OVERVIEW

This is a 54-hour course (two modules 36 + 18 hours) taught in the second semesters of the third year. It could also be a course of one module, 36 hours (6CFU). It introduces to aspects of the literature and culture of the United States from the end of the 19th century to the contemporary period. Language: English.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to familiarize students with major trends of American culture and with important works in different genres (fiction, essay, drama, poetry,  movies, visual arts). Students will learn how to analyze such works competently from a historical. textual, and generic perspective.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the completion of the course the student

- will have become familiar with major American historical and cultural developments, and with some major American writers and texts;

- will be able to interpret these developments in English and Italian with reference to  fiction, poetry, drama and literary theory;

- will be able to contextualize and analyze texts and documents of notable complexity and historical significance and describe their cultural and linguistic peculiarities.

PREREQUISITES

Preferably, students should already have taken an introductory course in American literature. However, personal interest and a good background in reading literature may be sufficient to participate usefully in this course. A fair knowledge of English (B2 or superior level) and an ability to follow complex historical and cultural arguments is also required. Erasmus students are welcome.

TEACHING METHODS

Course with lectures in English and seminar activities, workgroups, and close-readings.

Students who are unable to attend will have to read some supplementary material.

LESSONS ARE IN ENGLISH.

36-hour module: for students who decide to come to lessons, attendance is mandatory for 28 hours out of 36 (75% of the course). Attendance is checked through signatures. 

Students who are unable to attend will have to read some supplementary material.

Attendance is strongly recommended.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course of the second year aims at introducing the basic elements of the literature and culture of the United States through some of the fundamental texts of the period from the end of the 19th century to the contemporary period. Every year through different texts and perspectives, students will focus on some issues like the literature of the West, the South, the urban development, racial tensions, ethnic literature, environmental issues, Realism Modernism, Post-Modernism

Slides, as well as further teaching material used during lessons, will be available on aulaweb

The syllabus/content of the 2021-2022 course (for both the 36 and 18-hour modules) will be published in September/October.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The bibliography of the 2021-2022 course will be published in September/October​ for both the 36 and 18-hour modules.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester, February 2022, the precise date will be posted in aulaweb at the end of January 2022.

Class schedule

ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE III

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students will take a written exam at the end of the course (June, July, September, October 2022 February 2023).

For students who will attend the course, the evaluation will be based on both their active participation in the lessons (25%) and the final exam (75%)

For the other students, the evaluation will be based entirely on the final exam.

There will be a written exam (2 hours), which can be taken in June-July, September-October 2022, or February 2023.
The exam consists of 5 questions and answers must be not less than 15 lines long

Students will have to show their knowledge of the authors presented, the texts analyzed, and their cultural contexts. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam paper involves open questions and commentary of literary texts (poems, extracts of short stories, novels, essays etc). The open questions test knowledge and comprehension; the commentary tests the student's ability to recognize and describe the main formal features of specific texts, and connect them to contextual historical and cultural information; it also tests the student's comprehension of, and ability to respond to, critical essays included in the reading list.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance is highly recommended. Students who are unable to attend will have to study some supplementary or different material. Course enrolment via aulaweb is mandatory. Examination enrolment is through the unige website.

This syllabus is valid till July 2023.

Erasmus students are welcomed!