Literary Theory

3 units

Taught in English. After a brief review of some of the most important moments and figures in the history of aesthetic theory from Antiquity to the present, this course will focus on the development and expansion of literary theory and critical methodologies in the 20th century. We begin with an examination of the linguistic innovations of Saussure and their utilization in Russian formalism, phenomenology and structuralism. We will then examine many different forms of poststructuralist and postcolonial thought, treating in detail important areas of theoretical activity in gender/queer studies, New Historicism, and other contemporary approaches to texts and culture. The primary goal of the course is to make students critically aware of and professsionally comfortable with the rich diversity and usefulness of a wide range of contemporary literary theories. Required for all graduate students in French.