1. Students will gain an understanding of how literary theory and criticism function as an academic discipline in relation to the study of literature in English, including the historical and conceptual backgrounds relative to the theoretical areas studied, and their respective key concepts and issues. They will demonstrate this knowledge in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.
2. Students will develop an ability to understand the particular language of the various theoretical approaches examined, and to articulate this critical discourse correctly in relation to issues of literary analysis and interpretation. They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.
3. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the scope of literary theory and interpretation, including its integration of concepts derived from various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, while being able to explain how and why such concepts are applied to the study of literary and other texts. They will demonstrate this comprehension in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

1. Students will gain an understanding of how literature theory and crisis function as an academic discipline in relation to the study of literature in English, including the historical and conceptual backgrounds relative to the theoretical areas studied, and their respective key concepts and issues. They will demonstrate this knowledge in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.
2. Students will develop an ability to understand the particular language of the various theoretical approaches examined, and to articulate this critical discussion correctly in relation to issues of literature analysis and interpretation. They will demonstrate this ability in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.
3. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the scope of literature theory and interpretation, including its integration of concepts derived from various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, while being able to explain how and why such concepts are applied to the study of literature and other texts. They will demonstrate this comprehension in research papers, response papers, in presentations, and in daily classroom discussions and in-class work.

This course will present a detailed overview of the major figures and movements in Literary Theory and Criticism, beginning with Formalism, and including Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, Marxism, Post-Structuralism, Deconstruction and Post-Modernism, Feminism, Gender Studies, Gay and Lesbian Theory and Criticism, Historicism, Ethnic and Postcolonial Criticism, and Cultural Studies. Students will read and critically examine the major texts of these respective areas, while learning how literary theory is applied to the criticism of texts and ideas. The course will emphasize student application of the methods and practices of literary theory and criticism, as informed by its key ideas and concepts.

This course will present a detailed overview of the major figures and movements in Literary Theory and Criticism, beginning with Formalism, and including Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, Marxism, Post-Structuralism, Deconstruction and Post-Modernism, Feminism, Gender Studies, Gay and Lesbian Theory and Criticism, Historicism, Ethnic and Postcolonial Criticism, and Cultural Studies. Students will read and critically examine the major texts of these respective areas, while learning how literature theory is applied to the criticism of texts and ideas. The course will emphasize student application of the methods and practices of literature theory and criticism, as informed by its key ideas and concepts.

Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, eds. Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley- Blackwell, 2010).

Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, eds. Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley- Blackwell, 2010).