This course introduces students to literary study with a focus on prose fiction, poetry, drama, and graphic narrative. We’ll examine the cultural importance of literature, considering the profound, transformative impact storytelling has on our understanding of the world, including the shape of morality and human identity.

In addition to strengthening our critical reading skills, we’ll also work to further develop our writing abilities. Writing assignments will range in style and formality; the major projects will include a creative component.

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Recognize and respond critically to a variety of literary genres.
• Understand and engage in the process of literary analysis.
• Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, and creative/critical thinking.
• Consider the historical, linguistic, and cultural contexts in which the literature was written and discuss how the literature functions within those contexts.
• Better understand themselves as readers and thinkers, having (re)examined their personal, political, and cultural concerns.

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. Anchor Books, 1986/1998. ISBN: 9780385490818

Kelly, Donika. Bestiary: Poems. Graywolf Press, 2016. ISBN: 9781555977588

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Mariner Books, 1990/2009. ISBN: 9780618706419

Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon, 2007. ISBN: 9780375714832

Shakespeare, William. Titus Andronicus. Folger/Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 9780671722920

Taylor, Tess. Work & Days. Red Hen Press, 2016. ISBN: 9781597097321