American War Literature

Syllabus winter 2015/2016

Teacher: Jasna Poljak Rehlicki, PhD
poljak.jasna@gmail.com / jpoljak@ffos.hr
Office hours: Wednesdays 10.00-11.00 am (91)
Moodle password: WARLIT

In this course we will read American prose texts that directly portray war and American soldiers starting
with the American Civil War, and then moving on to the World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the so called
Gulf Wars. Instead of examining these texts only for their literary merit, we will be concerned with how they
represent or engage various issues, such as the portrayal of war and soldiers, political and religious issues,
enemies, social ethos of their time, gender issues, and other cultural issues.

2 Oct

Introduction to the course

course requirements and policy
Northrop Frye's Theory of Modes
Discussion

9 Oct

American Myth of War

Introduction to American War Literature
presentation: American Civil War history and perception ______RADII/BOGUT
Stephen Crane The Red Badge of Courage

16 Oct
Presentation: World War I history and perception _____LULI/ESTAN
American Literature of WWI
Required reading next class: William March Company K
23 Oct
William March Company K analysis and discussion
written assignment - draft
30 Oct
written assignment on Company K - due
presentation: World War II history and perception ______SAJBERT/KOVAEVI
presentation: Holocaust ________MATKOVI/OBRADOVI
American WWII Literature
Required reading next class: Joseph Heller Catch 22

6 Nov
Joseph Heller Catch 22 analysis and discussion
written assignment draft
13 Nov
written assignment Catch 22 - due
presentation: Vietnam War history and perception ______BULJAN
American Vietnam War literature
20 Nov
Presentation: Vietnam War antiwar demonstrations ______GOGI/BONAI
Presentation: Vietnam War in popular culture ______JAGODANOVI
discussion
final paper guidelines
27 Nov
The Things They Carry guest lecture
Required reading for the lecture: Tim OBrien The Things They Carried CHAPTER I
Required reading next time: Tim OBrien The Things They Carried
4 Dec
Tim OBrien The Things They Carried analysis and discussion
written assignment draft
11 Dec
Born on the Fourth of July screening
Written assignment on The Things They Carried - due
18 Dec
Presentation: The Persian Gulf War history and perception ____________________
presentation: Iraq War history and perception _____LAZAR/VUKI
Required reading next time: Kayla Williams Love My Rifle More Than You
8 Jan 2015
Kayla Williams Love My Rifle More Than You analysis and discussion
presentation: military blogs _____________________________________________
written assignment draft
15 Jan
Written assignment on Love My Rifle More Than You
Jarhead/Generation Kill - screening

22 Jan
Final paper due