Anglo-American Cultures I
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding: students, who are expected to know and be able to apply basic cultural studies methodologies, will be led to better define and analyse the relationships between culture, discursive strategies, social phenomena, mass communication, production and consumption of cultural products, and to analyze them from the perspective of ideology and their social, spatial, historical and political contexts. Within the frame of their improved language competences and awareness , they will be led to gain an improved awareness of the relationship between language and cultures within the US context and in connection with the chosen syllabus. MA courses are meant for qualitative, more than quantitative, study and tends to privilege a limited number of texts that must be read and analyzed with sophisticated skills.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will be required to be fluent in both written and spoken English in approaching texts and topics of relevant complexity and belonging to the field of culture, society and literature, managing the required critical lexis and organizing contents coherently. They must prove familiar with the texts proposed in the syllabus and they must be able to analyse them both at the syntagmatic level and at the paradigmatic one.
Moreover they must prove able to approach texts and topic autonomously, exploiting the methodological tools acquired during their MA training, therefore completing their linguistic training through the cultural one.
Moreover they must prove able to approach texts and topic autonomously, exploiting the methodological tools acquired during their MA training, therefore completing their linguistic training through the cultural one.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Title: Cultural Representations of New York City
Course Description:
This course explores the cultural representations of New York City through a selection of literary texts, films, and graphic novels. It aims to provide students with critical tools to analyze how the city has been imagined and narrated across different historical periods and artistic forms.
Unit 1: 1920s-1940s
New York in The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression
F. S. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
H. Roth, Call It Sleep (1934)
D. Parker, "From the Diary of a New York Lady" (1933)
R. Ellison, Prologue to Invisible Man (1952)
Graphic novel: W. Eisner, A Contract with God (1978)
Photography: Lewis Hine, Photographs of the Empire State Building (1935)
Unit 2: 1950s-2001
New York from the Cold War to 9/11
G. Paley, "The Loudest Voice" (1959)
J. Didion, "Sentimental Journeys" (1991)
Graphic novel: A. Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Tower (2002)
Film: S. Lee, Do the Right Thing (1989)
Course Description:
This course explores the cultural representations of New York City through a selection of literary texts, films, and graphic novels. It aims to provide students with critical tools to analyze how the city has been imagined and narrated across different historical periods and artistic forms.
Unit 1: 1920s-1940s
New York in The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression
F. S. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
H. Roth, Call It Sleep (1934)
D. Parker, "From the Diary of a New York Lady" (1933)
R. Ellison, Prologue to Invisible Man (1952)
Graphic novel: W. Eisner, A Contract with God (1978)
Photography: Lewis Hine, Photographs of the Empire State Building (1935)
Unit 2: 1950s-2001
New York from the Cold War to 9/11
G. Paley, "The Loudest Voice" (1959)
J. Didion, "Sentimental Journeys" (1991)
Graphic novel: A. Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Tower (2002)
Film: S. Lee, Do the Right Thing (1989)
Prerequisites for admission
Students should be able to read and understand complex texts in English and express a critical opinion on the proposed content, while also demonstrating good methodological competence.
Teaching methods
The course combines lectures and seminar-style discussions. Guest speakers may be invited to present on specific topics.
Teaching Resources
PROVISIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY (to be confirmed at the end of the class)
Required primary texts
Novels (any edition)
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
Henry Roth, Call It Sleep (1934)
Short Stories and other texts (available online)
Dorothy Parker, "From the Diary of a New York Lady" (1933)
Ralph Ellison, "Prologue" Invisible Man (1952)
Grace Paley, "The Loudest Voice" (1959)
Joan Didion, "New York: Sentimental Journeys" (1991)
Optional texts
Graphic novels
Will Eisner, A contract with God (1978)
Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers (2002)
Films
Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing (1989)
Tv Miniseries
Ava DuVernay, When They See Us (2019)
Required critical bibliography
Chapters
Select 8 chapters from the list below based on your interests. All entries are available in digital forms at (Minerva, Open Access) https://sba.unimi.it/
Selections must be listed in a document to be presented at the oral exam.
Access materials via https://sba.unimi.it/ promptly, as access agreements may expire.
· The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of New York, eds. Cyrus R. K. Patell & B. Waterman (Cambridge UP, 2010)
o Ch. 11: T. Davis, "African American Literary Movements"
o Any other chapter of interest
· Activist New York: A History of People, Protest, Politics, ed. Steven H. Jaffe (NYU Press, 2018)
o Ch. 8-13 (topics include labor, suffrage, Harlem activism, Cold War, Civil Rights movements)
· New York, Jill S. Gross & Hank V. Savitch (Cambridge UP, 2023)
o Ch. 5: "Neighborhoods, Diversification, and Gentrification in the Megacity"
· Hollywood on the Hudson, Richard Koszarski (Rutgers UP, 2008)
o Introduction
· City That Never Sleeps, ed. Murray Pomerance (Rutgers UP, 2007)
o D. Sterritt, "He Cuts Heads: Spike Lee and the New York Experience"
o Any other chapter of interest
· Handbook of Comics and Graphic Narratives, eds. S. Domsch et al. (De Gruyter, 2021)
o Ch. 20: "Will Eisner: A Contract with God"
· The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald, ed. Michael Nowlin (Cambridge UP, 2023)
o Ch. 4: S. Churchwell, "The Modern Old Master"
· The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald, ed. Ruth Prigozy (Cambridge UP, 2006)
o Ch. 5: R. Berman, "The Great Gatsby and the Twenties"
· Handbook of the American Novel of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries, ed. Timo Mueller (De Gruyter, 2017)
o Andrew S. Gross, "F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925"
· Novels for Students, Gale
o Call It Sleep, pp. 22-50
· New Essays on Call It Sleep, ed. Hana Wirth-Nesher (Cambridge UP, 1996)
o Any essay
Optional Critical Bibliography
· George J. Lankevich, New York City: A Short History (NYU Press, 2002)
Additional Requirements for Non-Attending Students
In addition to the required texts and critical bibliography, non-attending students must read one of the following novels (any edition):
· Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence (1920)
· Paul Auster, City of Glass (1985)
Required primary texts
Novels (any edition)
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
Henry Roth, Call It Sleep (1934)
Short Stories and other texts (available online)
Dorothy Parker, "From the Diary of a New York Lady" (1933)
Ralph Ellison, "Prologue" Invisible Man (1952)
Grace Paley, "The Loudest Voice" (1959)
Joan Didion, "New York: Sentimental Journeys" (1991)
Optional texts
Graphic novels
Will Eisner, A contract with God (1978)
Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers (2002)
Films
Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing (1989)
Tv Miniseries
Ava DuVernay, When They See Us (2019)
Required critical bibliography
Chapters
Select 8 chapters from the list below based on your interests. All entries are available in digital forms at (Minerva, Open Access) https://sba.unimi.it/
Selections must be listed in a document to be presented at the oral exam.
Access materials via https://sba.unimi.it/ promptly, as access agreements may expire.
· The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of New York, eds. Cyrus R. K. Patell & B. Waterman (Cambridge UP, 2010)
o Ch. 11: T. Davis, "African American Literary Movements"
o Any other chapter of interest
· Activist New York: A History of People, Protest, Politics, ed. Steven H. Jaffe (NYU Press, 2018)
o Ch. 8-13 (topics include labor, suffrage, Harlem activism, Cold War, Civil Rights movements)
· New York, Jill S. Gross & Hank V. Savitch (Cambridge UP, 2023)
o Ch. 5: "Neighborhoods, Diversification, and Gentrification in the Megacity"
· Hollywood on the Hudson, Richard Koszarski (Rutgers UP, 2008)
o Introduction
· City That Never Sleeps, ed. Murray Pomerance (Rutgers UP, 2007)
o D. Sterritt, "He Cuts Heads: Spike Lee and the New York Experience"
o Any other chapter of interest
· Handbook of Comics and Graphic Narratives, eds. S. Domsch et al. (De Gruyter, 2021)
o Ch. 20: "Will Eisner: A Contract with God"
· The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald, ed. Michael Nowlin (Cambridge UP, 2023)
o Ch. 4: S. Churchwell, "The Modern Old Master"
· The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald, ed. Ruth Prigozy (Cambridge UP, 2006)
o Ch. 5: R. Berman, "The Great Gatsby and the Twenties"
· Handbook of the American Novel of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries, ed. Timo Mueller (De Gruyter, 2017)
o Andrew S. Gross, "F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925"
· Novels for Students, Gale
o Call It Sleep, pp. 22-50
· New Essays on Call It Sleep, ed. Hana Wirth-Nesher (Cambridge UP, 1996)
o Any essay
Optional Critical Bibliography
· George J. Lankevich, New York City: A Short History (NYU Press, 2002)
Additional Requirements for Non-Attending Students
In addition to the required texts and critical bibliography, non-attending students must read one of the following novels (any edition):
· Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence (1920)
· Paul Auster, City of Glass (1985)
Assessment methods and Criteria
A comprehensive oral exam assessing all course materials, with an emphasis on students' ability to critically engage with and articulate their preferred topics.
L-LIN/11 - ANGLO - AMERICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Scarpino Cinzia
Professor(s)