Approaches to Literature
Course Description When commenting on (re)interpreting literature, Flannery O’Connor, one of the most popular southern writers of the twentieth century, said: “I find that everybody approaches [literature] according to his particular interest…and if they find what they want, or at least what they can recognize, then they judge the piece…to be superior” (Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose). One of O’Connor’s literary forerunners, F. Scott Fitzgerald, conveyed a similar sentiment when he wrote that he had gotten rich simply by telling people that he felt as they did (“Echoes of the Jazz Age”). Sampling a variety of literary works, including short stories, a play, and poems, this discussion-based, three-credit course introduces you to the terms and techniques frequently used to analyze literature in order to move from personal, subjective responses to more informed, objective readings—from what we like and/or understand to what we may not. Fulfilling one of the university breadth requirements for creative arts and humanities, the course offers you practice in speaking and writing about literary subjects as it cultivates skills in close reading and critical writing. It encourages you to synthesize ideas by creating analyses of literature that relate apparently disparate works to one another. Divided into three units (short stories, drama, poetry), the course exposes you to well-known and not as well-known literary texts on assorted topics by diverse authors. For the complete syllabus, click here For a sample homework response, click “The Things They Carried” For student comments, click here |