Estudia
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Artes y humanidades
- Grado en Estudios Clásicos y Románicos
- Grado en Estudios Ingleses
- Grado en Filosofía
- Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio
- Grado en Historia
- Grado en Historia del Arte
- Grado en Historia y Ciencias de la Música
- Grado en Lengua Española y sus Literaturas
- Grado en Lenguas Modernas y sus Literaturas
- Ciencias
- Ciencias de la salud
- Ciencias sociales y jurídicas
- Ingeniería y arquitectura
- Información, acceso y becas
Literaturas de los Estados Unidos
- Clases Expositivas (28 Hours)
- Prácticas de Laboratorio (28 Hours)
This module is taught during the first semester of the third year of the Degree in English Studies and is part of the Major in English Studies. It is the second of the five modules in the Literature of the Anglophone World field, with the overall objective of providing a panoramic and meaningful overview of a broad and representative corpus of the major literary works written in the English language across different historical periods and geographical areas of the English-speaking world. This module specifically focuses on the United States, exploring its literature from a critical and cross-cutting perspective through authors, works, trends, periods, and themes that shape the extensive production of the country and its diverse cultures. Students will have previously taken the Cultures of the United States module, so prior knowledge of contextual clues and specific cultural knowledge of the country is expected.
The requirements are those established for admission to the Major in English Studies. For a better understanding of this module, it would be highly advisable for students to have successfully completed the Cultures of the United States module.
Additionally, a high degree of commitment to the learning process is expected from the students.
General skills: The relevant competences common to the entire degree and the Major in English Studies are assumed, with particular emphasis on developing students' ability to:
- Think critically and independently, argue coherently, and make reasoned and documented judgments in English. (CGIng8)
- Carry out analyses and syntheses of texts in English with a significant degree of abstraction and structural complexity. (CGIngl9)
- Enhance planning and learning skills to continue further education in this subject with a high level of autonomy and effectiveness. (CGM3)
- Demonstrate the ability to research, analyze, and manage documentary and textual information related to the study of American literatures. (CGM4)
- Understand the complex interrelation between language, socio-cultural context, and discourse. (CGIngl13)
- Efficiently convey acquired knowledge in both conventional formats (articles, essays, presentations, etc.) and through ICT (websites, blogs, wikis, etc.). (CGM5)
Specific skills: There will be a special emphasis on developing students' ability to:
- Read in detail (close reading), contextualize, and analyze literary texts in English, form a critical opinion, and articulate reasoned judgments, both orally and in writing. (CEM31)
- Identify and apply the most suitable analysis techniques for different texts based on their literary genre, aesthetic trends, etc. (CEM33)
- Understand and explain the literary contributions of the Anglophone world in relation to other literatures and international schools of thought. (CEM35)
- Apply literary culture and critical thinking to the understanding of the world and the critical interpretation of reality and history. (CEM36)
- Comprehend the role of ideological and critical trends in shaping literary history and the Western canon. (CEM38)
- Identify contextual clues and apply appropriate theoretical and aesthetic guidelines to interpret literary works from perspectives alternative to the Western canon. (CEM39)
- Understand the historical causes and ideological and aesthetic implications of the literary diversity of the Anglophone world and apply the necessary theoretical discourse to explain them. (CEM40)
- Highlight and revalue contributions made by women to literature and culture by applying poststructuralist theories of subjectivity, difference, and sexuality to literary analysis. (CEM41)
- Initiative and ability to participate effectively in debates, opinion forums, academic and literary blogs, etc., on topics related to Anglophone world literatures. (CEM42)
- Write essays on literary texts and themes with critical and argumentative coherence and consistency in terms of citation systems, bibliographic references, etc. (CEM43)
- Guide and organize one’s reading activities to independently expand one’s knowledge of English-language works and authors, during their studies and throughout life. (CEM45)
Learning outcomes:
- Mastery of reading skills and critical ability for the textual, contextual, and intertextual interpretation of representative works of English literatures (specifically American). (RAM28)
- Knowledge of literary works and the most representative authors of different periods, genres, and geographical areas of the Anglophone world (specifically American). (RAM31)
- Knowledge of the most relevant aspects of the production, dissemination, and reception of literature in the context of the English language, considering factors such as gender and difference. (RAM32)
- Knowledge of contextual and theoretical guidelines essential for the critical analysis of literary works both within and outside the Western canon. (RAM34)
- Knowledge of the theoretical foundation necessary to approach the reading of literary texts from a gender perspective and understand the impact of gender on literary production and reception. (RAM37)
- Proficiency in English in the relevant terminology for literary analysis and commentary, as well as in the stylistic and formal norms for essay writing, reviews, etc. (RAM38)
- Efficient knowledge and management of databases, literary information sources on the Internet, audiovisual resources, etc., to complete the contextualized knowledge of analyzed literary works and the trajectory of various authors. (RAM39)
- What is an American? ‘American’ identities
- Internal Colonization, Slavery and Immigration: Representation and Self-Representation
- The Politics and Poetics of Religion
- American Dreams and Nightmares: from Prosperity to National Traumas
MODALITIES | Hours | % | Total | |
In-person | Lectures | 28 | 18,6 | 60 |
Classroom practice / Language room | 28 | 18,6 | ||
Assessment sessions | 4 | 2,6 | ||
Remote | Group work | 20 | 13,3 | 90 |
Independent work | 70 | 46,6 | ||
Total | 150 | 100% | 150 |
Different types of sessions are designed in order for students to acquire knowledge of both literary and socio-cultural aspects of relevance, prompting students to reflect on how these aspects have been incorporated into the texts analyzed in this course:
1. Lectures (CEX 28): These sessions will establish the theoretical and contextual foundations necessary for developing students' ability to appreciate the immense and productive cultural diversity embedded in American literatures.
2. Practical sessions (PLA 28): Different educational activities will take place in these sessions, aiming for students to develop the required skills at this level and in this subject through active participation—both individually and in groups, orally and in writing. Primarily, these activities will involve research, analysis, and presentation of literary texts, including those from the canon and major ethnic minorities (Chicano, Asian American, Jewish, Native American, or African American), as well as other supplementary materials—written and/or visual—that address various perspectives on the topics derived from the contents (see above).
3. Additionally, some of the practical classes will focus on strategies for completing written assignments. These sessions will occur in the early days of the course, at the end of October, and in early December.
The number of sessions may be altered depending on their distribution on the University of Oviedo official academic calendar.
Assessment methods
The assessment system will assess both the knowledge and the skills acquired by the students. It will consist of the following calls and components:
Ordinary assessment:
Model A. Continuous Assessment: For students attending classes regularly (minimum 80%). It will consist of three parts:
1. Final Exam (40%): Conducted in English on the official dates specified by the Faculty. The exam will cover all the material studied throughout the course.
2. Oral Presentation (20%): Each student will prepare a 5-minute video presentation on a topic agreed upon with the faculty before September 30, 2024, and submit it by November 25.
3. Essay (20%): Students will also write a 1,500-word essay (including bibliography and notes) on the same topic as the oral presentation. The essay will be submitted in both printed format and in digital format (Word) by e-mail to the corresponding tutor:
eal@uniovi.es, PLA 111 and PLA 112
fernandezgandrea@uniovi.es, PLA 211
carol@uniovi.es, PLA 221
- Deadline for submission: 13 December 2024
4. Other activities (20%): Exercises, text commentaries, reading quizzes, and other activities carried out throughout the course, whether scheduled or unscheduled.
* For more information on evaluation, see Important Note for both models.
Model B. Final Assessment: For students who do not attend classes regularly (i.e., less than 80%) or choose this option.
It will consist of the following components:
1. Final Exam in English (40%): The exam will be identical to that of Model A but without any optional elements.
2. Questionnaire (15%): Ten questions about the texts read throughout the course.
3. Oral Presentation (20%): Each student will prepare a 5-minute video presentation on a topic agreed upon with the faculty before September 30, and submitted by November 25.
4. Essay (25%): Students will also write a 3,000-word essay (including bibliography and notes) on the same topic as the oral presentation. The essay will be submitted in both printed format and in digital format (Word) by e-mail to the corresponding tutor:
eal@uniovi.es, PLA 111 and PLA 112
fernandezgandrea@uniovi.es, PLA 211
carol@uniovi.es, PLA 221
- Deadline for submission: 13 December 2024
*Important Note about the essay for both models:
- The chosen work or works, as well as the topic, must be agreed upon in advance with the faculty. Papers that have not been agreed upon by the specified date will not be accepted.
- Works covered in class are excluded unless used in connection with others through a comparative analysis.
- For the essay, a minimum of three academic sources (excluding primary sources) must be included. If not used in both the text and the bibliography, the essay will not be evaluated.
- The formatting should follow the "Paper Instructions" document from the Virtual Campus, and the Chicago citation and referencing system. Failure to do so will result in a penalty.
- The assessment will consider the following aspects: knowledge, structure and coherence, analysis, writing, use of bibliographic sources, as well as correctness and accuracy in the use of references and citations.
- If deemed necessary by the tutors, an interview about the presented work may be conducted.
- The final document must be submitted in both printed copy and through Urkund (submission deadline: 15 December 2023).
Key Dates:
- September 30: Topic selection and communication via e-mail to the tutor.
- October: Finding and reading of sources, preparation of the written work, drafts, tutorials, etc.
- November 25: Submission of the oral presentation and writing of the final draft.
- December 13: Deadline for submission.
Evaluation for students with differentiated assessment granted: Students granted differentiated assessment (see Article 7 of the "Regulation of Evaluation of the University of Oviedo") will follow Model B.
Extraordinary Call: Students appearing in any of the extraordinary calls will be evaluated according to Model B and must submit the essay on the day of the extraordinary call.
Exceptionally and prior to the exam date, anyone wishing to do so can request in writing to maintain the grades for the essay and oral presentation, as well as the activities of Model A, in the extraordinary calls of the same academic year (according to the exam schedule), provided they have passed each of these three parts.
Relevant notes for all calls:
In accordance with the provisions of articles 24 and 25 of the Regulation of Evaluation of the University of Oviedo, fraudulent use of documentary sources or total or partial plagiarism in assignments will be penalized with a failing grade for the course (final grade of 0).
The linguistic and discursive competence of students, as well as the originality in their approaches and individual work, will be aspects that are considered, positively or negatively, as part of the course evaluation.
8. Resources, bibliography, and supplementary materials
Required reading:
A selection of texts, articles, and graphic and audiovisual materials provided or recommended by the faculty throughout the course.
Basic bibliography
Basic Bibliography:
Students are required to obtain a copy of the two novels that will be read in their entirety during the course: The Great Gatsby, by Francis S. Fitzgerald, and The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison. The rest of the mandatory readings will be provided through the Virtual Campus or directly by the faculty and will include poems, short stories, theatrical texts, and excerpts from works that will also be studied/worked on and, therefore, part of the assessable material for the course.
Complementary bibliography:
Bates, Milton J. 1996. The Wars We Took to Vietnam: Cultural Conflict and Storytelling. Berkeley: U of California P.
Baym, Nina, ed. 2003. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: Norton.
Berkowitz, Gerald M. 1992. American Drama of the Twentieth Century. London and New York: Longman.
Bigsby, Christopher. 2000. Modern American Drama, 1945-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
Bragard, Véronique, Christopher Dony and Warren Rosenberg. 2011. Portraying 9/11. Essays on Representations in Comics, Literature, Film and Theatre. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.
Cullen, Jim. 2004. The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation. Oxford: Oxford UP.
Elliot, Emory, coord. 1991. Historia de la literatura norteamericana. Madrid: Cátedra.
Gray, Richard. 2011. After the Fall: American Literature since 9/11. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kenneth, Millard. 2000. Contemporary American Fiction. An Introduction to American Fiction since 1970. Oxford: Oxford UP.
Lauter, Paul, ed. 2006. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Melling, Philip H. 1990. Vietnam in American Literature. Boston: Twayne.
Neal, Arthur G. 2005. National Trauma and Collective Memory: Major Events in the American Century (2nd ed.). Armonk: M.E. Sharpe.
Perkins, George, and Barbara Perkins. 1994. The American Tradition in Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Phillips, Dana. 1999. “Ecocriticism, Literary Theory, and the Truth of Ecology”. New Literary History 30 (3): 577-602.
Ruland, Richard, and Malcolm Bradbury. 1992. From Puritanism to Postmodernism. A History of American Literature. New York: Penguin.
Walker, Marshall. 1988. The Literature of the United States of America. Houndmills: MacMillan.