Information Package
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Program of American Culture and Literature (English)

ACL487

COLD WAR FICTION

Course Code
ACL487
Semester
-
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
4
Course TypeElective Course
Course LevelBachelor's Degree
Year of Study-
Semester-
ECTS4
Name of Lecturer(s) -
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of historical, cultural and political context of the Cold War fiction.
  2. Approach critically to the key issues and themes in Cold War fiction.
  3. Acquire the knowledge of narrative strategies employed in Cold War fiction.
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme Components
Course DescriptionThis course aims to focus on literary and cultural representations of the Cold War, to explore the socio-political tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, and to discuss the struggle between capitalism and communism in the second half of the 20th century. The course explores the effects of the Cold War period on the national and individual identity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality and religion and the discursive construction of the enemy and the other through a close analysis of the spy, espionage, and trauma novels that employ modern or postmodern narrative techniques.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction: George Kennan, "Sources of Soviet Conduct" (1947). Martin J. Medhurst, "Rhetoric and Cold War: A Strategic Approach" in Cold War Rhetoric: Strategy, Metaphor, and Ideology, pp. 19?27.
2nd Week What is Cold War Fiction?
3rd Week Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
4th Week Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
5th Week The Last Thing He Wanted, Joan Didion
6th Week The Last Thing He Wanted, Joan Didion
7th Week Midterm
8th Week The Book of Daniel, E. L. Doctorow
9th Week The Book of Daniel, E. L. Doctorow
10th Week The Book of Daniel, E. L. Doctorow
11th Week Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
12th Week Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
13th Week Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
14th Week Revision
Recommended or Required ReadingBelletto, Steven and Daniel Grausam, editors. American Literature and Culture in an Age of Cold War: A Critical Reassessment. University of Iowa Press, 2012
Grausam, Daniel. On endings: American postmodern fiction and the Cold War. University of Virginia Press, 2011.
Schaub, Thomas Hill. American fiction in the Cold War. University of Wisconsin Press, 1991.
Hammond, Andrew, editor. The Palgrave Handbook of Cold War Literature. Blackwell?s, 2020
Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
  • Questions/Answers
  • Presentation
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Mid-term 1 30
Assignment 1 15
Quiz 1 10
Presentation of Article 1 5
Total(%) 60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 40
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam 1 5 5
Preparation for Quiz 1 4 4
Individual or group work 14 3 42
Preparation for Final exam 1 5 5
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam 1 5 5
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 8 8
Homework 1 5 5
Article Presentation 1 4 4
Total Work Load120
Total Work Load / 30 (h)4
ECTS Credit of the Course4
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

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