LFU:online

Institut für Amerikastudien Institut für Amerikastudien

Mag. Dr. Andreas Leisner Mag. Dr. Andreas Leisner

610004

American Literature: Out of Many, One: Strands of Self-Reliance in American Narratives

PS 2

5

wöch.

semestral

Englisch

To provide students with an overview of and insight into a core concept of American culture and its application in literature and film.

One of the most prominent concepts of American culture is that of individualism. In this class, we will trace its development throughout U.S. (literary) history, discussing the changes this particular idea has undergone. As individualism is both a philosophical concept and a significant element of American self-perception, the course offers a wide range of texts for students to choose from, including literary works by Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, Fitzgerald, or Hemingway as well as philosophical approaches (e.g. by Thoreau and Emerson), but also cinematographic sources taken from the Western and other genres. The variety of texts available for discussion will enable participants to balance romanticized and sobering views on the course topic to arrive at a more elaborate understanding of American individualism.

Introduction to the topic, discussion, presentation of papers

Active participation, reading and discussion of theoretical texts, term paper (10-15 pages), presentation of papers in class

Provided at the beginning of the semester

Anmeldevoraussetzung/en im BA: positive Beurteilung der Pflichtmodule 3 und 16 Anmeldevoraussetzung im Lehramtsstudium: VO2: Introduction to American Literary Studies Entspricht im Lehramtsstudium (344): PS2: American Literature

04.03.2013