ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE 3

The course is part of the bachelor’s degree program in Languages, Civilization and the Science of Language: the main goal of this course is provide students with a general knowledge of American literary history from the Civil War to the 1930s through the textual and cultural analysis of a selection of works by American authors.
This course aims to develop critical thinking skills focusing on the evolution of the American language and literary genres; at the same time, students will be encouraged to develop skills related to the 'close reading' of literary works, especially in relation to the historical and cultural contexts within which literature is created.
After the successful completion of the course, students will be able to continue with the advanced study of American literature and to further their knowledge in the Master’s degree program.

This course aims to develop:
1. Knowledge of the basic notions related to North-American literary history
2. The ability to apply such knowledge in order to provide a critical analysis of cultural products (literary texts)
3. The ability to evaluate texts critically and appreciatively.
4. Communication skills and the ability to apply specific vocabulary.
5. The ability to use secondary sources effectively.

Good knowledge of English (≥ B2).

The course will focus on the most relevant American authors and a selection of their literary works from the post–Civil War period to the 1930s.

Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn (1885)
Henry James, The Aspern Papers (1888)
Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome (1911)
Robert Frost, Selected poems (see syllabus on Moodle) (1914--)
T. S. Eliot, Prufrock and Other Observations (1917); The Waste Land (1922)
William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying (1930)
See the Moodle pages for secondary sources.

Written exam. Students will be asked to write short papers and to identify and comment on passages from the texts.

Classroom lessons and discussions.

English

written