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ENG822Arts3 Unitsintermediate

American Literature

This course focuses on the development of written literature in the United States of America. It explores various literary trends, forms, and movements from colonial times to the present. The course examines political and historical forces that influenced this national literature. Selected works include Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, Arthur Miller, Allen Ginsberg, Edward Albee, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison. The course aims to enhance students' analytical skills within socio-political contexts.

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156h
Study Time
13
Weeks
12h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
American LiteratureLiterary MovementsAmerican RenaissanceModernismPostmodernism

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Colonial Literature

2

American Renaissance

3

Civil War Literature

4

Realism

5

Naturalism

6

Modernism

7

Postmodernism

8

Beat Generation

9

African American Literature

10

Women's Literature

Total Topics10 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Literary Critic

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Content Writer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Journalist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Academic Researcher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

PublishingEducationJournalismMediaResearch

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1 Colonial Literature: 17th century to 1830

2h

Unit 1: History of American in the Colonial Period

2 study hours
  • •Read the introduction to understand the course objectives and requirements.
  • •Study the historical context of the colonial period in America.
  • •Identify the factors that influenced the establishment of America.
Week
2

Module 1 Colonial Literature: 17th century to 1830

2h

Unit 2: Literature of the Colonial Period

2 study hours
  • •Identify the popular literary forms of the colonial period.
  • •Explore the writings of early explorers and adventurers.
  • •Understand the influence of Puritan beliefs on colonial literature.
Week
3

Module 1 Colonial Literature: 17th century to 1830

4h

Unit 3: A Survey of Writers During the Colonial Period

4 study hours
  • •Study the selected writers and writings of the colonial period.
  • •Examine the fundamental issues the writers engage.
  • •Analyze the forms their writings took and the themes they explored.
Week
4

Module 2 AMERICAN RENAISSANCE: THE LITERATURE OF REASON AND REVOLUTION

3h

Unit 1: The Age of Reason

3 study hours
  • •Study the dominating ideas of the 18th century, including the Age of Reason and Enlightenment.
  • •Explore the making of the American nation and the ideology that led to its creation.
  • •Study the dominant literary traditions that emerged.
Week
5

Module 2 AMERICAN RENAISSANCE: THE LITERATURE OF REASON AND REVOLUTION

3h

Unit 2: Introduction to American Romanticism

3 study hours
  • •Study the emergence of Romanticism and its influence on American literature.
  • •Identify the defining features of Romantic writings.
  • •Examine the influence of Romanticism on major writers of the period.
Week
6

Module 2 AMERICAN RENAISSANCE: THE LITERATURE OF REASON AND REVOLUTION

3h

Unit 3: American Renaissance

3 study hours
  • •Study the emergence of groups of poets with distinct ideologies.
  • •Examine the Fireside poets and the Transcendentalist poets.
  • •Explore the dominant subject matters, themes, and styles employed by the poets.
Week
7

Module 2 AMERICAN RENAISSANCE: THE LITERATURE OF REASON AND REVOLUTION

3h

Unit 4: Transcendentalism and the American Literary Renaissance

3 study hours
  • •Focus on the writings and genres of the American Renaissance.
  • •Study the themes and dominant style of this period.
  • •Explore the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and the beginnings of women's writings.
Week
8

Module 3 The Development of American Literature from the Mid Nineteenth Century

3h

Unit 1 The American Civil War Literature

3 study hours
  • •Learn the defining developments in America's literature in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
  • •Explore how the American Civil War influenced fictional and non-fictional writings.
  • •Examine how the postwar reconstruction led to the emergence of a realist literary tradition.
Week
9

Module 3 The Development of American Literature from the Mid Nineteenth Century

3h

Unit 2 The Development of Realist Fiction

3 study hours
  • •Learn about the realist fiction in American literature.
  • •Explore how this mode grew out of a disenchantment with the romance.
  • •Learn about the early realist writers and some of their writings.
Week
10

Module 3 The Development of American Literature from the Mid Nineteenth Century

3h

Unit 3 Naturalism in American Literature

3 study hours
  • •Learn about the naturalist fiction in American literature.
  • •Explore the origins and development of this mode.
  • •Study the defining characteristics of naturalist writings.
Week
11

Module 4 Modern Literature (1900 to 1945)

3h

Unit 1: Modern American Prose

3 study hours
  • •Explore the fundamental features of the American novel between 1900 and 1950.
  • •Examine the literary forces that led to the emergence and development of literary modernism.
  • •Highlight some notable modern American writers.
Week
12

Module 4 Modern Literature (1900 to 1945)

3h

Unit 2: Modern American Poetry

3 study hours
  • •Study the development of poetry in America in the early years of the twentieth century.
  • •Examine the forms, trends, and major forerunners of the poetic modern tradition.
  • •Study the works of Ezra Pound and Robert Frost.
Week
13

Module 4 Modern Literature (1900 to 1945)

6h

Unit 2 Modern American Drama

3 study hours
  • •Examine the genre of drama in the early 20th century in America.
  • •Explore the features and trends that marked the development of the genre.
  • •Learn about the major themes that dominated the dramatic works of the time.

Unit 4: Early African-American and Women Writings

3 study hours
  • •Focus on literary works produced in the early twentieth century by African Americans and Women writers.
  • •Explore how the economic depression facilitated the growth of these writings.
  • •Highlight major themes and preoccupations of the writers.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create a timeline of major literary periods and movements covered in the course.

2

Develop character maps for key novels, noting relationships and motivations.

3

Practice explication of poems from different periods, focusing on imagery and themes.

4

Review all Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) and Self-Assessment Exercises (SAEs).

5

Focus on understanding the socio-political context of each literary period.

6

Compare and contrast the writing styles of different authors within the same period.

7

Identify key quotations from major works to support your arguments.

8

Create concept maps linking units and modules to reinforce understanding of course structure.

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