ENGH 551: Introduction to Literary Theory
ENGH 551-001: Literary Criticism
(Spring 2012)
04:30 PM to 07:10 PM T
David J. King Hall 2054
Section Information for Spring 2012
The way in which imaginative texts may be approached expands far beyond the usual modes employed in many undergraduate classrooms. There, close reading of language is paramount: without knowing how to read the text "in itself" for imagery and other forms of verbal play and for the significance of form, there can be no understanding of the specificity of literature as a practice in language different from other practices in language.
However, such a naturalized form of reading represents only one of the strategies employed by academic critics. Starting with structuralism and semiotics and moving through a range of textual practices such as feminist theory, ideology critique, and poststructuralism, history, and the "death of the author," this course is designed to introduce you to the models of interpretation to which scholars and critics commit themselves when they read. Saussure, Barthes, Foucault, Cixous, and Said will be among the critics and theorists we'll read this term. Our aims in studying them will be myriad: to consider how to think politically or historically about literature and other cultural texts; to learn new ways of thinking about how texts mean, how they operate; and, with luck, to deepen our pleasure in the text.
Our writing assignments will be various, but the aim throughout will be to learn how to put the models we study and discuss into practice.
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Course Information from the University Catalog
Credits: 3
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
This course is graded on the Graduate 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.