This seminar explores the essay genre and looks at essays from the 18th, 19th, and 20th century. We will look at various attempts to define the genre and explore the genre’s adaptability to various discourses and ways of thinking. We will cover two essays per seminar session and students will be expected to bring short written responses to each one of the essays the day of class. We will use student responses for our class discussion. Authors to be read will include Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, and Jamaica Kincaid among others.
| Frequency | Weekday | Time | Format / Place | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| weekly | Di | 10-12 | 20.10.2026-05.02.2027 |
| Module | Course | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23-ANG-M-GM3 Grundmodul 3: Contact Zones and Intercultural Studies | Cultural/Literary Contact USA | Study requirement
|
Student information |
| - | Graded examination | Student information | |
| 23-IAS-M-IAS4 North American Literature and the Processes of Culture | Cultural and Literary Contact in the U.S.A. I | Study requirement
|
Student information |
| Cultural and Literary Contact in the U.S.A. II | Study requirement
|
Student information | |
| - | Graded examination | Student information | |
| 23-IAS-M-IAS6 Advanced Studies of Literatures and Cultures of the Americas / Estudios avanzados de literaturas y culturas de las Américas | NorthAmerican Literatures in Context | Study requirement
|
Student information |
| - | Graded examination | Student information |
The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.