Theories of Literature

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In literature and the humanities, we use the term theory to demarcate a way of looking at things. For example, a gender theorist insists upon the importance of gender or sexual identities, a Marxist theorist emphasizes how economic conditions affect social and political realities, and a narrative theorist examines the importance of such matters as perspective and plotting in storytelling. Rather than promoting one theoretical perspective, this course surveys numerous styles of literary theory and criticism. Students will come to understand key features and issues in topics such as: aesthetic theory; Marxism; psychoanalysis; various feminisms, gender theory and masculinity; structuralism and post-structuralism; race and ethnicity studies; and more. There is a great deal of sheer fun and surprise in learning about these various approaches. But such knowledge is also empowering, raising our consciousness concerning our own commitments and interests as readers and citizens. This course is therefore of special value to students anticipating subsequent thesis writing or graduate study in the humanities, social sciences, and law. Our principal text is The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism (3rd Ed.). It's a typically huge Norton tome but worth the wrist damage as a superb launching point into numerous areas of literary and cultural theory. Graded coursework involves several midterm papers and a final paper exploring a point of theory controversy that interests you individually, critiquing a theorist or applying a theoretical approach to a literary or cultural context of your choosing. Regular journal writings and active participation are also graded factors.