Credit Value:             12                                                        

Module Tutor: Shyam Hazari

General Objectives

This module is designed to acquaint students with American literature ranging from 19^th century transcendentalism movement in literature till the 20^th century. By examining the works of  notable nineteenth and twentieth century American authors writing in a variety of literary forms (novel, short story, play, and poetry), this course aims to give students entry-points into  American culture, society, and settlement history.  Themes such as Puritanical morality, The American Dream, civil war, slavery, failure of American dream and self-discovery will be explored and related to the literature under consideration.  Students will be in the company of those authors who defined the American identity.

Learning Outcomes:

After the completion of this module students should be able to-

·         acquaint with the process of migration and settlement of America.

·         grasp the features of the Americanness and the frontier.

·         differentiate and discuss the nuances of materialism and the mysticism.

·         distinguish the literary forms like poetry, frontier novel and the quest novels.

·         grasp fairly the concept of American transcendentalism.

·         appreciate and criticize a modern tragedy.

·         write academic essay on the topic assigned.

Subject Matter:

1. Introduction to American Literature: the process of settlement; conflict with the nature and the natives, the notion of frontier, ethnicity and the melting pot.
2. Survey of American Literature: Letters Home, Declaration of Independence and Democracy.
3. Puritanism and society.
4. Introduction to Transcendentalism: Analysis of Emerson’s The American Scholar.
5. Introduction to Jacksonian democracy: Analysis of Walt Whitman’s The Song of Myself.(Selections)
6. Introduction to women poetry: Detailed study of selected poems of Sylvia Plath,
7. Introduction to the American Civil War and American Plurality and slavery.
8. Introduction to Afro-American literature, the Harlem Renaissance and the double oppression of women.
9. Introduction to Puritanism, notion of Individualism,: Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. 
10. The Lost Generation and modernist movement.
11. Introduction to existentialism, the iceberg theory of narrative: Detailed study of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

Teaching and Learning Approach

Lecture:     3hrs/wk

Tutorials:   1hr/wk (including discussions& presentations)

Assessment

1^st Assignment:     (800 - 1000 words)                  10%

2^nd Assignment:     (1500 - 2000 words)               20%

Oral Presentation:                                                 20%

Examination:                                                         50%

Total:                                                                     100 marks

Essential Reading:

Emerson, R. W.(2000).American scholar.Canada:Random House.

Hawthorne, N.  (1981).The scarlet letter. Bantam Classics.

Hemingway, E.  (1995).The old man and the sea. New York.: Scribner

Miller, A. (1999). All my sons. Penguin Classics

Plath, S. Selected poems. Scholes,R.(2004). (Ed.)Elements of literature. New York: Oxford

Walker,A.(1985). The color purple.. USA:Simon & Schuster

Whitman, W. Song of myself. Scholes,R.(2004). (Ed.). Elements of literature. New York: Oxford

Suggested Reading

Anderson, B. (1991).  Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism.  London: Verso Books.

Bradley, S. (1975). The American tradition in literature. New York : Norton Press.

Christian, B.(1985). Black women novelist: The development of a tradition. 1882-1976. London : Greenwood Press.

Crevecouer, S.J. D.(1993).“What is an American” (Letter III).  Letters from an American farmer. Penguin Edition.

Spillers, R. E. (1970). The cycle of American literature. NewYork: St. Martin’s Press.

Module developed by Mr.Shyam Hazari