English: The Great American Novel, c. 1850-1987

<p>In this course, you are introduced to some of the most influential American novels from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. Through fiction, you explore how the United States has been represented, interpreted, and reimagined across different historical and cultural contexts.</p><p>This course centres on the concept of the Great American Novel, a long-debated term often used to describe American novels that in some way capture the essence, identity, or contradictions of the United States. During the course, you read six American novels published between approximately 1850 and 1987 and examine how these works represent the nation, what they suggest about American identity, and to what extent they can be understood as candidates for a “Great American Novel”.</p><p>At the same time, the concept itself is critically examined. You discuss whether the Great American Novel can be considered a genre in its own right, what assumptions about nation, culture, and the literary canon the concept is built upon, and which perspectives it includes—or excludes. The course also offers a broad introduction to the development of the American novel from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century.</p>