L202 1904 LOCHRIE
Literary Interpretation

2:30p-3:45p TR (25) 3 cr.

COAS INTENSIVE WRITING SECTION. OPEN TO MAJORS ONLY. DECLARED MINORS OBTAIN AUTHORIZATION FROM BH442.

This course is an introduction to the various genres of literature, including fiction, drama, and poetry. It is also an exploration of the variety of ways that we read literature, the resources we bring to our interpretations, and the questions we ask of texts. We will pay particular attention to the role that language and style play in literary analysis. The goal of the course is to increase our textual power as readers, that is, to extend our ability to respond as readers to any text, to talk back and write back in a variety of ways. At the same time, we will be considering how different issues of gender, race, and culture influence both textual and reading practices. Among the authors we might be reading will be Caryl Churchill, Toni Morrison, William Shakespeare, E.M. Forster, and a variety of poets. In addition to short response papers, there will be three 5-page papers and a final exam in the course.