American Literature by Dr. S. Priya Dharsini is a comprehensive textbook designed for B.A. 3rd Semester English (Honours) students, prepared as per the latest NEP & CBCS syllabus prescribed by Indian universities. Published by Mahaveer Publications, Dibrugarh, this book offers a detailed exploration of the rich and diverse traditions of American writing from the colonial period to the modern age.

The text introduces students to key literary movements, major authors, and influential works that have shaped the American literary landscape. It blends critical analysis, historical background, and thematic understanding, helping students appreciate the evolution of American thought, culture, and identity through literature.

Written in a lucid and student-friendly style, the book features:

• Comprehensive coverage of prose, poetry, fiction, and drama from various American periods

• Short introductions to major writers and movements like Puritanism, Transcendentalism, Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism

• Analytical summaries and critical interpretations of prescribed texts

• Questions and references that support exam preparation and classroom discussion

Ideal for undergraduate English Honours students, this book serves as a valuable guide for understanding the core essence of American literature, its evolution, and its relevance in the global literary canon. 

Contents

UNIT I – NOVEL

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — Mark Twain

• Background of American Novel

• Themes, Characters, and Style

UNIT II – SHORT STORIES

1. The Purloined Letter — Edgar Allan Poe

2. The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. Dry September — William Faulkner

UNIT III – POETRY

1. The Prologue — Anne Bradstreet

2. A Bird Came Down the Walk — Emily Dickinson

3. Because I Could Not Stop for Death — Emily Dickinson

4. Selections from Leaves of Grass — Walt Whitman
     - O Captain! My Captain!
     - Passage to India (lines 1–68)

UNIT IV – POETRY (Contd.)

1. Mending Wall — Robert Frost

2. Crow Testament — Sherman Alexie

3. Evolution — Sherman Alexie

4. I, Too — Langston Hughes