ATS3888 American literature
Faculty of Arts
ATS3888 American literature is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS3888
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS3888
No unit lists ATS3888 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.
Overview
In this unit, you will examine a range of novels, short stories, and poems which illuminate major themes in United States literature from the nineteenth century through to today. Topics explored may include: what it means to be 'American' and who decides; race and class division; the legacies of chattel slavery and colonial dispossession; regional differences; immigration and Jewish-American experience; gender and sexuality; the relationship between literature and popular culture.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- EssayWritten40%
- EssayWritten50%
- Analytical exerciseExercise10%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
critically analyse the work of an array of American writers from different periods and from different ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds;
- 2
discuss the role of literary texts in the construction of race, class, gender and/or national identity in the United States;
- 3
critically assess theoretical perspectives relevant to the understanding of American literature;
- 4
analyse the political and economic factors in the processes of literary production;
- 5
communicate research findings orally and in writing.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages students in actively applying their knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Learning resources
Required resources
There are required texts for this unit. Required texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore (https://www.monash.edu/retail/books) and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library (https://www.monash.edu/library).
Where it fits
ATS3888 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Sascha Morrell
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Sascha Morrell
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS3888?
ATS3888 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS3888 offered?
In 2026, ATS3888 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS3888?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS3888 have an exam?
No. ATS3888 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS3888?
ATS3888 is part of Literary studies.