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.
Gangster Fiction: Rise of an American Antihero
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
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.
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
February 2026
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 4 modules in this course
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.
What's included
7 videos3 readings3 assignments
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.
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 assignment
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.
What's included
9 videos2 readings3 assignments
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.
What's included
6 videos1 reading3 assignments
Instructor
Offered by
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Felipe M.
Jennifer J.
Larry W.
Chaitanya A.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
More questions
Financial aid available,
¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.