This course provides a chronological overview of American literature and culture from 1900 onwards. It will refresh and deepen your knowledge of American literary and cultural history with a focus on the 20th and 21st century by conceptualising canonical texts within their historical, literary, and cultural contexts. By the end of the course, you will know how to identify major literary movements, forms, styles, and strategies of representation, and critically discuss the processes of canon formation and the canonization of selected texts. You will learn how to apply critical theories and analytical concepts to develop critical readings of literary texts. Additionally, you will practice formulating clear, analytical, and argument-driven thesis statements for your term papers and learn how to write academic texts that critically examine primary texts and meaningfully engage with relevant secondary scholarship.
