OVERVIEW

This is a 36-hour course taught in the second semester of the first year. It offers an introduction to defining aspects of the literature and culture of the United States from the Colonial Period to the second half of the 19th century. Language: English. Credits: 6.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will acquire a general knowledge of the language, culture, institutions and selected literary trends and texts of the U.S.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at familiarizing students with major trends of American culture and with important works in different genres (fiction, poetry, essay). Students will learn how to analyze such works from both historical and literary perspectives.

By attending the course regularly and engaging with the prescribed materials, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe major literary forms and influential figures in 19th-century American literature and culture

2. Recognize and interpret theoretical, poetic and narrative texts within their historical and cultural contexts

3. Analyze complex texts with attention to their cultural and linguistic specificities

PREREQUISITES

The course is taught entirely in English. Students are expected to have at least a B2 level of English, which corresponds to the level they are supposed to achieve upon completing an Italian high school diploma.

TEACHING METHODS

The course (three hours per week) consists of lectures in English, seminars and close-reading activities.

LESSONS ARE IN ENGLISH.

For students who decide to attend, participation is mandatory for at least 28 hours out of 36 (75% of the course). Attendance is checked through signatures at the beginning and end of lessons. 

Attendance is strongly recommended.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course of the first 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 Colonies to the Civil War. Every year through different texts and perspectives, students will focus on issues like American Exceptionalism, the Puritan Heritage, the Wilderness, the myth of the frontier, racial tensions, cultural and ethnic varieties and the American Dream.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Authors who might be included in the course for both attending/non-attending students (reading list to be integrated/modified):

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839), “The Man of the Crowd” (1840), "The Masque of the Red Death" (1842), "The Black Cat” (1843), “The Purloined Letter” (1844)

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850)

Walt Whitman, excerpts from “Song of Myself” (1855), “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (1856)

Emily Dickinson, selected poems

Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861)

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

Students who are unable to attend will be given specific critical readings.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The course starts in the second semester.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students will take a written exam at the end of the course.

• Attending students: the final grade will be based on a written pre-exam (25%) and the written exam (75%).

• Non-attending students: the final grade will be based entirely on the written exam.

For attending students who have taken the pre-exam, the written exam will include fewer questions.

The written exam lasts 2 hours and consists of 5 questions. Each answer must be at least 15 lines long.

Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the authors studied, the texts analyzed and their cultural contexts.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam consists of open-ended questions and commentaries on literary texts (poems, extracts from short stories, novels, essays, etc.). The open-ended questions assess knowledge and comprehension, while the commentaries evaluate the student’s ability to identify and describe the main formal features of specific texts, relate them to their historical and cultural contexts, and understand and respond to critical essays included in the reading list.

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 February 2027.

Erasmus students are welcome!

If you are a student with a learning difficulty, health condition or disability, please contact the University’s support service (disabili@unige.it) and Professor Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it).

You should also inform your lecturers by email (gabriele.ferracci@edu.unige.it and paola.nardi@unige.it) well in advance of the exam.