COURSE CURRICULUM

During the first year of my American and English Literature degree, I was introduced to a wide range of literary traditions that helped lay the foundations for more advanced study. The modules focused not only on developing my critical reading and writing skills, but also on expanding my understanding of literature’s place within wider cultural and historical contexts. In Introduction to American Literature I and II, I explored the emergence of American literary identity, beginning with colonial texts and moving through to modernist works of the early 20th century. These modules encouraged me to think about how literature has shaped and been shaped by the American experience, from slavery and civil war to questions of freedom, identity, and modernity.Writing Across Borders deepened my appreciation for English as a global language by exploring how colonial history and cross-cultural encounters have influenced the way English is written and spoken today. It introduced me to a wide variety of literary texts and linguistic styles, prompting me to think critically about language, identity, and power. Meanwhile, Reading Now and Slow Reading taught me the importance of close, detailed textual analysis and showed me how to build strong, evidence-based interpretations of literary works. These modules not only strengthened my analytical abilities but also helped me develop an appreciation for the complexity of language and narrative form.In the second year, I studied Transatlantic Cultures and Contemporary American Fiction, where I examined cultural exchange between the US, Europe, and Africa, and explored how American writers engage with current issues such as identity, globalisation, and memory. These modules expanded my literary knowledge and sharpened my ability to engage in broader interdisciplinary conversations. Altogether, the first two years of my degree provided a rich, diverse learning experience and gave me a strong platform for further study and independent research.