Course Description & Objectives:
More than any other modern nation, the historical events of the United States are unique and overshadow the literary production. In other words, American literature bears witness to themes, that are deeply rooted in the American society since its early days of foundation, such as moral, racial, political, and sexual conflicts, and the search for the American identity. This lecture will be a voyage in time to discover the main features of American literature and how it historically ascends into great writing ensuring its place in world literature.
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Trace the evolution of American literature from the early days of settlements to modern times.
- Identify the major role of the historical events in the maturity and uniqueness of American literature
- Understand the richness and multi-faceted nature of American literature (race, ethnicity, geography, politics…)
- Grasp modernism and its main tenets through American literature, with a particular reference to John Dos Passos’ Manhattan Transfer (1925)
- Deal with Harlem Renaissance to dig into the American past, which is characterized by the institutionalization of slavery, and see the agony of the black slaves and their struggle to gain their freedom and fight for their –civil- rights. To understand the suffering of African Americans, students will be looking through different narratives written by famous figures ranging from the past to present such as Frederick Douglass, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, Tony Morrison…
- Teacher: Mordjana Haddad