Reading America IV

This lecture course is the fourth in a series of consecutive courses that cover the literary/cultural histories of North America to the present, dealing with canonized and non-canonized texts alike. It is a continuation of last semester, when we dealt with the texts of the 19th c. We will look at the texts not only from an aesthetic point of view, but will see them as expressions of or reactions to a certain historical/cultural situation, a working out of cognitive processes. The course is planned for a period of four semesters. Participation in the first parts is not mandatory as I will present an overview over the previous semesters at the beginning of each new semester. This semester we will mostly deal with texts until the end of the 20th century. All texts will be read in excerpts. In this course we will closely follow, in excerpts, two textbooks: The Heath Anthology of American Literature, vol. II, and the Norton Anthology of American Literature, as well as Peter Wagner, A Short History of English and American Literature, Stuttgart 2006 (all in the Semesterapparat). Additionally, I would like to point out that this is not only a course of literary history (which can be read in preparation for all the courses, see above), but an attempt to systematize possible approaches to the vast array of literary production since the first contact of Europeans with this 'brave new world'. In this lecture course also students of the new Masters Studies -M. A. Internationale Kulturhistorische Studien- are welcome (Modules EM 5 / EM 6). Die Vorlesung ist auch für Studierende desStudienganges -M. A. Internationale Kulturhistorische Studien- (Module EM 5 / EM 6) geöffnet. The Heath Anthology of American Literature Peter Wagner, A Short History of English and American Literature, Stuttgart 2006 Anglistik Bestandener Grundkurs. In Ausnahmefällen auch nach Rücksprache mit mir oder per e-mail: Pichon@anglistik.uni-siegen.de 2, 5, 7 KP Universität Siegen SoSe 2010 Dr. Pichon Kalau v Hofe Brigitte