Course : American Fiction

This course is designed to offer an overview of the major authors and dominant literary movements in American fiction from the 19th century to the present; with a view to pointing at the diversity, richness and socio-historical dimensions of fiction in the United States, but also the multifaceted, complex character of the nation. This introduction to American Fiction is performed predominantly through short stories, as the short form is considered to be most appropriate for such an extensive exploration: short stories speak of the prevailing themes and preoccupations, while creating an opportunity to expand and elaborate on their authors' work at large; they offer the students the opportunity to learn about key concepts of fiction, such as "style", "character" or "point of view", among others, in a comprehensive yet concise manner; and, placed within this context, they offer a consistency of form that is deemed necessary for the students to engage in processes of juxtaposition, contrast and comparison that will allow them to both trace the developments in American Fiction and place literary production within its socio-historical background.