Since literary texts are human productions, the aesthetic value a work of literature is accorded, more often than not, lies in the ability of that work to depict the spirit of the era in which it was written. Therefore, in literature the elements of any movements could be thematic, formal and stylistics. Literary texts is a course designed for second year BA students at the Department of English Language - University of Mohamed Seddik Benyahia, Jijel. The overall aim of this course is to go over some literary movements that were played out in American literature. In doing so, students will establish a comprehensive understanding of literary genres. Moreover, they will discover what literary theory is and how literary criticism is to be applied to different literary texts.