ENG 275 - Theory & Methods of English Studies

1 course unit

Intended primarily as a foundations course for current and prospective English majors and minors, Theory & Methods of English Studies develops a common language and shared ideas about the enterprise called English Studies. It requires close readings of works in three different genres ─ poetry, plays, and fiction ─ focusing on various crisis points in literary history: the Renaissance, the Romantic revolution, and the Modernist moment. We consider, of course, the theory and methods of English studies as these have evolved over time, but especially since the 1970s to the present. We examine the history of English as a discipline, what it means to call something “literary,” as well as questions of why and how people go about analyzing literary texts and how literary and critical practices change over time.
Meets general academic requirements L and W or HU and W.