American Literature is a comprehensive and syllabus-oriented textbook designed for 6th Semester Major students of Dibrugarh University and other Indian Universities and Autonomous Colleges, strictly aligned with the FYUGP (NEP) syllabus. Written by Dr. S. Priyadharisini and Dr. Kritanjali Konwar, this book offers a structured, critical, and accessible exploration of major movements, genres, and representative texts of American literature.

The book begins by situating American writing within its literary and social contexts, introducing learners to key concepts such as the American Dream, social realism, folklore traditions, Black women’s writings, and poetic form. These foundational ideas help students understand how historical, cultural, and social forces shape American literary expression.

The drama section focuses on A Streetcar Named Desire, offering insight into modern American theatre and psychological realism. The African-American novel is represented through Beloved, a powerful text that engages with memory, slavery, and identity.

In the short story unit, learners study The Purloined Letter and Dry September, which highlight developments in detective fiction, modernism, and Southern social tensions. The poetry section offers a rich selection from Anne Bradstreet, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and Sherman Alexie, showcasing the diversity of American poetic voices and forms across periods.

With a clear distribution of marks (60 End-Sem + 40 In-Sem) and unit-wise coverage as prescribed in the syllabus, this book is ideal for examination preparation as well as conceptual understanding. Written in a clear, descriptive, and student-friendly manner, American Literature serves as an essential academic resource for undergraduate learners engaging with American literary studies under the NEP framework.