Literary Criticism and Theory

Catalog description

This course investigates fundamental questions about what literature is and why it matters. What counts as literature? How does literature produce meaning? What is the relationship between literature and society? Can we read our lives like we read a text? In recent decades, literary critics and theorists have revolutionized our understanding of both literature and the world. This course will survey contemporary developments in literary criticism and theory while situating them within a long history stretching back to the ancients. Key topics will include ecocriticism, critical race studies, gender studies, disability studies, postcolonial studies, media theory, and the history of the book. Satisfies Chinese Language and Literature major requirement. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives requirement. Satisfies the Diversity requirement in the English major. Prerequisites & Notes First-year students require permission of the instructor.