LFU:online

To provide students with an overview of the most important aspects of (US-) American literary history, seen in the context of the nation's social, political, and cultural development.

This survey lecture course attempts to trace American literature from its beginnings in the early modern image of the New World during the Age of Discovery to the contemporary literary landscape of the early twenty-first century. It discusses all major periods by selecting representative texts of major authors in order to pinpoint their paradigmatic character and innovative potential for the tradition of American literature.

In parts the course follows the book: Mario Klarer: Literaturgeschichte der USA (München: C.H. Beck, 2013) or A Short Literary History of the United States (New York, London: Routledge, 2014)

Lecture

Students will get questions based on the content of the lecture as well as parts of the book by Mario Klarer: Literaturgeschichte der USA (München: C.H.Beck, 2013) or A Short Literary History of the United States (New York, London: Routledge, 2014). Furthermore, students will also get questions on the content of one of the following books: Mario Klarer: An Introduction to Literary Studies 4th ed. (New York, London: Routledge, 2024) or Mario Klarer: Einführung in die anglistisch-amerikanistische Literaturwissenschaft 8. Auflage (Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 2012) or M. H. Abrams, Geoffrey Galt Harpham, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2009.

Mario Klarer: Literaturgeschichte der USA (München: C.H.Beck, 2013) or Mario Klarer: A Short Literary History of the United States (New York, London: Routledge, 2014); Mario Klarer: An Introduction to Literary Studies 4th ed. (New York, London: Routledge, 2024) or Mario Klarer: Einführung in die anglistisch-amerikanistische Literaturwissenschaft 8. Auflage (Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 2012).

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