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Gangster Fiction: Rise of an American Antihero

Ce cours n'est pas disponible en Français (France)

Nous sommes actuellement en train de le traduire dans plus de langues.

Gangster Fiction: Rise of an American Antihero

Instructeur : Randall Fullington

Inclus avec

4 modules

Obtenez un aperçu d'un sujet et apprenez les principes fondamentaux.

niveau Débutant

Expérience recommandée

8 heures à compléter

Planning flexible

Apprenez à votre propre rythme

4 modules

Obtenez un aperçu d'un sujet et apprenez les principes fondamentaux.

niveau Débutant

Expérience recommandée

8 heures à compléter

Planning flexible

Apprenez à votre propre rythme

Ce que vous apprendrez

Academic Track: Analyze how fiction uses literary techniques examine American values related to power, identity, class, and morality.
Community Track: Lead conversations that connect moral tensions in gangster fiction to your experience and explain why the genre remains compelling.
Creative Track: Create original stories using gangster fiction techniques, adapting its language, symbols, and dynamics to contemporary settings.

Compétences que vous acquerrez

Catégorie : Liberal Arts
Catégorie : Creative Problem-Solving
Catégorie : Critical Thinking
Catégorie : Writing
Catégorie : Creative Thinking
Catégorie : Media and Communications
Catégorie : Writing and Editing
Catégorie : Analytical Skills
Catégorie : Storytelling
Catégorie : Culture
Catégorie : Creativity

Détails à connaître

Certificat partageable

Ajouter à votre profil LinkedIn

Récemment mis à jour !

février 2026

Évaluations

10 affectations¹

Noté par l'IA voir l'avis de non-responsabilité

Enseigné en Anglais

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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Il y a 4 modules dans ce cours

This four-week course explores the American gangster novel as a distinctive literary genre that reveals the complexity of American identity, ambition, and moral drive. Centered on W. R. Burnett’s Little Caesar (1929), one of the foundational texts of gangster fiction, the course examines how fictional gangsters emerge as uniquely American antiheroes—figures who are admired and condemned, charismatic and isolated. Through close reading and literary analysis, students will explore characterization, narrative structure, language, religious symbolism, and public persona, while situating the gangster within broader cultural conversations about power, masculinity, and immigration. Designed for multiple ways of engaging with literature, the course offers tracks in academic analysis, book-club discussion, and creative reflection, treating gangster fiction not as a static genre but as a living form that continues to shape how we understand ambition, identity, and storytelling in American culture.

Détails du module

Week one introduces the gangster as a uniquely American antihero and examines W.R. Burnett's "Little Caesar" (1929) as the foundational text of the gangster fiction genre. Students will explore the historical context of Prohibition-era Chicago, Burnett's literary innovation in portraying criminals as protagonists, and the defining characteristics of literary gangsters.

Inclus

7 vidéos4 lectures3 devoirs

7 vidéosTotal 32 minutes

Introduction to Gangster Fiction5 minutes
Characteristics of the Literary Gangster6 minutes
The Gangster's Dual Identity and Appeal4 minutes
Three Approaches to this Course and a Note on AI6 minutes
A Quick Note on Pop Culture in Gangster Fiction3 minutes
Finding Little Caesar and Historical Impact4 minutes
Burnett's Gangster Philosophy & Literary Innovation4 minutes

4 lecturesTotal 21 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support1 minute
Where to Find the Book and a Reading Plan5 minutes
Supplementary Material - Pictures, Videos, and Music10 minutes
Choose Your Assignment Option5 minutes

3 devoirsTotal 90 minutes

Academic Learners: Research Paper Preparation30 minutes
Community Track: Discussion Guide Development30 minutes
Creative Track: Character Sketch30 minutes

Week two focuses on close reading and literary analysis of Little Caesar, examining Burnett's characterization of Rico Bandello, the dual "animal/revolutionary" portrayal, and Burnett's innovative use of vernacular language and sentence structure. Students will analyze how literary techniques contribute to the novel's effectiveness and explore the gangster's moral complexity.

Inclus

6 vidéos1 lecture1 devoir

6 vidéosTotal 23 minutes

Rico as a "Gutter Macbeth"4 minutes
Rico and Animal Imagery4 minutes
Rico as Revolutionary4 minutes
Language and Authenticity in Little Caesar 3 minutes
Rhythm and Structure in Burnett's Prose4 minutes
How Gangster Language Seduces the Reader3 minutes

1 lectureTotal 10 minutes

Supplementary Material: Pictures, Videos, and Music10 minutes

1 devoirTotal 30 minutes

Giving Voice to a Gangster30 minutes

Week three examines the structure of Little Caesar, the role of Chicago as setting, and the gangster's obsession with public image and reputation. Students will analyze how gangsters construct their identities through media, appearance, and performance, and how Burnett's novel self-reflexively examines the role of writing and literacy within gangster culture.

Inclus

9 vidéos2 lectures3 devoirs

9 vidéosTotal 40 minutes

Religion in Little Caesar - Introduction and Ma Magdalena 5 minutes
Father McConagha and Tony's Confession4 minutes
Rico's Final Words and Religious Meaning4 minutes
Structure of Little Caesar - Introduction and Parts 1-34 minutes
Structure of Little Caesar - Parts 4-64 minutes
Structure of Little Caesar - Part 7 and Conclusions5 minutes
The Gangster's Public Persona4 minutes
Rico's Obsession with Media Coverage5 minutes
Reputation, Race, and Rico's Fall6 minutes

2 lecturesTotal 20 minutes

Supplementary Material: Pictures, Videos, and Music10 minutes
Copy of Choose Your Assignment Option10 minutes

3 devoirsTotal 90 minutes

Academic Track: Moral Power vs. Moral Authority in Little Caesar30 minutes
Community Track: The Desire to Be “Somebody”30 minutes
Creative Track: Persona Under Pressure30 minutes

Week four steps beyond Little Caesar to examine how language, books, publicity, and narrative function as tools of power in both fiction and everyday life. By tracing how Rico constructs his public persona—and how Burnett elevates vernacular speech—we explore different forms of literacy and what they reveal about status, ambition, and identity. The week culminates in applying literary analysis to film, media, and the stories we tell about ourselves.