Unit name | American Literature |
---|---|
Unit code | ENGL20124 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Mr. Savage |
Open unit status | Not open |
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
School/department | Department of English |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is an introduction to the literatures of America from the American Renaissance to present; it will present both the range of texts produced between c.1850 to present and their distinctive qualities. There will be a strong focus on genre, social and cultural context, and key questions, such as: What is American Literature? How is it different from European Literature or how far is it adapted and developed from these cultures? How is American literature shaped by the unique conditions of its cultures, geographies and histories? How does the American canon change in this period and what role do diverse voices play in American writing? Texts under study may include: Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the fiction of Philip Roth, Tony Kushner’s play Angels in America, and the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes and Joy Harjo. Your learning will allow you to gain an understanding of distinctive American themes, genre conventions and forms, and how these relate to their diverse antecedents.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit, alongside ‘Interrelation of Culture: Britain, Africa and the Caribbean’, allows students to appreciate some of the further contexts of literatures in English from outside Britain and the tradition of English Literature. The unit complements Period Units 3 (1780-1900) and 4 (1900-present) by broadening students’ literary and historical understanding of those periods, as well as providing a contextual backdrop for specialist units that are thematically defined but include writing from America.
An overview of content
This unit provides an overview of the literature of America from 1850-present, exploring a number of texts in close detail, while also engaging with the social and cultural contexts of the period, together with an exploration of American literary forms, genres and voices.
How will students personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit will provide students with the opportunity to engage with a range of American Literature in the context of American critical discourses. Students will gain an increased understanding of how we might productively close read and analyse American literary texts in conversation with the historical and/or critical context within which they were written. Students will be able to refine their understanding in ways which not only connect to the context of this unit, but also serve as a valuable frame of reference for the development of their progress in years three and four of their study. Moreover, engagement with this unit offers vital transferrable skills in close reading, analysis and synthesis of relevant sources, and lateral thinking.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements. This includes a mini-lecture element, group discussion, research and writing activities and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will further be supported through individual consultation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will be given the opportunity to submit a draft or outline of their final, summative essay of up to 1,500 words and to receive feedback on this.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Essay 3,000-word [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan:
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL20124).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.