An introduction to the principles and practice of close reading and literary criticism. Readings include a variety of literary modes, including fiction, poetry, and drama. An introduction to the analysis of poetry from ancient to contemporary. A wide range of material is read, using various methods of analysis. An introduction to the literatures of the world through close reading of short texts from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as Europe and the Americas.
Coursework includes frequent short writing assignments.
Despite the imperative to accept shocked silence as the most appropriate response to the Nazi genocide, the Holocaust experience has inspired a powerful and eloquent body of literary expression, especially in fiction and poetry. Works are considered both in their historical context and from the perspective of recent thought. An exploration of the impact of slavery as a defining force in American history. Uncle Tom's Cabin, and selected post-Civil War and contemporary works that focus on the race question and the New South. Continues with novels from the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement, and concludes with Alice Walker's 1982 novel, The Color Purple.