Survey of American Literature (2)

The main literary characteristics of contemporary American literature and tendencies of literature studies are defined during the course; students learn about the tendencies of American literature in the 20th and 21st century, analyze famous literary works in detail, discuss the mainstream themes and tendencies of this period and survey contemporary trends in American literature. In addition to literary works, social, philosophical and world-view aspects of North American society, which helped to shape the trends of literature in the 20th and 21st century, are discussed during the course.

To study American Literature in the sociohistorical and sociocultural context from 1900 until nowadays.

C1 for knowldege of English (According to CEFR).

American society and culture at the beginning of the 20th century. Historical, political, social, cultural, religious and aesthetic context in the USA in the 20th and 21st centuries. Jack London and different forms of American naturalism. Gertrude Stein and literary provocations. Ernest Hemingway’s style and hero. Realism and modernism in Edith Wharton’s works. Theodore Dreiser and the concept of a “new woman”. The Great Depression and its representation in John Steinbeck’s works. The Cold War and the criticism of economical and family issues in Sylvia Plath’s works. Confessional poetry. Relationship between autobiography and fiction in K. A. Porter’s short stories. Willa Cather as a regional author. Saul Bellow’s works and the search for success. Racial discrimination and cultural/collective memory in Tony Morrison’s works. Postmodernism in Kurt Vonnegut’s novels. Philip Roth and criticism of American Dream. Development of 9/11 novel. Modernism in American literature. Writers of “The Lost Generation”. Confessional poetry. Regionalism in American literature. Postmodernism and the contemporary trends in American literature. The genre of 9/11: fact and fiction dimension (novels, short fiction, poetry, memoirs).

1. Analysis of literary texts, applying theories of literary criticism. 2. Recognition of literary texts from the following aspects: characters and the plot; the sociohistorical context, stylistic devices and literary trend/s. 3. Recognition of literary periods and trends. 4. Recognition of genre and forms. 5. Follow up of text interpretation and overall comprehension.