LIT - Literature

This course explores the concepts of doing primary research on target cultures, as well as ethical issues involved in performing such research. It may be taught on-site in an international setting. In addition, the course provides students opportunities to perform primary (firsthand) research and gain field experience on an issue of their choice that is related to the culture or community being studied. For example, students can investigate a particular environmental or social issue pertinent to the setting, culture or community.

Explores the vicarious experience of warfare and the practical and moral problems associated with command.

A study of the techniques, history and development of selected literature and film classics. Content may vary depending on instructor.

An introduction to one of the most popular literary genres, the novel, with particular focus on the varied relations novelists establish between individual and society, audience and storyteller, to entertain, unsettle and inspire readers.

This course will investigate the roots, elements and nature of poetry in an effort to make poetry a rich source of pleasure for a lifetime. We will read poetry of all types from all ages, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary.

An introduction to the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, including a survey of the texts and an introduction to the staging and poetry of the work. The objectives of this course are to familiarize students with the work and techniques of a great poet and playwright. For English and writing majors, it is essential. For all students, a familiarity with Shakespeare is a cornerstone of a well-rounded liberal arts education.

A survey of major world authors from the ancient world through the Renaissance.

A survey of major world authors from the 18th century to the present.

A survey of major authors and literary trends up to the 18th century.

A survey of major authors and trends from the 19th century to the present. LIT 206 is not a prerequisite for LIT 207.

A survey of major authors and literary trends from colonial and revolutionary periods to the westward expansion.

A survey of major authors and literary trends from the Civil War to modern times.

A study of great myths and epics from Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, classical Rome, medieval Europe and Africa. Open to all students.

In this introductory course students will study and practice various ways of reading and interpreting literary texts. The course will acquaint students with the methods and materials of literary scholarship and the specific vocabulary needed to identify and discuss a range of major 20th-century theories that helped shape English as a discipline.

A survey of contemporary African authors.

This course critically examines women's writing and may incorporate a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. The texts come from a variety of traditions, from classic texts by women writers to the avant-garde, and from a variety of historical and literary periods.

A study of the transformation of short stories and novels to the screen aimed at an enhanced appreciation of both the written page and the visual medium.

A study of selected novels by major contemporary authors.

A study of traditional or experimental fiction, non-fiction or poetry at the introductory level. May be repeated if the content varies.

Studies include survey of modern drama (Ibsen to the present), contemporary British drama, contemporary American drama or modern Continental drama. May be repeated if content varies.

A study of the Romantic Movement from Blake to Keats.

A study of Victorian literature from Carlyle to Kipling.

An introduction to the major poets and schools of modern and contemporary poetry in England and the United States.

An advanced study of several of Shakespeare's finest romances and tragedies, involving a close analysis of the texts and incorporating a thorough grounding in the Renaissance mindset.

An advanced study of several of Shakespeare's finest comedies and history plays.

A selection of today's major living authors from around the world.

This course explores postcolonial identity in literature written by writers from the subcontinent. Particular attention will be given to cultural and historical issues that discuss the emergence of nationalism as a reaction to the British Raj, and the decolonization movements that contribute to the forming of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The primary texts will be literary, but we will ground our discussions in theoretical issues related to postcolonial studies.

This course is designed to focus on a variety of colonial and post-colonial literatures in Africa, the Caribbean, Indonesia or Latin America. It is a study of the representation of personal, racial and national identity in works from the selected region, written during the period of struggle against colonialism and afterwards. May be repeated if content varies.

Studies the major authors of the neoclassical period.

Investigation of medieval views of the world and humankind through close reading of several literary masterpieces.

The poetry, prose and drama of England's most glorious literary period, the 16th and 17th centuries.

This course explores four major ethnic heritages - Native American, Hispanic, African American and Asian American - through contemporary literature and film. Discussion of the unique historical background casts light upon multicultural expression in literature and film. Other arts, such as dance, music and folklore, enrich our appreciation of each community's artistic identity.

Close reading and analysis of one or more major poets. May be repeated if content varies.

A study of Irish fiction, drama, poetry, memoir and film of the 20th and 21st centuries. Includes the influences of colonialism, politics, sectarianism, religion and notions of family and women's roles on this body of literature. Includes a study of major writers from the early part of the 20th century, such as James Joyce, and their influence on contemporary writers.

This course examines sex, gender and marriage in literature of the early American republic (1775-1815) via its rogues, flirts, virgins, crossdressers, fallen women, mothers, fathers, husbands and wives. In particular, the course will be scrutinizing seduction, didacticism, gender construction and republican mother/wifehood. We will also read, write about and evaluate current scholarship concerning these issues.

A capstone course focused on a defined area of literary study, such as a major author, literary movement or genre. Content varies depending on instructor. Especially recommended for students going on to professional or graduate school.

A study of significant contemporary literary theories. Selected approaches to literary texts may include formalist, Freudian, reader response, poststructural, cultural and new historicist criticism.

Drawing on various disciplines, this course focuses on methods for "reading" culture and contemporary consciousness, concentrating on word and image in the formation of attitudes, ideologies and myths. Introduces cultural analysis and a metalanguage through which students can understand the competing sign systems and discourses of culture.

Deals with different subjects each time course is offered and may be repeated for credit.