31170 - Anglo-American Literature 2

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students are aware of the main lines of literary history. They are able to read, understand and translate texts in foreign language, and they are acquainted with the fundamental methods and analytical tools that are needed to interpret the works of the major authors, contextualizing them against the cultural and historical period of reference.

Course contents

THE LITERARY IDENTITY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1900-1950s)

The course is an introduction to the literature of the US written in English, with a special focus on identity issues and the perception of a "national" literature. Classic and founding texts will be cross read to outline the symbolic and mythological patterns that have consolidated American realities in the first half of the 20th century. Literature is investigated through a constant dialogue with other arts, including media, cinema, photography and the visual arts. The concepts of identity, memory, community, inner/outer landscape will constitute the thematic paradigms to approach the evolving mentalities underpinning the evolution of complex identity processes in the so-called New World. Literature is also used as a tool to connect the past and the present, showing how contemporary cultural preoccupations can be traced back to the first half of the 20th century.

 

The following are some of the topics that we will address in class:

• The Americanization of America and Europe
• American Modernism: “Make It New”.
• 1920s: The Jazz Age and the Lost Generation
• 1920s: The Harlem Renaissance
• 1920s-1930s: The Southern Renascence
• 1930s: Literature in/of the New Deal
• 1940s/1950s: Wars and Rebels

Please Notice: This course is organized as part of the sustainability phase of the European Project

“PERFORMIGRATIONS: People Are the Territory” (www.performigratios.eu), in the frame of the research project “WeTell: Storytelling and Civic Awareness” (https://site.unibo.it/wetell/en) and in collaboration with the literary portal https://site.unibo.it/canadausa. The main goal is to encourage a new global mentality, deeply rooted in the humanities, so to reorient today geopolitics and create a happier and more just world. No knowledge is useful if it leads to satisfy only a few people’s urgent needs, be that material or emotional; knowledge is useful if it induces us to question our communal existence, helping us to learn how to act upon our community in responsible ways, in turn leading to a truly shared happiness.

IMPORTANT: EVERYBODY IS WELCOME AND DIVERSITY (IN ALL ITS FORMS) IS WELCOME TOO.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities: It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the course director in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for the Oral Exam

IMPORTANT - All students must know the literary history of the period of reference.

Students are expected to study in view of the exam four of these texts (one for each group), which will be discussed in class: 

Primary Texts (any edition):

Group A (Poetry):

• Frost, Robert. North of Boston (1914)

• Hughes, Langston. The Weary Blues (1926)

• Crane, Hart. The Bridge (1930)

• Cummings, e.e. ViVa (1931)

• Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and Other Poems (1956)

Group B (novels):

• Dos Passos, John. Three Soldiers (1921)

• Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises (1926)

• Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

Group C (novellas):

• Larsen, Nella. Passing (1929)

• Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men (1937)

Group D (3 short stories from the following collections):

• Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio (1919).

• Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. Tales of the Jazz Age (1922).

 

Secondary Sources:

Students are expected to show a basic knowledge of the history of American literature (1900-1950s). Our reference text is:

R. Gray, A History of American Literature, Blackwell, 2004 (page numbers may vary depending on the edition).  chapter 4: “Making it New: The Emergence of Modern American Literature, 1900–1945.” In particular, the sections dedicated to the authors we will cover in class.

Additional material on the 1950s will be uploaded on Virtuale.

Students who wish to work on texts that are not listed in the official syllabus MUST submit their request to the course director and receive his approval (office hours or via email: mattia.arioli2@unibo.it).

Teaching methods

Students’ active participation is strongly encouraged. Therefore, in addition to the lecture format, group work will be scheduled to create a vibrant and interactive educational environment.

Assessment methods

The exam will consist of an oral interview in English lasting approximately 25 minutes. The first part will focus on the history of literature (Gray’s A History of American Literature + additional material on the 1950s that will be uploaded online); the second part will pivot on the literary and critical texts on our reading list (see the texts listed above). The exam will aim to assess the critical and methodological skills acquired by students together with their ability to contextualize literary works against the historical, literary and cultural background of the first half of the XX century.

PLEASE NOTICE: students who regularly attend the course can substitute part of the final oral exam with a class presentation (15 mins max) to be delivered alone or in group (max. 3 students per group).

Teaching tools

The Powerpoint slides that will be shown during the course will be made available for students on the Unibo Virtuale platform

Office hours

See the website of Mattia Arioli