Keywords

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course unit, the student will be able to perceive the linguistic, thematic, historical, and social dimensions of literary texts from different time periods. They will have an understanding of how literary texts have helped build national and cultural identity in the past and recognise how literary texts of earlier times relate to present-day values and attitudes. Furthermore, the student will be aware of the significance of cultural knowledge in becoming a linguistic expert.

Contents

The course unit explores the role that literature and different literary texts have in the forming of national identity. The course unit approaches these questions specifically from the perspective of the United States: it explores how certain historical and social developments, from the first English-speaking settlements to the end of the 19th century, brought forth a literary tradition and how this tradition influenced the forming of a national and cultural identity. Furthermore, the course unit explores how American literature diverged from the tradition of British literature and began its own tradition, and how this tradition has been observed in the light of modern-day discourse and theories.

Teaching language

English

Evaluation

Numeric 1-5.

Belongs to following study modules