University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 1

Availability restrictions: Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable: Tuesday 1-2pm Wednesday 12-1pm

This module will give students a broad grounding in the antebellum literature and culture of the United States, from colonial settlement to Civil War. Focusing on the self-conscious acts of speech and declaration which characterised early attempts to bring the new nation into being, the module will introduce students to a range of texts designed to be spoken, including jeremiads, lyceum lectures, and orations. Students will be encouraged to think about the powers and limitations of these early American voicings, and we will draw on a range of literary media -- from travelogues and letters to political pamphlets and legal documents -- as well as elements of rhetoric and style, to explore literary experiments set on establishing a distinct, 'American' voice. The module's wide historical range will offer students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the relationship between literary production and the major social and political issues that shaped the early Republic.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module you must pass EN2003 and pass EN2004

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: A 2-hour weekly seminar (x 11 weeks); 2 optional office hours (x 11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours: 44

Guided independent study hours: 256

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: 2 hour Written Examination = 50%, Coursework = 50%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 50%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 50%

Re-assessment: exam = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr K E Treen
Module teaching staff: Dr Kristen Treen
Module coordinator email ket4@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

• Demonstrate familiarity with the literary forms and cultural debates attendant on the settlement and early development of the United States
• Discuss the ways in which the module's set texts use different approaches to address the political and social conditions of antebellum American culture
• Think in detail about the relationship between literary texts and historical context, as well as between fictional and non-fictional texts
• Demonstrate their independent research skills