EWL 207 Introduction to Theory
In this course, students will study and practice various critical methodologies for reading, analyzing, and interpreting cultural and 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 texts and will have come to appreciate the range of critical methodologies that can be employed in such analysis.