BA History and American Studies / Course details

In this course unit we will examine American cultural texts of the long twentieth century, beginning with Uncle Tom's Cabin and ending with contemporary American texts. The course considers the ways cultural texts produce and are produced by social change.

• To provide a literary and historical analysis of American society in the twentieth century;


• To provide a cultural and political analysis of the social contexts of American literature and film of the twentieth century;


• To develop students' critical and analytical skills through close reading of literary and filmic texts;


• To foster skills in written expression and critical and analytical thinking at a level appropriate to work that will form part of the final degree assessment;


• To encourage and develop students' research, presentation, and writing skills and their capacity to construct a sustained and coherent argument.

By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate:

• An ability to understand aspects of American history and culture through literature and other cultural texts;


• A grasp of the range of literary and other cultural responses to American history and culture;


• A level of critical and analytical thinking and expression appropriate to work that will form part of his or her final degree assessment;


• An ability to work independently towards the production of written assessment at a level appropriate to work that will form part of his or her final degree assessment;


• Some ability to understand and theorize the ideological constructs of, and intersections between, race, class, caste, gender, and sexual identity;


• Some ability 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; problem solving; self confidence in abilities.

Essay 1 40%

Essay 2 60%

In preparation for the beginning of term students should read Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe (any edition).

Further readings and viewings for 2021-21 might include:

Cliff Odets, Waiting for Lefty (1935) (play: provided)

Junot Díaz,  short stories from This Is How You Lose Her (2012) (provided)

Arthur Miller, Focus (1945)

James Baldwin, “My Dungeon Shook” (1963) (essay: provided)

John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me (1959)

Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me (2015)

Valerie Solanas, SCUM Manifesto (1967)

Tony Kushner, Angels in America (play and film)

Larry Kramer, The Normal Heart (1985) (play)

Claudia Rankine, Citizen (2014)

Alison Bechdel, Fun Home (2006)

Gertrude Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1933) (chapter 1: provided)

Amy Waldman, The Submission (2011)

Films:

On the Waterfront, Elia Kazan, dir. (1954)

West Side Story, Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, dirs. (1961)

His Girl Friday, Howard Hawks, dir. (1940)

Thelma and Louise, Ridley Scott, dir. (1991)

Angels in America, Mike Nichols, dir. (2003)

Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975, Goran Olsson, dir. (2011)

13th, Ava DuVernay, dir. (2016)