A2MP_SAML Contemporary American literature

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Irena Přibylová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Irena Přibylová, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Timetable of Seminar Groups
A2MP_SAML/01: Thu 12:30–14:10 učebna 12, I. Přibylová
Prerequisites
The course focuses on the contemporary American literature, especially fiction, and ideas and issues which it reflects. Based on their reading experience, students are encouraged to read and critically comment on topics like identity, history, relations, regions, and visions, and their relevance in the post-modern world.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course focuses on the contemporary American literature, touching fiction, poetry, and drama, by authors who were mostly born after the 1940s. The aim is to show the variety of contemporary writings, and to show how to approach contemporary American texts, themes, and authors, their values and views. The aim will be reached through reading and analysing sample texts.
Syllabus
  • Topic 1: Introduction to the course, resources, requirements, American literature from the 1940s to the present.
  • Topic 2: Approaching postmodernism and post-postmodernism (literature, culture, lifestyle).
  • Topic 3: Identity (and hybridity).
  • Topic 4: History (and race and identity).
  • Topic 5: Relations (and power, violence and gender).
  • Topic 6: Regions (and place and environment).
  • Topics 7 - 9: Presentations.
  • January/February: the oral colloquy. The date of the colloquy will be negotiated in December.
Literature
    required literature
  • VANSPANCKEREN, Kathryn. Nástin americké literatury. [Praha]: Informační agentura Spojených států, 137 s. info
    recommended literature
  • The Heath anthology of American literature. Edited by Paul Lauter. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1990, xxxix, 261. ISBN 0-669-12065-0. info
  • Columbia literary history of the United States. Edited by Emory Elliott. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988, xxviii, 12. ISBN 0-231-05812-8. info
Teaching methods
Minilectures, reading and analysing selected texts, group work, class discussion.
Assessment methods
Course requirements and evaluation:
Attendance and activity in classes.
Presentations.
Response paper and a colloquy.
Details will be provided by the instructor.
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2011, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/autumn2011/A2MP_SAML