INTRODUCTION TO EL 115

SURVEY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

This course engages students in a historical survey of selected literary works produced by understanding English and American literatures from its beginnings to the 21st century.

A survey of American literature from its beginnings through the mid-19th century, focusing on representative works in poetry, fiction, the essay, drama and/or oral traditions studied in the context of the multicultural American experience. The course introduces recurrent themes in the scope of American literature and culture. English literature emerged earlier than American literature, since America was a British colony. While American literature’s history dates back to the 17th century, English literature emerged in the 10th century. There are many globally known US writers like J. F. Cooper, J.D. Salinger, Jack London, E.A. Poe, Mark Twain, Scott Fitzgerald, W. Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Ernest Hemmingway, and Stephen King. Many people enjoy reading their stories. On the other side, English literature offers well-known writers, such as  Shakespeare, Bronte, Lord Byron, Kipling, Dickens, Austin, Rowling, Woolf, Tolkien, Orwell, and Collins. The common tendency of American literature is to be focused on politics, economics, and social status. They find their way into the works of satire, sarcasm, and cynicism. However, British literature of the same period mostly focuses on romance, human values, ideals, and manners. Lastly, they said that British writers works “from the heart,” yet American writers are more cool-headed and cynical.

What are the contents of this particular course?

1. Old English Literature

2. Middle English Literature

3. English Renaissance

4. Nineteenth Century Literature

5. Contemporary English Literature

6. American Literature

7. American Literature Authors

8. Contemporary American Literature

I hope you will enjoy reading the contents. It will help you a lot!