ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE 2 MOD. 1

The course is part of the BA in Languages, Civilization and the Science of Language and aims at providing an introduction to the history of American literature through textual and cultural analysis. The course aims at stimulating students to reflect on the evolution of literary language, forms and genres and to provide them with methods for analyzing texts and contextualizing them from a cultural-historical viewpoint. This will prepare students for advanced studies in both the literary and the cultural fields.

The learning outcomes of these course entail developing:
1. Good knowledge of the history of American literature from the colonial era to the American Renaissance.
2. Ability to apply such knowledge to the textual and cultural analysis of a literary text.
3. Ability to formulate critical hypotheses and judgments.
4. Communication skills and appropriate terminology.
5. Autonomous reading of handbooks and suggested materials.

Good knowledge of written and spoken English (≥ B2)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to American literature and its key texts and authors, from colonial period to the beginning of the 19th century. The course specifically focuses on the idea of "America" as a geographical and rhetorical construction, from Columbus up till the 1820s. The course will deal with the "transnational" origin of the American nation, from Cabez ade Vaca to Olaudah Equiano, with a specific reference to the relationship with Native Americans.

Mandatory readings:
Selected readings available on moodle:
Christopher Columbus, a selection
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, a selection
John Smith, a selection
William Bradford, a selection
John Winthrop, a selection
Mary Rowlandson, a selection
J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer (III, extracts)
Olaudah Equiano, a selection from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of …
James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

Secondary sources:
Fink, Guido et al. Storia della letteratura americana. Firenze: Sansoni, 1996. A selection.
Tzvetan Todorov. La conquista dell’America. Parte prima.
Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors, eds. A New Literary History of America. A selection.
Giovanni Borgognone, Storia degli Stati Uniti, Feltrinelli, pp. 1-55.

CLASS PARTICIPATION AND GROUP PRESENTATION (30%)
Group work on a topic relevant for the course and agreed
upon with the professor. The work includes a research part and an oral presentation.

ORAL EXAM (70%) of about 30 minutes, during which the professor assesses
1) the knowledge of notions of literary history
2) the ability to identify and analyze excerpts from literary texts, in order to evaluate the ability of making critical judgments while analyzing and contextualizing a text
3) students who cannot attend will be asked to integrate their discussion with the mandatory further readings (see Moodle).
Every student will be asked 3 questions (specific or broad) on 3 different topics, which the students must use to organize their critical discourse on the themes of the course. As specified above, the questions may be the comment of a text, a precise date/title/etc., or a broad investigation of a topic. The exam is not thought of as a test but as a critical discussion, whose aim is the assessment of the learning goals. Primary and secondary sources are mandatory.

Beside lectures, the course welcomes class discussion and requires some activities. Students who cannot attend classes must contact the professor and agree an alternative program.

Italian

ATTENTION:
This course is assessed together with Prof. Francescato's part of American Literature 2. This module is part of the 12-credit course in Anglo-American Literature 2 and cannot be assessed separately. Students also need to take module 2 during the same exam session.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development