Syllabus
Students will choose from the following topics. The content of the course will be based on their selection of six possible fields, which will be covered in the classroom. The rest will be done via elearning.
The Puritan and Enlightenment ethos in the context of 17th and 18th century American literature
English and American Romanticism: common features and differences. The Romanticist and Naturalist perception of an individual in society.
The social underpinnings of American Realism and Naturalism.
The changing reflections of war in American literature
Major tendencies in the 19th century American poetry, reading assignment: handout
Major tendencies in the 20th century American poetry, reading assignment: handout
Modernism in British and American literature.
Major developments in American drama, reading assignment: Mourning Becomes Electra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The distinctive developments in British and American literature from the 1940s to 1960s.
Postmodernism in British and American literature: parallels and differences.
Specific features of hyphenated American literatures
Annotation
The aim of this course is to consolidate and deepen the students’ existing knowledge of British and American literature through complex and cross-section themes and exploring this knowledge in wider historical, social and cultural contexts. The course is conceived as class discussions and students’ presentations based on preceding independent preparation and reading.
The main objective of the course is to enable students to relate the selected texts to their wider social, historical and cultural backgrounds.