History of American Literature is a course designed to survey the origin and development of America's literary tradition from the beginnings to the present. Therefore, the syllabus is structured chronologically in order to make students acquainted with a variety of the most representative writers, such as Benjamin Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Emily Dickinson. Through the exploration of different genres, themes, and forms popular in given periods of time, students will hone their skills in close reading, and get a good grasp of major literary movements in order to understand how literature and culture changed throughout the ages.
Most importantly, the course is also meant to present the value of American literature in a way that would encourage students to go the extra mile, engage in extracurricular activities, e.g. the scholarly circle BLAST, and hopefully put their hearts and souls into further, professional exploration of the American literary history.
- Teacher: Małgorzata Bobowska