Figures
Preliminary Remarks
Preface to the Fourth Edition
Acknowledgments
1. What Is Literature? What Is a Text?
Genre, Text Type, and Discourse
Primary and Secondary Sources
Paratexts
2. Major Genres in Literary Studies
Fiction
Poetry
Drama
Film
3. Periods of Literature
4. Theoretical Approaches to Literature
Text-Oriented Approaches
Author-Oriented Approaches
Reader-Oriented Approaches
Context-Oriented Approaches
Literary Critique or Evaluation
Film Theory
5. Where and How to Find Secondary Literature
6. How to Write a Research Paper
Structuring Your Research Paper
Citing Your Sources: The MLA Style Guide
7. Suggestions for Further Reading
General Literary Terminology
Authors and Works
Literary Theory
Genres
Literary History
How to Write a Research Paper
Glossary of Literary and Cinematic Terms
References
Author and Title Index
Subject Index
Biography
Mario Klarer is Professor of American Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. His recent research interests focus on Mediterranean piracy and slavery. His publications include Barbary Captives (Columbia UP, 2022) and A Short Literary History of the United States (Routledge, 2014).
