Since the 1940's "literary theory" has emerged as a vibrant and vital aspect of literary studies. The term covers a wide range of formal, historical, and critical approaches to literature and culture that have changed the ways we read. This course investigates selected trends and schools of modern literary theory in diverse texts and contexts. These can include formalism, Practical Criticism, and the New Criticism; French Structuralism and the various modes of post-structuralism (Semiotics, Deconstruction, Reader-response, Speech-act theory); historicism and the New Historicism; as well as broader modes of cultural critique such as Feminism, Marxism, Critical Theory and the Frankfurt School, Post-colonialism, Critical Race Theory, and more. Provides ENG Major Elective credit and ENG minor credit.

Since the 1940's "literary theory" has emerged as a vibrant and vital aspect of literary studies. The term covers a wide range of formal, historical, and critical approaches to literature and culture that have changed the ways we read. This course investigates selected trends and schools of modern literary theory in diverse texts and contexts. These can include formalism, Practical Criticism, and the New Criticism; French Structuralism and the various modes of post-structuralism (Semiotics, Deconstruction, Reader-response, Speech-act theory); historicism and the New Historicism; as well as broader modes of cultural critique such as Feminism, Marxism, Critical Theory and the Frankfurt School, Post-colonialism, Critical Race Theory, and more. Provides ENG Major Elective credit and ENG minor credit.