AJ1303 American History, Culture and Literature I

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Pavla Buchtová (seminar tutor)
Michael George, M.A. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SOUHLAS
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
This is the first half of a survey course of American History and American Literature covering the period from the arrival of Europeans to the end of the 19th century. Its aim is to explore the major as well as some of the lesser-known writers, literary movements, major historical events, trends and cultural concepts and make meaningful connections between them; and also to provide the historical, literary and cultural background necessary for those intending to be become English language teachers.
At the end of this course, students should be able
1) to identify and evaluate the main currents of U.S. cultural history and especially their causes and consequences in relation to modern American culture and society
2) to understand how myths about America’s foundation and iconic historical events have been formulated, debated and challenged by American writers
3) to discuss the role of gender, culture and race in shaping the forms and themes of literary texts
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able
1) to identify and evaluate the main currents of U.S. cultural history and especially their causes and consequences in relation to modern American culture and society
2) to understand how myths about America’s foundation and iconic historical events have been formulated, debated and challenged by American writers
3) to discuss the role of gender, culture and race in shaping the forms and themes of literary texts
Syllabus
  • Colonial Beginnings
  • History: Immigration and the National Character: Puritans - Studying the Seeds
  • Literature: William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson
  • Revolution and Enlightenment
  • History: From European to American: the road to revolution
  • Literature: Benjamin Franklin, Jean de Crevecoeur, The Declaration of Independence
  • America Moves West
  • History: The Frontier as a Movable Concept: Mobility and Family
  • Literature: romantic period; Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • The Nation Divides
  • History: Sectionalism: North, South and Slavery
  • Literature: African American experience, slave narratives, folk tales, spirituals
  • America Transforms: Industrialism and Immigration
  • History: Industrialism and Immigration: the Emergence of the Modern Woman
  • Literature: Realism, Regionalism, Naturalism; Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Zitkala Sa
Literature
  • The Columbia history of the American novel. Edited by Emory Elliott - Cathy N. Davidson. New York: Columbia University, 1991, xviii, 905. ISBN 0-231-07360-7. info
  • 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
discussion-based seminars
group work
Assessment methods
1) Response papers (1 for each seminar), focusing on one text from the assigned reading
2) Colloquium: History and literature are impossible to separate. We will make every effort throughout the semester to blend these disciplines in an attempt to give you a more integrated and realistic picture of the origins of modern America. You will be asked to give special attention to the relationships and connections between historical and literary movements, persons and events throughout the semester. The colloquium will focus on these associations.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Note related to how often the course is taught: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
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