I. Catalog description
     Basically a course in the techniques of close analysis of literature.  Three hours.

 II. Prerequisite
      Graduate status

III. Purposes or objectives 
     A. To acquaint the student with the major works of theoretical and practical criticism from the classical to the modern period, with considerable attention to recent developments.
     B. To enhance the student's ability to read and write analytically on creative literature from various critical perspectives.

IV. Expectations of students
     A. Class participation and discussion of required textual materials
     B. Preparation of research paper and reports
     C. Successful completion of final examination

V. Course content

     The approach throughout the course will be to apply the critical theories listed below to particular stories, novels, poems, and plays.

     Aug. 21:  Introduction (Handbook, Chapter 1; Bonnycastle, "Introduction")
                     
     Aug. 28:  Origins of critical debate: Plato (Ion and Book X of The Republic), Aristotle (On Poetics), Horace (The Art of Poetry), Longinus (On the Sublime) (all available online)

     Sept. 4:  Textual criticism (Handbook, pp. 17-29)

     Sept. 11:  Traditional approaches: Historical-Biographical, Moral-Philosophical (Handbook, Chapters 2 and 3; Bonnycastle, Chapter 5)

     Sep. 18:  Formalist approach (Handbook, Chapter 5; Bonnycastle, Chapter 5)

     Sep. 25:   Psychological approach (Handbook, Chapter 6)

     Oct. 2:    Mythological and Archetypal approaches (Handbook, Chapter 7; Bonnycastle, Chapter 10)

     Oct. 9:  Structuralism (Handbook, pp. 362-380; Bonnycastle, Chapters 6 & 7)

     Oct. 16:  Deconstruction (Bonnycastle, Chapter 8)

     Oct. 23:  Feminist and Gender approaches (Handbook, Chapter 8; Bonnycastle, Chapter 14)

     Oct. 30:  Marxist, Postcolonial, and Multicultural Criticism (Bonnycastle, Chapters 15 & 16)

     Nov. 6:   New Historicism (Bonnycastle, Chapter 12)

     Nov. 13:  Reader Response (Reception) approach (Handbook, pp. 350-362; Bonnycastle, Chapter 13)

     Nov. 20:  "The Cultural Wars"  (assigned readings)

     Nov. 27:    Presentation of research papers (one critical approach applied to three different literary works, or three

                        different critical approaches applied to one literary work)

     Dec. 4:  Summation (Handbook, "Epilogue"; Bonnycastle, Chapter 17 & "Epilogue")

     Dec. 11:  Final Examination

VI. Textbooks
      A. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, 5th ed., ed. Wilfred A. Guerin and others. 
      B. In Search of Authority: An Introductory Guide to Literary Theory, 3rd ed., by Stephen Bonnycastle.

VII. Evaluation of students
      A. Four 15-20 minute oral reports (40%)
      B. Research paper (20%)
      C. In-class activities (20%)
      D. Final examination (20%)

    
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