- to present major problems, currents and motifs characteristic of discussed periods of American literature;

- to place the cultural heritage of the United States of America in the broader context of the world’s heritage;

- to shed light on interconnections between the American literary and philosophical heritage and the world’s literary and philosophical heritage;

- to make students apply basic terminology used in literary studies and related discipline

------------------------

Course content:

Modernist poetry: Avant-Garde: e.e. cummings (“The Cambridge Ladies,” “next to of course god America,” “Buffalo Bill’s defunct,” “pity this busy monster, manunkind,” “it may not always be so;”) Imagism: William Carlos Williams (“Young Sycamore,” “The Red Wheelbarrow,” “This is Just to Say”); A transitional poet: Robert Frost (“Mending Wall,” “The Road Not Taken”);

Summing up of Modernism, an overview of major trends in Modernist prose

Postmodern literature and Postmodern Aesthetics: Toni Morrison, “Recitatif,” Maxine Hong Kingston, “No Name Woman” (excerpts from The Woman Warrior); A presentation of Postmodern aesthetics and an overview of Postmodern prose

History of first English speaking colonies in America; John Smith, The General History of Virginia, New England – an excerpt

Puritan literature:

• Anne Bradstreet, “Upon Burning of Our House”

• Edward Taylor, “Upon a Spider Catching a Fly,” “Huswifery,” “Meditation One,” “Meditation Eight”

• William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation – excerpts

Literature of the Enlightenment:

• John Hector St. John de Crẻvecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer: “What is an American”

• Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography (fragments)

Summing up of the Enlightenment; the Great Awakening; slave narratives of the period

Transcendentalist literature:

Introduction to Transcendentalism

• Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Essay on Self-Reliance”

Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself,” Leaves of Grass

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter; An overview of other Romantic novels

Beat poetry: Allen Ginsberg, “Supermarket in California”

An overview of selected realist prose works: Mark Twain, Henry James.

---------------

Methods of instruction/ forms of classroom activity:

lecture, presentation, discussion, reading of literary works, analysis and interpretation of selected literary works, group and individual assignments, written work, audio-visual equipment; e-learning/MSTeams option if needed

Further reading:

Abrams, M. H. (1993) A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York, Harcourt.

Baldick, C. (1996) Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford, OUP.

Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology American Literature. New York: Norton, 2002.

Bradley, A. et. al. The American Tradition in Literature. New York: Random House, 1980.

Cunliffe, M. The Literature of the United States. New York: Penguin, 1986.

Day, Martin. A Handbook for American Literature. New York: Crane, Russak, 1976.

Lauter, Paul. The Heath Anthology of American Literature: Colonial Period To 1800, Volume A. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company, 2005.

-------. Heath Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 2. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company, 2005.

Salska, Agnieszka. Historia Literatury Amerykańskiej XX wieku. Kraków: Universitas, 2003.

Learning outcomes acc to PQR

Knowledge:

The student knows and understands:

1. the ideological and aesthetic hallmarks of such literary periods as Puritan literature, the Enlightenment and Romanticism (k_W11/ P6S_WG)

2. the theories, methodology and general and terminology of literature (k_W02/P6S_WG)

Skills

Student can:

3. present major problems, currents and motifs characteristic of discussed periods of American literature; (k_U01/P6S_UW)

4. analyse texts and do research using knowledge of literature (k_U06/P6S_UK)

5. apply basic terminology used in literary studies and related disciplines (k_U07/ P6S_UO)

Social competences

Student:

6. is able to shed light on mutual interconnections between the American literary and philosophical heritage as well as the world’s literary and philosophical heritage (k_K02/P6S_KK)

7. is ready to place the cultural heritage of the United States of America in the broader context of the world’s literary, philosophical and cultural heritage (k_K03/ P6S_KO)

Evaluation of learning outcomes :

1. Written test – 70% of the final grade (outcomes: 1,2,4,5,6,7)

2. Active participation in class discussion (outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7), individual and group assignments (outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7) - 30%

Criteria of evaluation

Test marks are graded according to the following framework:

0 – 50 points / grade 2,0 (fail): 0–49%

51 – 60 points / grade 3,0 (average): 50–60%

61 – 70 points / grade 3,5 (plus average): 61–70%

71 – 80 points / grade 4,0 (good): 71–80%

81 – 90 points / grade 4,5 (plus good): 81–90%

91 – 100 points / grade 5,0 (very good): 91–100%

Individual and group assignments are graded according to the following criteria:

1) analysis and interpretation of selected materials

2) precision and exhaustiveness

3) linguistic correctness and manner of delivery