Ateneo - UPO

Introduction to North American literature from the colonial origins to the twentieth century, and to the themes of gender, body, and sexuality in English literature from the late nineteenth century until the present time.

All the texts to be examined are available on the DIR platform.

For the American Literature section, other recommended reference texts are:
The Norton Anthology of American Literature
D. Izzo, Literature of the United States of America, vols. 1 and 2, Milan, Le Monnier, 2026
Oliviero Bergamini, History of the United States, Bari, Laterza, 2002

For the English Literature section, further recommended reading include:

Philip Hensher, a cura di, The Golden Age of British Short Stories 1890-1914 , Penguin 2021

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2022¸ Salt 2022

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2023, Salt 2023

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2025 , Salt 2025

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2019 , Salt 2019

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2018 , Salt 2018

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2017 , Salt 2017

Nicholas Royle, a cura di , Best British Short Stories 2016 , Salt 2016

A) to trace the main developments in American literature from the colonial period to the 20th century, linking them to their historical, social and political context, and those in English literature with regard to the chosen themes of gender, the body and sexuality;
B) to recognise the formal, thematic and stylistic characteristics of the main literary genres, authors and movements;
C) carry out an independent textual analysis of narrative, poetic and dramatic passages or short stories, and understand the difference between author and narrator (narrative voice) in order to discuss the narrative and ideological strategies of the texts under examination
D) the ability to write short texts that are clear, correct and focused in response to specific questions

English at B1 level. A sufficient level of written Italian or English, with correct use of grammar: punctuation, syntax, paragraph structure, spelling and register.

The American literature module comprises lectures and interactive sessions, including an introduction to the historical and cultural contexts.
The English literature component will be delivered exclusively via distance learning, with all materials available on the DIR platform (video-recorded lectures, PowerPoint presentations, the texts of the short stories to be studied, and self-assessment exercises), with the exception of four hours of face-to-face lectures (two hours at the start of the semester and two hours before the first examination session).

It is strongly recommended that you attend the first face-to-face session of the distance learning part of the module (English literature).
This programme is designed to align with goals 4, 5 and 16 of the UNESCO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Quality Education, Gender Equality; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request specific services and resources tailored to their needs by contacting the relevant office via the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-disabilità-e-dsa. Students with disabilities, SLDs or SEN, once they have made contact with the University staff, may contact the course lecturer regarding the arrangements for the examination and any teaching-related matters.

For the English literature section (distance learning): An ongoing online assessment on the introduction to the narrative voice and narrative techniques (10 questions: a minimum of 6 out of 10 is required to pass). An ongoing online quiz with 10 questions on the historical and cultural section: a minimum of 5 correct answers is required to pass. A final written exam held in class (in Italian or English), answering two questions on the syllabus: the first will be on a short story studied, specifically focusing on the key themes of the module (500 words); the second will assess the student’s analytical ability to comment on an extract from a short story (200 words). Both form and content will be assessed: both must be satisfactory.
For the American literature section: Mid-course online test: multiple-choice questions, duration: 30 minutes (weighting: 20% of the final mark); written examination with open-ended questions covering the entire syllabus: 5 questions, duration: 2 hours (weighting: 70%); oral examination, to be held after and subject to passing the written examination (weighting: 10%).
The final mark is the weighted average of the marks for the two modules.

For the American literature section: the geographical and historical background of the United States and the fundamentals of political thought; Cotton Mather; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper; Frederick Douglass; Harriet Jacobs; Herman Melville; Emily Dickinson; Mark Twain; Kate Chopin; Ambrose Bierce; William Faulkner; Ernest Hemingway; William Carlos Williams; Arthur Miller; Lorraine Hansberry; James Baldwin
For the English literature section: a historical and cultural introduction to the concepts of the body, sex, gender and sexuality during the period under consideration; a methodological introduction to the narrative voice and its strategies; 7 short stories (George Egerton; Vernon Lee; Rudyard Kipling; D.H. Lawrence; E.M. Forster; Jeanette Winterson; Adam Mars-Smith) INTEGRATION OF THE GENDER DIMENSION The gender dimension is placed at the centre of the module’s content, in an intersectional relationship with other concepts such as the body and sexuality (but also race, class and religion).

- To develop a basic ability to analyse a literary text from both a thematic and ideological perspective and a formal (narratological) one.
- Be able to navigate the themes covered in the module, paying attention to their historical development and socio-cultural complexity, and be able to compare different texts
- Improve one’s ability to read literary texts in English, paying attention to both form and content
- Demonstrate proficiency in writing short responses to clear, targeted questions designed to assess comprehension of a text.