ENGH 309: Topics in Literature

ENGH 309-001: Disability in Literature
(Spring 2026)

10:30 AM to 11:45 AM TR

Thompson Hall 1017

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Section Information for Spring 2026

ENGH 309 - 001: Disability in Literature

Before 1840 or so, the word “normal” commonly meant “perpendicular”: this meaning derived from the carpenter’s square, called a “norm.”  Today we assume a very different idea of “normal,” one shaped by concepts of health.  How did people make sense of themselves and each other without this sense of “normal,” and how did this idea come to have the power that it holds today?  This course focuses on 18th and 18th-century British literature, and concludes with a look at the politics of disability studies today.  It considers wonder, the monstrous, cruelty, pain, laughter, sentiment, and the freak as categories used to frame very different behaviors, minds, and bodies.  Authors read will include John Locke, William Wordsworth, and Charles Dickens.

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 1-3

Studies literature by topics, such as women in literature, science fiction, and literature of the avant garde. Notes: Topic varies. May be repeated for credit when topic is different. Offered by English. May be repeated within the term.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Recommended Prerequisite: Satisfaction of University requirements in 100-level English and in Mason Core literature.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.