Literatures of Protest: Reading and Political Action

Module code: EN3021

From the earliest writings about the Americas, to slave narratives, to the form of the open/viral letter on social media, American writing has often taken the form of protest literature that sought to move readers to action in ingenious and sometimes (un)convincing ways.

This module allows you to explore your own readerly responses to a range of literary texts, considering, for example, the strategies employed by authors in aid of a particular cause.

In the final year of your degree, you'll be given the opportunity to refocus your study on the fundamental and instrumental questions of reading literature: why do authors write for protest? Why do we read such texts? What shared experiences unite readers? Can, or indeed, should reading move us to social, civic, or political action?