Studying at York
American Literature of the Long 19th Century - YorkCourse - ENG00061I
- Department: English and Related Literature
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Jonathan Brockbank
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
- See module specification for other years: 2022-23
Module summary
This module traces the emergence of America as a great international power in a long nineteenth century that runs from 1830 to 1930. Despite an official political culture of optimism and triumph, American writers show a deep vein of doubt and questioning in texts that explore the paradoxes of a nation that proclaimed all men equal but was founded on slavery and expanded at the expense of its native peoples. The chosen works show the traumas endured by America from Civil War to Great War as it moved from being a refuge from the power struggles of Europe to the dominator of world conflicts, set to a soundtrack of American traditional and popular songs.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2021-22 |
Module aims
- Literary: to use a mixture of close reading and plot analysis to explore the different writing styles of the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ (C1783-1925) and their purpose.
- Historical/political: to examine the transformation of America from an anti-colonial power and democratic refuge from feudal Europe, to one of the world’s international powers, participating in World War I.
- Sociological: to explore the paradoxes of the Constitution and a literature that is preoccupied with doubt, self-questioning and the undermining of official myths.
- Cultural: to experience how American art created an iconography for ‘the American Dream’ and set this against a view from below; the America of popular and traditional songs.
Module learning outcomes
- To acquire knowledge of the major styles and trends of American literature of the long nineteenth century.
- To appreciate the cultural reaction to some of the most inspiring and disillusioning events of the nineteenth century that accompanied the rise of the USA.
- To understand some of the major social shifts that occurred since 1783.
- To identify the paradoxes and contradictions of the evolving ‘American dream’.
Indicative assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework American Literature of the Ion |
N/A | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework American Literature of the Ion |
N/A | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will recived feedback on their work during the semester in one-to-one tutorials.
Indicative reading
Core texts
- The Oxford Book of American Short Stories
- Crane: The Red Badge of Courage
- Twain: Huckleberry Finn
- Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby