Course Description:

This course will investigate the major schools of modern literary criticism, incorporating consideration of their development within an historical context. The course will also include the application of these theories to specific literary texts.

Course Objectives:
In English 551, students will be expected to

• explore the historical development of various modern critical schools,
• investigate the various theories associated with those schools,
• develop an understanding of the terminology associated with modern literary criticism,
• and explore the different ways in which these theories can be applied to specific literary texts.

• trace the development of different modern literary theories, considering their significance both in their historical contexts and to contemporary critical discourse;
• identify source or seminal ideas found in particular theories;
• isolate in each theory the core concepts and compare and contrast these concepts with those found in other critical systems;
• define and utilize the terms and expressions common throughout the field of criticism;
• and incorporate modern theories in the interpretation of individual works of literature.

• Students will be expected to complete all assigned readings for each session before coming to class and arrive prepared to discuss them.
• Written assignments will include weekly brief response papers (300-500 words) on the texts assigned for the course, one slighty longer critical response paper (1300-word min.), and one fully-documented critical research paper (6000-word minimum).
• The critical response paper will involve the exploration of a critical essay on one of the assigned literary texts and will explain in specific detail the ways in which the essay exemplifies the theories and perspectives associated with a particular school of criticism.
• The research paper will involve the development of a unique interpretation of a particular literary text, clearly incorporating one or more specific critical perspectives.
• The critical response paper and oral presentation must involve different critical perspectives.
• Written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late papers will be penalized.
• Students will also give a brief (20-30 minutes) oral presentation on one of the assigned readings.
• These presentations will involve the explanation of the assigned critical perspective for the class meeting, in addition to the presentation of an essay on one of the literary texts assigned for the course, and an explanation of how the essay exemplifies the critical perspective under consideration.
• ALL sources must be CLEARLY cited in the written version of the presentation.  Oral citation of sources will be insufficient and may lead to serious consequences (Please familiarize yourself with the Graduate School's guidelines on academic dishonesty, which can be found in the most recent catalog).
• Students will also experience a final, essay examination on the materials covered in the course.

Required Texts:

• Literary Theory: An Anthology, 2nd. Ed. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. NY: Blackwell, 2004.
• Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Ed. Paul H. Fry. NY: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999.
• Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism: Frankenstein. 2nd. Ed. Ed. Johanna Smith. NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000.

• (lt): Literary Theory
• (am): Ancient Mariner
• (f): Frankenstein
• : on-line link

Jan	28	Course Introduction
Feb	4	Formalisms: Russian Formalism and New Criticism (lt): 3-49
	11	Structuralism, Linguistics, Narratology (lt): 53-71, 76-96 (am): 27-75 (odd pages only) (am): 79-96
	18	Rhetoric, Phenomenology, Reader Response (lt): 127-61, 217-21, 237-53 (am): 97-130 Deadline to Select Topic for Brief Oral Presentation
	25	Post-structuralism, Deconstruction, Post-modernism (lt): 257-61, 266-72, 300-39, 348-64 (am): 261-314
Mar	4	Psychoanalysis and Psychology (lt): 389-437, 441-86 (f): 19-189 (f): 262-95
	11	Historicisms (lt): 505-7, 533-83, 592-620 (am): 168-219 Randel, "Political Geography of Horror"
	18	Political Criticism: Marxism to Cultural Materialism (lt): 643-49, 659-85, 693-702 (am): 131-67 (f): 384-95 Critical Response Paper Due
	25	** Spring Break **
Apr	1	Feminism[s] (lt): 765-69, 795-98, 812-60 (f): 296-333 Goodwin, "Domesticity and Uncanny Kitsch"  Deadline for Research Paper Proposals
	8	Gender Studies (lt): 885-921, 935-56 (f): 334-67 (Carlson, "Gender" in CC to STC)
	15	Critical Race Theory (lt): 959-1030 Malchow, "Frankenstein's Monster and Images of Race"
	22	Colonial, Post-Colonial, and Transnational Studies (lt): 1071-74, 1100-50, 1224-29 Piper, "Inuit Diasporas: Frankenstein and the Inuit in England"
	29	Cultural Studies (lt): 1233-46, 1258-73, 1285-1309 (f): 396-431
May	6	Final Examination
	13	Final Research Paper Due

Selected Bibliography:

• Abrams, M. H. Doing Things With Texts: Essays in Criticism and Critical Theory. NY: Norton, 1991.
• Brooker, Peter, and Peter Widdowson.  A Practical Reader in Contemporary Literary Theory.  New York: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1996.
• Bruce, Fleming E.  Modernism and Its Discontents: Philosophical Problems of the Twentieth-Century.  New York: P. Lang, 1995.
• Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. NY: Routledge, 2006.
• Castle, Gregory. The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory. NY: Blackwell, 2007.
• Childers, Joseph, and Gary Hentzi, eds.  The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism.  New York: Columbia UP, 1995.
• Christian, Barbara. Black Feminist Criticism: Perspectives on Black Women Writers. NY: Teachers College Press, 1985.
• ---. New Black Feminist Criticism: 1985-2000. Ed. Gloria Bowles, et al. Champaign: U Illinois P, 2007.
• Corrado, Federici, and Esther Ravent, eds.  Literary Texts & the Arts: Interdisciplinary Perspectives.  New York: P. Lang, 2003.
• Culler, Jonathan.  On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism After Structuralism.  Ithaca, NY: Cornell Up, 1982.
• Eagleton, Terry.  Literary Theory: An Introduction.25th Anniversary Edition. NY: Blackwell, 2008.
• Eldridge, Richard T. Literature, Life, and Modernity.  New York: Columbia UP, 2008.
• Felman, Shoshana. Literature and Psychoanalysis: The Question of Reading: Otherwise. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1982.
• Fish, Stanley. Doing What Comes Naturally: Change, Rhetoric, and the Practice of Theory in Literary and Legal Studies.  Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1987.
• Greenblatt, Stephen. Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare. Chicago: U Chicago P, 2005.
• Groden, Michael, et al. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. 2nd Ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004.
• Haase, Donald, ed.  Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches.  Detroit: Wayne State UP, 2004.
• Habib, Rafey.  Modern Literary Criticism and Theory: A History.  Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2008.
• Harmon, William, and Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature.11th Ed. NY: Prentice Hall, 2008.
• Hebdige, Dick.  Subculture: The Meaning of Style.  London: Routledge, 1993.
• Hutcheon, Linda, and Mario J. Valdas.  Rethinking Literary History: A Dialogue on Theory.  New York: Oxford U P, 2002.
• Jackson, Leonard.  The Dematerialisation of Karl Marx: Literature and Marxist Theory.  New York: Longman, 1994.
• Jameson, Frederick. Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Durham: Duke UP, 1992.
• Laquer, Thomas.  Making Sex: Body and Gender from the Greeks to Freud.  Cambridge UP, 1992.
• Leitch, Vincent. American Literary Criticism: From the Thirties to the Eighties. NY: Columbia UP, 1988.
• Lynn, Steven.  Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory.  3rd Ed.  New York: Addison-Wesley, 2001.
• Muller, John P. and William J. Richardson, eds. The Purloined Poe: Lacan, Derrida, and Psychoanalytic Reading. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1987.
• Nagele, Ranier. Reading After Freud: Essays on Goethe, Holderlin, Habermas, Nietzsche, Brecht, Celan. NY: Columbia UP, 1987.
• Said, Edward. Culture and Imperialism. NY: Vintage, 1994.
• ---. Orientalism. NY: Vintage, 1979.
• Sim, Stuart, ed.  The A-Z Guide to Modern Literary and Cultural Theorists.  New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1995.
• Smallwood, Philip, ed.  Critical Pasts: Writing Criticism, Writing History.  Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell UP, 2004.
• Tanselle, G. Thomas.  Textual Criticism and Scholarly Editing.  Charlottesville: Bibliographical Society of the U of Virginia, 2003.
• Webster, Roger. Studying Literary Theory: An Introduction. 2nd ed. London: Arnold, 1998.