BA English Literature and American Studies

In this unit we will focus on a group of writers from the 1950s and 1960s who became known as the Beat Generation. We will analyse works by well-known writers such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, but also authors on the fringes of the movement, such as Bob Kaufman and Harold Norse, as well as the work of female Beat writers. We will consider how and why certain writers gained notoriety and we will explore the continuing interest in Beat Writers in order to consider the commodification of what was once a counter-cultural phenomenon.

- To develop students' critical awareness by encouraging them to attend to the language, themes, narratives, genres, and political elements of the literary works we study;
- To develop students' awareness of historical and cultural contexts specific to the 1950s and 1960s that influence the literary works we will study;
- To encourage and develop students' research, presentation, and writing skills and their capacity to construct a sustained and coherent argument.

By the end of this course students should be able to demonstrate:
- A deep knowledge and understanding of some of the major literary themes and traditions expressed and negotiated through U.S. Beat literature;
- A deep knowledge and understanding of some of the historical and cultural factors which influence the literature of this period, including the Cold War, Counter Cultural theories, the relationship to Modernism and Surrealism and African American literature and culture;
- Ability to understand and theorize the ideological constructs of, and intersections between, race, class, gender, and sexual identity, as well as politics, within a group of writers who came known as the Beat Generation;
- Ability (in the assessed essay) to construct a sustained and cohesive written argument and to deploy scholarly methods of presentation;
- Analyzing texts; speaking in front of groups; making connections to present-day concerns; improved writing; self confidence in abilities.

• written feedback on essays
• additional one-to-one feedback (during the consultation hour or by making an appointment)

You will be given a course reading pack but you should make sure that you have copies of:

Burroughs, William. Junky  (London: Penguin Classics, 2008). Get the definitive version edited by Oliver Harris.

Charters, Ann ed. The Portable Beat Reader (NY & London: Penguin, 2006).

Kerouac, Jack. On the Road (London: Penguin Classics, new ed. 2000)

All will be available in Blackwell’s Bookshop at the precinct.

Other Information

The use of dictionaries in the examination is prohibited. This rule applies to all categories of students, including all Visiting Students.