The aims of this module are: to trace the historical development of American literature through the American Renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century; to examine burgeoning movements such as American Gothic and Transcendentalism among other topics; to analyse how American writers engage with the subject of their nation, especially with the stated ideals of the new republic; and to explore the different formal means they employ to express American identities.

(LO1) On completing this module, students will be able to demonstrate awareness and understanding of: - the evolution of American literature from the seventeenth century up to c.1900

(LO2) - the range of styles with which American writers of the period describe their past or situate themselves in relation to American culture

(LO3) - the tradition of criticism of this literature

(LO4) - the ability to demonstrate their own confident critical understanding of American literature of the period.

(S1) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills)

(S2) Improving own learning/performance - Reflective practice

(S3) Time and project management - Personal organisation

(S4) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S5) Information skills - Critical reading

Topics covered include:
Introduction
The literature of the early republic (Irving, Cooper)
American Renaissance (Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Melville)
American Gothic (Poe, Hawthorne)
Slave Narratives and Abolition (Douglass, Stowe, etc)
Post-Civil War Realism (James, Twain, etc)
Fiction by American Women Writers

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture Description: Teaching Method 2 - Tutorial Description: