31055 - Anglo-American Literature 1

Learning outcomes

Students will learn the literary history of the period at stake; they will acquire literary tools useful to analyze fictional productions and question them in relation to the complex and heterogeneous North American realities.

Course contents

INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The course offers an introduction to American literature from its origins to the present day, paying particular attention to questions of identity and the processes of constructing shared and divided memories. Classics and foundational texts will be compared to outline the symbolic and mythological models that have characterized the development of complex and heterogeneous realities united by ideal and idealized projects.

In this course, literature is investigated through an ongoing dialogue with other forms of communication and artistic expression, including new media, cinema, photography, and the visual arts. The concepts of identity, memory, community, inner/outer landscape constitute paradigmatic themes for exploring the evolving mentalities underlying the complex identity processes of what has long been defined as "the new world."

These are some of the topics covered in class:

• Discovery / Conquest / Invention of North America.
• The Puritan Roots of North American Literature.
• American Mythologies: The Frontier.
• Transcendentalism and the American Renaissance: Eco-criticism, Self-Reliance, New Canons.
• The Civil War: Slavery, Freedom, Human Rights.
• The "Gilded Age": Realism, Naturalism, Regionalism.
• The Modernist Period: From Europe to America.
• The Second Half of the Twentieth Century: Literature, War, Society
• Post-9/11 Narratives.

Methodologically, the course will alternate thematic lectures with close readings of classics (both ancient and modern) of American literature to share ideas and develop practices and methods useful for preparing for the final exam. Among the works covered: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850); Herman Melville, Benito Cereno (1855); Francis Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925); Harper Lee, How To Kill a Mockingbird (1960); Philip Roth, The Plot Against America (2004); Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (2016).

Please Note: This course is organized as part of the sustainability phase of the European Project “PERFORMIGRATIONS: People Are the Territory”, in the frame of the spin-off 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 satisfying 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. Any specific requests must be made within 15 days of the exam date by sending an email to the instructor and cc'ing the email address disabili@unibo.it (for students with disabilities) or dsa@unibo.it (for students with DSA).

 

Readings/Bibliography

The oral exam is divided into two parts, with specific bibliography:

a) In-depth study of one of the topics covered in class*.

This part allows students to customize their exam preparation based on their own interests, exploring literary aspects and authors through independently selected readings, under the supervision of the instructor. In view of the final exam, students must select at least two (2) primary sources (novels, memoirs, poem collections, travelogues) and at least two (2) secondary sources (critical essays/books; films; multimedia sources. IMPORTANT: one of the two secondary sources MUST be an academic one). A reading list of both primary/secondary sources will be posted on the Virtuale Platform at the beginning of the course and implemented during classes.

* Those who do not attend classes regularly are asked to contact the instructor to prepare this part (office hours are regularly updated on the professor's website, UNIBO portal).

b) General knowledge of the subject

Students are required to show a basic understanding of the history of American literature, from its origins to the present day. The key topics covered in class are summarized in presentations posted regularly on the course's online platform, and include a specific bibliography.

For everyone, but especially for those unable to attend classes regularly, reading a textbook on the history of American literature is highly recommended. Suggested readings include:

• R. Grey, A Brief History of American Literature, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011(in English)

• C. Iuli, P. Loreto (a cura di), La letteratura degli Stati Uniti. Carocci Editore, 2017 (in Italian).

 

Teaching methods

The course consists of three weekly lectures. Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. Lectures are opportunities for dialogue, discussion, and sharing critical thinking, because this is also what humanities are for: cultivating free will and creativity through dialogue between instructor and students.

 

Assessment methods

The FINAL EXAM consists of an interview (circa 15/20 minutes). Students must demonstrate good knowledge of the main lines of development in the history of American literature; they must also demonstrate the ability to critically read the literary works examined and be able to contextualize them in the American scenarios.

Students can choose whether to take the exam in Italian or English.

AI can be a useful tool to support individual study with in-depth analysis, summaries, and self-assessment. Since the final exam is an oral exam, AI is not used during the exam.

 

Teaching tools

In-person lectures with multimedia support and presentations posted on the course's virtual platform.

Links to further information

https://site.unibo.it/wetell/en

Office hours

See the website of Elena Lamberti