History of the American Literature I

obligatory courses

Students should pass "Introduction to literary studies" and understand basic terms used in literary criticism.

(in Polish) w sali

Problems of dividing American literature into identifiable periods.

Interpretation of canonical American literature. Major themes and motifs in American literature.

Studies’ profile: general academic.

Full-time studies.

Type of course: compulsory.

Field: Literary and cultural studies, Humanities, English Philology.

Year: 2nd.

Initial requirements: the student should have the basic knowledge of literary and cultural studies, as well as the knowledge of the history, culture, and literature of English-speaking countries.

Number of didactic hours: 30h classes and 45h lectures.

Didactic methods: analyses and discussions, pair work, presentations, essays.

ECTS points: 4.

Students’ workload balance:

- Participation in classes: 75h

- Preparation / consultation / projects / test and preparation: 45h

Quantitative indicators:

- Student’s workload connected with classes which require assistance from the teacher: 3,75.

- Student’s workload connected with practical classes: 0,25.

Basic sources:

Bercovitch, Sacvan, ed. The Cambridge History of American Literature, CUP 1999.

Bradley, Scully et al. The American Tradition in Literature, New York: Random House 1981.

Hart, James D. The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature, New York and Oxford: OUP1986.

High, Peter B. An Outline of American Literature, London and New York: Longman 1997.

Norton Anthology of American Literature, New York: Norton 1998.

Further reading:

Aleksandrowicz-Pędich, red. W kanonie prozy amerykańskiej. Od Nathaniela Hawthorne’a do Joyce Carol Oates, Warszawa: Academica 2007.

Aleksandrowicz-Pędich, red. W kanonie prozy amerykańskiej. Z Placu Waszyngtona do „Domu z liści”, Warszawa: Academica 2009.

After the course the student knows:

KP7_WG3 - complex literary phenomena and contemporary theories explaining their cultural background and dependencies among them

KP6_WG6 - methods of analyzing and interpreting texts of culture of a given language area in the context of selected theories in linguistics

KP7_WG8 - advanced methods of analysis and interpretation of texts based on tradition and theory of literary studies

KP6_WG9 - general terminology employed in the description of cultural phenomena significant for language analysis and the analysis of the process of communication

KP7_WG10 - advanced terminology for description of cultural phenomena important in analysis of the literature in a given language

KP6_WG11 historical and cultural conditioning of a given language area

The student can:

KP7_UW3 - conduct an in-depth analysis of literary works applying philological methods allowing for the evaluation of their meaning in historical and cultural processes

KP6_UW4 - carry out a critical analysis and interpret various creations of culture using philological methods that make it possible to assess the importance of the texts in the historical and cultural process

KP6_UW8 - properly select sources and information derived from them in the field of literary studies as well as evaluate, critically analyse and synthesize this information

KP7_UK3 - communicate with various groups of interlocutors using specialised literary studies terminology including social-cultural components

KP6_UK4 - participate in debates in a foreign language – present, assess and discuss various opinions and positions

KP7_UO1 - coordinate group work

KP7_UU1 - independently plan and conduct the process of self learning throughout their lifespan and direct others in this area

Student is aware of:

KP7_KK1 - critical assessment of content

KP7_KK2 - appreciation of the significance of knowledge in terms of solving theoretical and practical problems

KP7_KO3 - active participation in favor of preserving regional, national and European cultural heritage

KP6_KO4 - create tolerance planes and cooperate in the conditions of multicultural and religiously diverse society

KP7_KO5 - participating in cultural life in multiple forms

The effects will be verified with discussions, presentations, and written work.

The course ends with a grade. The grade is based on tests. To receive a positive grade, the student has to earn at least 51% of the availabale points in the tests.

There are no retakes of separate tests. Students may be absent on the day of a test only because of medical reasons.

Students who receive less than 51% of point will be able to retake a test (the entire material) at the end of the course, but the only available grade is 3.

Students are allowed to be absent twice during a term. Students whose number of unexcused absences is more than twice per semester are obliged to get credit for the material covered during the classes he/she was absent on.