This introductory course explores literatures written in English from the perspective of literary historical periods, genres, and critical approaches. We will trace how particular literary traditions emerge in relation to developments in the cultural narratives of, for example, gender and sexuality, selfhood, nation and empire, capitalism, and the environment. We will consider how a literary text is an expression of a particular cultural moment, with all its social and material preoccupations, and yet makes meaning through a complex dialogue with past traditions. The course functions as an introduction to the study of literature, equipping students with conceptual, analytical, and writing tools that will help them become an informed reader of the many modes and manners of imaginative expression. Considerable emphasis will be placed on the development of critical skills in reading and writing.
This introductory course explores literatures written in English from the perspective of literary historical periods, genres, and critical approaches. We will trace how particular literary traditions emerge in relation to developments in the cultural narratives of, for example, gender and sexuality, selfhood, nation and empire, capitalism, and the environment. We will consider how a literary text is an expression of a particular cultural moment, with all its social and material preoccupations, and yet makes meaning through a complex dialogue with past traditions. The course functions as an introduction to the study of literature, equipping students with conceptual, analytical, and writing tools that will help them become an informed reader of the many modes and manners of imaginative expression. Considerable emphasis will be placed on the development of critical skills in reading and writing.
