EWL 207 Literary Analysis
In this course, students will study and put into practice various critical methodologies for reading, analyzing, and interpreting literary texts. They begin by learning about the history of the discipline, the rise of “Literature” as a distinct kind of writing, and the many questions and debates that continue to inform the work of literary critics and scholars. Throughout the course of the semester, they will develop an understanding of major schools of critical thought. By the end of the course, students will have strengthened their ability to read, analyze, and write about literature and will have come to appreciate the range of critical methodologies that can be employed in such analysis. Students will be well-prepared to move into higher-level English courses, to engage in the kind of reading and writing that will be expected of them in such courses, and to demonstrate the kind of critical thinking skills that will serve them academically, professionally, and personally.