ENGH 203: Western Literary Tradition

ENGH 203-001: Western Literary Traditions I
(Fall 2014)

01:30 PM to 02:45 PM MW

Section Information for Fall 2014

The readings of this course include a variety of works ranging from Biblical stories to an Early Modern play. The most recurrent motif will be the "hero" in all its manifestations, so we will treat this motif as a problem rather than an absolute: does a hero or heroine need to be physically superior to all others? Why do we admire heroes, but prefer that heroism take place "elsewhere"?  What are the personal and societal costs of an investment in heroism?  These are not the only motifs we will examine; for example, various configurations of family relationships will also be a recurring motif.

Some of our texts have been called "timeless," but part of our work will be to dismantle that oversimplification.  Further, the relation between texts and cultures is dynamic; it is not so much that the former somehow "reflect" the latter (a slippery idea at best) as that texts are both products of culture and producers of culture (to paraphrase one writer: we make our texts and our texts make us).  Working through these issues will require close, careful reading (quizzes when necessary).  Written work: several short "reading papers," three extended essays, and pre-class exercises.  There will be a final examination.

Course Information from the University Catalog