Literature
The Literature Section's mission is to maintain a level of excellence and innovation consistent with the best universities while remaining responsive to MIT's distinctive intellectual environment. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to literary texts as well as theoretical, generic, and thematic subjects that range across geographical and historical boundaries.
The Literature Section accommodates students with a wide variety of interests and diverse career choices. The major provides a solid grounding in the discipline but remains flexible enough to allow students to explore the particular domains that most interest them. Students graduating from the MIT Literature program have in recent years been admitted into the best doctoral programs in the country and abroad. For those not pursuing literature as a career, the program nonetheless develops transferable skills in writing, comprehension, and analysis relevant to a variety of different professional paths—from journalism, law, and medical school to work in the gourmet food industry or computer game design.
Depending on the depth of one's engagement, a student may major, minor, or concentrate in Literature. Regardless of the individual choice, our courses will introduce you to the pleasures of reading and interpretation, expose you to different ways of thinking about the world, and lead to a competence in writing and communication that will remain with you the rest of your life.
A supplement to this catalog is available before each semester, either online or from Literature Headquarters, Room 14N-407. It offers detailed descriptions of all subjects being taught that term and includes specific information about subject content and required texts.
Undergraduate Study
The Literature curriculum is arranged in four graduated categories:
- Introductory subjects (21L.000[J] to 21L.024) focus on major literary texts grouped in broad historical and generic sequences; all introductory subjects carry HASS and Communication-Intensive credit.
- Samplings (21L.310[J] to 21L.339[J], 21L.345 to 21L.355) are 6-unit subjects that provide both an alternative route into literary and filmic study and a less intensive means for students to sustain a commitment to reading and textual interpretation. Their focus is on critical exploration, comprehension, and group discussion, with less sustained attention to analytic writing skills. Students can combine most 6-unit Samplings subjects to count as a HASS subject in the Humanities category and the equivalent of a subject in the Intermediate tier. However, no more than four 6-unit subjects may be combined in this manner. See the HASS Requirement website or contact Literature Headquarters for details.
- Intermediate subjects (21L.400 to 21L.639[J]) explore literary and visual forms as well as critical analysis in greater depth. Some subjects center on historical periods, literary themes, or genres; others focus on media studies, comparative cultural studies, or national literatures.
- Seminar subjects (21L.640 to 21L.715) are usually restricted to students who have taken at least two previous subjects in Literature and encourage a greater degree of independent work, such as oral reports and other special projects. Enrollment in seminars is strictly limited to a maximum of 12 students.
The Literature Section also offers a few subjects in languages other than English (21L.607 to 21L.640[J]) for students with adequate preparation. If appropriate, they may count toward the Literature major and minor requirements after consultation with the major/minor advisor.
In addition, the Literature Section often offers 6-unit special subjects for credit during IAP. Students may also choose to take special subjects (21L.S88 to 21L.S97) and independent study or research supervised by a faculty member (21L.900 and 21L.901) during the fall and spring terms.
Concentrations in Literature are available in particular genres (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction) and in historical periods (e.g., ancient studies, 19th-century literature, modern and contemporary literature), as well as in media and film studies, world literatures and cultures, popular culture, minority and ethnic studies, literary theory, and a range of national literatures.
Bachelor of Science in Literature (Course 21L)
The program in Literature leading to the Bachelor of Science in Literature is equivalent to the curricula in English (or literary studies) at major liberal arts institutions. The Literature curriculum is notable also for its integration of materials drawn from film and media, popular culture, and minority and ethnic cultures.
Majors are required to take a minimum of 10 subjects, three of which must be seminars and no more than three of which may be introductory subjects. Students develop an appropriate course of study in consultation with a faculty advisor; majors choose from one of two areas in organizing four of their restricted electives (three for joint majors): historical periods or thematic complexes.
Joint Degree Programs
Joint degree programs are offered in Literature in combination with a field in engineering or science (21E, 21S). See the joint degree programs listed under Humanities.
Minor in Literature
The minor aims to lay a foundation for advanced study and to enhance a student's appreciation of major narrative, poetic, and dramatic texts in relation to the cultures that produced them. It consists of six subjects arranged into three levels of study as described below; at least two subjects must focus primarily on material prior to 1900.
| Tier I: Introductory Level | ||
| Select at least one and no more than two subjects from the following: | 9-24 | |
| Writing About Literature | ||
| Foundations of Western Literature: Homer to Dante | ||
| Foundations of Western Literature: From Shakespeare to the Present | ||
| Reading Fiction | ||
| Reading Poetry | ||
| Introduction to Drama | ||
| American Literature | ||
| World Literatures | ||
| Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Writing with Shakespeare | ||
| The Film Experience | ||
| Forms of Western Narrative | ||
| The Supernatural in Music, Literature and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Studies | ||
| Children's Literature | ||
| The Art of the Probable | ||
| Introduction to English Literature | ||
| Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction | ||
| Globalization: The Good, the Bad and the In-Between | ||
| Comedy | ||
| Darwin and Design | ||
| Folk Music of the British Isles and North America | ||
| Tier II: Intermediate Level | ||
| Select two or three subjects from the following: 1 | 21-36 | |
| Popular Culture and Narrative | ||
| Shakespeare on Film and Media | ||
| Understanding Television | ||
| Film Styles and Genres | ||
| Science Fiction and Fantasy | ||
| Literature and Film | ||
| The Wilds of Literature | ||
| Literary Theory | ||
| Ancient Authors | ||
| The Bible | ||
| Arthurian Literature | ||
| Major Novels | ||
| Jane Austen | ||
| Enlightenment and Modernity | ||
| Modern Fiction | ||
| Modern Drama | ||
| Modern Poetry | ||
| Contemporary Literature | ||
| Interactive Narrative | ||
| Introduction to the Classics of Russian Literature | ||
| The American Novel | ||
| Race and Identity in American Literature | ||
| American Authors | ||
| The Spanish Incubator | ||
| Old English and Beowulf | ||
| Literature and Social Conflict: Perspectives on the Hispanic World | ||
| Globalization and its Discontents: Spanish-speaking Nations | ||
| Tier III: Seminar Level | ||
| Select at least two of the following: | 24 | |
| The New Spain: 1977-Present | ||
| Literary Methods | ||
| Studies in Fiction | ||
| Studies in Drama | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| Major Authors | ||
| Studies in Film | ||
| Problems in Cultural Interpretation | ||
| Studies in Literary History | ||
| Media in Cultural Context | ||
| Total Units | 66-72 | |
| 1 | In most cases, two 6-unit Samplings subjects, or two 6-unit Literature subjects taught in Greek or Latin, may be combined to substitute for an intermediate-level subject. In addition, 6-unit Greek or Latin Reading subjects may be repeated once to substitute for an intermediate-level subject. |
Inquiries
Further information on subjects and programs may be obtained from Literature Headquarters, Room 14N-407, 617-253-3581.
Faculty and Teaching Staff
Mary C. Fuller, PhD
Professor of Literature
Head, Literature Section
Professors
James Buzard, PhD
Professor of Literature
Peter S. Donaldson, PhD
Ford International Professor in the Humanities
Professor of Literature
(On leave, fall)
Diana Henderson, PhD
Professor of Literature
Alvin C. Kibel, PhD
Professor of Literature
(On leave)
Ruth Perry, PhD
Ann F. Friedlaender Professor
Professor of Literature
(On leave)
Shankar Raman, PhD
Professor of Literature
Stephen James Tapscott, PhD
Professor of Literature
David Thorburn, PhD
Professor of Literature
Associate Professors
Sandy Alexandre, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
(On leave, fall)
Arthur W. Bahr, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
Eugenie Alexandra Brinkema, PhD
Associate Professor of Contemporary Literature and Media
Associate Professor of Comparative Media Studies/Writing
(On leave)
Stephanie Ann Frampton, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
Marah Gubar, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
Noel B. Jackson, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
Margery Resnick, PhD
Associate Professor of Literature
Assistant Professors
Laura Finch, PhD
Assistant Professor of Literature
Senior Lecturers
Wyn Kelley, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Literature
Lecturers
Randall Colaizzi, PhD
Lecturer in Literature
William Donaldson, PhD
Lecturer in Literature
Anne Fleche, PhD
Lecturer in Literature
Ina Lipkowitz, PhD
Lecturer in Literature
Joaquín Terrones, PhD
Lecturer in Literature
Professors Emeriti
John Hildebidle, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Literature
Louis Kampf, BA
Professor Emeritus of Literature
Irene Tayler, PhD
Professor Emerita of Literature
The subjects listed below are arranged in three graduated categories or tiers:
1) Introductory subjects (21L.000[J]-21L.024) all carry HASS Distribution and Communications Intensive (CI-H or CI-HW) credit.
2) Samplings (21L.310-21L.338, 21L.345-21L.355) are 6-unit subjects that provide both an alternative route into literary study and a less intensive means for students to sustain a commitment to reading and textual interpretation. Their focus is on critical exploration, comprehension, and group discussion, with less sustained attention to analytic writing skills. Students can combine two 6-unit Samplings subjects to count as a HASS subject in the Humanities category and the equivalent of a subject in the Intermediate tier. See the HASS Requirement website or contact Literature Headquarters for details.
3) Intermediate subjects (21L.430-21L.639[J]) explore literary and visual forms in greater depth and center on historical periods, literary themes, or genres; others focus on media studies, comparative cultural studies, or national literatures.
4) Seminars (21L.640[J]-21L.715) are more advanced and are often communication intensive.
A supplement to this catalog, available online and from the Literature Section offices, offers more detailed descriptions of all literature subjects and includes specific information about required texts, writing assignments, and examinations.
Introductory Subjects
21L.000[J] Writing About Literature
Same subject as 21W.041[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-HW
Intensive focus on the reading and writing skills used to analyze literary texts such as poems by Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare or Langston Hughes; short stories by Chekhov, Joyce, or Alice Walker; and a short novel by Melville or Toni Morrison. Designed not only to prepare students for further work in writing and literary and media study, but also to provide increased confidence and pleasure in their reading, writing, and analytical skills. Students write or revise essays weekly. Enrollment limited.
W. Kelley, I. Lipkowitz
21L.001 Foundations of Western Literature: Homer to Dante
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Studies a broad range of texts essential to understanding the two great sources of Western conceptions of the world and humanity's place within it: the ancient world of Greece and Rome and the Judeo-Christian world that challenged and absorbed it. Readings vary but usually include works by Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato, Virgil, St. Augustine, and Dante. Enrollment limited.
S. Frampton
21L.002 Foundations of Western Literature: From Shakespeare to the Present
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
A broad survey of texts, literary, philosophical, and sociological, studied to trace the growth of secular humanism, the loss of a supernatural perspective upon human events, and changing conceptions of individual, social, and communal purpose. Stresses appreciation and analysis of texts that came to represent the common cultural possession of our time. Enrollment limited.
J. Buzard
21L.003 Reading Fiction
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Introduces prose fiction, both stories and novels. Emphasizes historical context, narrative structure and close reading. Enrollment limited.
D. Thorburn
21L.004 Reading Poetry
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Emphasis on poetry in various forms (lyric, epic, and dramatic), chiefly in English-speaking countries. Syllabus usually includes works by Shakespeare, Milton, Donne, Keats, Dickinson, Frost, Eliot, Langston Hughes, Lowell, and Plath. Enrollment limited.
A. Bahr, S. Tapscott, M. Fuller, N. Jackson
21L.005 Introduction to Drama
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-A; CI-H
A study of the history of theater art and practice from its origins to the modern period, including its roles in non-Western cultures. Special attention to the relationship between the literary and performative dimensions of drama, and the relationship between drama and its cultural context. Enrollment limited.
A. Fleche, D. Henderson
21L.008[J] Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies
Same subject as 24.912[J], 21H.106[J], 21W.741[J], WGS.190[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-A, HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject 24.912[J].
M. Degraff
21L.009 Shakespeare
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Focuses on the close reading of six to eight of Shakespeare plays, as well as their adaptation for stage and/or film. Selected texts cover the range of genres in which Shakespeare wrote (i.e., history, comedy, tragedy, and romance). Special emphasis in some terms on performances and adaptions of Shakespearean drama around the world. Plays studied vary across sections and from term to term, and have recently included Henry IV Part 1, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, Othello, and The Tempest. Enrollment limited.
S. Raman, P. Donaldson
21L.010[J] Writing with Shakespeare
Same subject as 21W.042[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-HW
Focuses on writing and speaking using Shakespeare as a model and means for mastery of English language skills. Emphasizes the development of students' ability to write clearly and effectively in a range of genres with an awareness of audience. Designed to increase students' confidence and pleasure in verbal communication and analysis of language. Students write frequently, give and receive feedback, improve their work through revision, and participate actively in class discussions and presentations. Enrollment limited.
D. Henderson
21L.011 The Film Experience
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-3-6 units. HASS-A; CI-H
Concentrates on close analysis and criticism of a wide range of films, including works from the early silent period, documentary and avant-garde films, European art cinema, and contemporary Hollywood fare. Through comparative reading of films from different eras and countries, students develop the skills to turn their in-depth analyses into interpretations and explore theoretical issues related to spectatorship. Syllabus varies from term to term, but usually includes such directors as Eisenstein, Fellini, Godard, Griffith, Hawks, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Tarantino, Welles, and Wiseman.
E. Brinkema, D. Thorburn
21L.012 Forms of Western Narrative
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Examines a wide assortment of narrative forms, from Homer to the present, and considers why and how stories are told. Focuses on the close reading of literary and cultural issues, the emergence of different narrative genres, and how different media affect the construction and interpretation of narratives. Syllabus varies by term, but usually includes materials such as epics, novels, tales, short stories, films, television programs, graphic novels, and interactive games. Enrollment limited.
S. Frampton
21L.013[J] The Supernatural in Music, Literature and Culture
Same subject as 21M.013[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-A, HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject 21M.013[J]. Limited to 36.
C. Shadle, M. Fuller
21L.014[J] Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Studies
Same subject as 21H.007[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject 21H.007[J].
S. Frampton, E. Goldberg
21L.015 Children's Literature
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Analyzes children's literature from a variety of eras and genres, taking even the most playful texts seriously as works of art and powerful cultural influences. Considers the types of stories adults consider appropriate for children, and why; how opinions about this subject have changed over time and across cultures; and the complex interplay of words and images in children's books. Enrollment limited.
M. Gubar
21L.017 The Art of the Probable
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Examines literary texts and/or films in relation to the history of the idea of probability. Traces the growing importance of probability as a basic property of things and the world, as well as a measure of the reliability of our ideas and beliefs. Connects the development and use of probabilistic reasoning (e.g., in the lottery and in statistics) with literary and cultural concerns regarding the rationality of belief, risk and uncertainty, free will and determinism, chance and fate. Discussion of the work of scientific and philosophical pioneers of probabilistic thought (e.g., Pascal, Leibniz, Bernoulli, Laplace) in conjunction with works by Shakespeare, Voltaire, H. G. Wells, Pynchon and Stoppard, among others. Enrollment limited.
S. Raman
21L.018 Introduction to English Literature
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Examines the rich heritage of English literature across genre and historical period. Designed for students who want to know more about English literature or about English culture and history. Studies the relationships between literary themes, forms, and conventions and the times in which they were produced. Explores (for instance) Renaissance lyrics and drama, Enlightenment satires in word image, the 19th-century novel, and modern and contemporary stories, poems and film.
S. Tapscott
21L.019 Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Studies great works of European and Latin American fiction. Attention to a variety of forms including: the picaresque, epistolary, realist, naturalist, and magical realist fiction. Emphasizes ways in which the unique history of each country shaped the imaginative responses of its writers. Authors include Cervantes, Laclos, Goethe, Mann, Dostoevsky, Flaubert, Zola, Unamuno, Wolf, García Márquez, and Allende. Taught in English.
M. Resnick
21L.021 Comedy
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Surveys a range of comic texts in different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors and directors studied may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Moliere, Austen, Wilde and Chaplin.
P. Donaldson
21L.022[J] Darwin and Design
Same subject as 21W.739[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
In The Origin of Species, Darwin provided a model for understanding the existence of objects and systems manifesting evidence of design without positing a designer, and of purpose and mechanism without intelligent agency. Texts deal with pre-Darwinian and later treatment of this topic within literature and speculative thought since the 18th century, with some attention to the modern study of feedback mechanism in artificial intelligence. Readings in Hume, Voltaire, Malthus, Darwin, Butler, Hardy, H. G. Wells, and Freud.
A. Kibel
21L.023[J] Folk Music of the British Isles and North America
Same subject as 21M.223[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-1-8 units. HASS-A; CI-H
See description under subject 21M.223[J]. Enrollment limited.
R. Perry, W. Donaldson
21L.024 Literature and Existentialism
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Studies major literary works associated with the 19th- and 20-century philosophical movement known as existentialism. Through close reading of these works, students explore how existentialist writers grappled with the question of death; the nature of free will; emotions like boredom, disgust, and radical doubt; and the fate of the individual in a modernity marked by war, illogic, and absurdity. Includes novels, short stories, and aphorisms by Sartre, Camus, Dostoevsky, Kafka, Hesse, Chopin, and Nietzsche; plays by Beckett and Stoppard; and films by Bergman, Tarkovsky, and others. Enrollment limited.
E. Brinkema
Samplings
21L.310 Bestsellers
Prereq: None
U (Fall; first half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Focuses on works that caught the popular imagination in the past or present. Emphasizes texts that are related by genre, theme or style. Books studied vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. Enrollment limited.
W. Kelley
21L.315 Prizewinners
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines the work of major prize-winning writers or filmmakers. Texts and authors are chosen that have won such prestigious literary awards as the Nobel Prize, the Booker Prize, or the National Book Award, or films that have been feted at major international film festivals. Authors and works vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if the specific works studied differ. Enrollment limited.
Staff
21L.320 Big Books
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Intensive study of a single major literary work or a very small set of related literary works. Emphasizes texts that encourage close analysis in a way that cannot easily be integrated into the regular literature curriculum. The Big Books taught in previous terms include Moby-Dick, Canterbury Tales, and the Faerie Queene. May be repeated once for credit if the works studied differ. Enrollment limited.
N. Jackson
21L.325 Small Wonders
Prereq: None
U (Fall; first half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Close examination of a coherent set of short texts and/or visual works. The selections may be the shorter works of one or more authors (poems, short stories or novellas), or short films and other visual media. Content varies from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if the works studied differ.
W. Kelley
21L.338 Reading in the Original
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Close examination of literary texts in their original languages. Language and texts studied vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs.
S. Frampton
21L.340 Pleasures of Poetry
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (IAP)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-3 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Strengthens writing and reading comprehension skills. Students attend all public sessions of the Pleasures of Poetry readings and discussions as well as several additional classes. The poems chosen by the various moderators range across the history of literature, from ancient Chinese lyrics to contemporary texts. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
Staff
21L.345 On the Screen
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall; second half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines works of film, television or other screen-based media, with emphasis on texts that are related by genre, time period, style, or director. Works studied vary from term to term. May be repeated for credit once with permission of instructor.
S. Tapscott
21L.350 Science and Literature
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall; second half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines intersections and channels of influence between the sciences and forms of imaginative literature. Topics, historical periods, and syllabi will vary. May be repeated once for credit if content differs.
N. Jackson
21L.355 Literature in the Digital Age
Prereq: None
U (Fall; first half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines how emerging computational methods and tools are transforming practices of reading and writing in the present. Topics may include the exploration of experimental literary forms and digital media practices (hypertext, Twitter fiction, etc.) or focus on the use of digital tools for analyzing literature (GIS mapping, data mining, etc.). May be repeated once for credit if content differs.
W. Kelley
Intermediate Subjects
Genres and Themes
21L.400 Medical Narratives: Compelling Accounts from Antiquity to Grey's Anatomy (New)
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
3-3-6 units. HASS-H
Explores fundamental questions about the experience of illness from the points of view of the patient, the physician, and the caretaker. Examines the ways in which these narratives have changed across centuries and across cultures. Asks about the physician's role in determining treatment; whether storytelling leads to more ethical life and death decisions; what special insights patient narratives provide; and what new awareness physicians derive from narrating illness. Materials include essays, fiction, poetry, memoir, blogs, film and television. As a capstone project, students develop their own medical narratives that emerge in interaction with a mentor from the greater-Boston medical community.
M. Resnick
21L.430 Popular Culture and Narrative
Subject meets with CMS.920
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines relationships between popular culture and art, focusing on problems of evaluation and audience, and the uses of different media within a broader social context. Typically treats a range of narrative and dramatic works as well as films. Previously taught topics include Elements of Style; Gender, Sexuality and Popular Narrative. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
W. Donaldson
21L.431 Shakespeare on Film and Media
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Examines the adaptation, performance and interpretation of Shakespearean plays on film and video. Focus varies from term to term, to include films such as the Olivier and Almereyda versions of Hamlet and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet; "spin-offs" such as Kurosawa's Throne of Blood and Shakespeare in Love; or theatrical videos of English language and international productions.
P. Donaldson
21L.432 Understanding Television
Subject meets with CMS.915
Prereq: One subject in Literature or Comparative Media Studies
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
A cultural approach to television's evolution as a technology and system of representation. Considers television as a system of storytelling and mythmaking, and as a cultural practice studied from anthropological, literary, and cinematic perspectives. Focuses on prime-time commercial broadcasting, the medium's technological and economic history, and theoretical perspectives. Considerable television viewing and readings in media theory and cultural interpretation are required. Previously taught topics include American Television: A Cultural History. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.
D. Thorburn
21L.433 Film Styles and Genres
Prereq: 21L.011 or permission of instructor
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Close study of one or more directors, genres, periods, artistic movements, or national cinemas which have been of major significance in the history of film. Previously taught topics include Hollywood and Hong Kong, and Movie Realists: Chaplin, Renoir, Neorealism, Truffaut. May be repeated for credit by permission of instructor.
A. Fleche
21L.434 Science Fiction and Fantasy
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Traces the history of science fiction as a generic tradition in literature, media, and popular culture. Considers formal ideological and cultural approaches to the analysis and interpretation of science fiction and fantasy texts. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
L. Finch
21L.435 Literature and Film
Subject meets with CMS.840
Prereq: One subject in Literature or Comparative Media Studies
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-3-6 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Investigates relationships between the two media, including film adaptations as well as works linked by genre, topic, and style. Explores how artworks challenge and cross cultural, political, and aesthetic boundaries. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
A. Fleche
21L.449 The Wilds of Literature
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Immerses students in literature that represents the interaction between humans and nature as sublime, revelatory, and mutually sustaining. Without denying the damage humans have wreaked on the environment, explores the role that pleasure, wonder, and hope might play in helping us to envision new modes of engagement. Examples of authors studied include William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Annie Dillard, and Lauret Savoy. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
M. Gubar
21L.451 Literary Theory
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Examines how we read texts and the questions that we, as readers, ask of them. Introduces different critical approaches to literature by examining the relationship between readers and text, between different texts, and between text and context. Topics vary but usually include reader-response theory, structuralism and semiotics, post-structuralism and post-modernism, historicism, psychoanalysis, intertextuality, cultural criticism, and media theory.
S. Raman
21L.452[J] Literature and Philosophy (New)
Same subject as 24.140[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject 24.140[J]. Limited to 20.
M. Gubar, K. Setiya
Periods of World Literature
21L.455 Ancient Authors
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Close examination of major works of classical Greek and Roman literature in translation. Topics may include epic, history, lyric poetry, or drama and the works of authors such as Thucydides, Homer, Virgil, and Cicero. Texts vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. Enrollment limited.
S. Frampton
21L.458 The Bible
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
An introduction to major books from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Particular attention given to literary techniques, issues resulting from translation from the original Hebrew and Greek, and the different historical periods that produced and are reflected in the Bible.
I. Lipkowitz
21L.460 Arthurian Literature
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Tracing the evolution of King Arthur (and principal knights), students consider what underlies the appeal of this figure whose consistent reappearance in western culture has performed the medieval prophecy that he would be rex quondam et futurus: the once and future king. Examines how Arthur's persona has been reinvented and rewritten throughout history, including portrayals as Christian hero and war-leader, ineffective king and pathetic cuckold, and as a tragic figure of noble but doomed intentions. Enrollment limited.
A. Bahr
21L.471 Major Novels
Prereq: One subject in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Studies important examples of the literary form that, from the beginning of the 18th century to the present day, has become an indispensable instrument for representing modern life, in the hands of such writers as Cervantes, Defoe, Richardson, Sterne, Burney, Austen, Scott, Dickens, the Brontes, Eliot, Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Hardy, Conrad, Woolf, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Proust, and others. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
I. Lipkowitz
21L.473[J] Jane Austen
Same subject as WGS.240[J]
Prereq: One subject in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
An examination of Jane Austen's satire in her seven complete novels, several fragments, and juvenilia. Students read these texts in relation to her letters and other biographical and historical information.
R. Perry
21L.475 Enlightenment and Modernity
Prereq: One subject in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines selected topics in 18th- and 19th-century English/European literature and culture from the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 to the end of Queen Victoria's reign in 1901. Topics vary by term; authors may include Jonathan Swift, Laurence Sterne, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, and Arthur Conan Doyle, among others. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
J. Buzard
21L.480[J] Identities and Intersections: Queer Literatures
Same subject as WGS.245[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject WGS.245[J].
J. Terrones
21L.485 Modern Fiction
Prereq: One subject in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Tradition and innovation in representative fiction of the early modern period. Recurring themes include the role of the artist in the modern period; the representation of psychological and sexual experience; and the virtues (and defects) of the aggressively experimental character. Works by Conrad, Kipling, Babel, Kafka, James, Lawrence, Mann, Ford Madox Ford, Joyce, Woolf, Faulkner, and Nabokov. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
D. Thorburn
21L.486 Modern Drama
Prereq: One subject in Literature
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-A
Can be repeated for credit.
Explores major modern plays with special attention to performance, sociopolitical and aesthetic contexts, and the role of theater in the contemporary multimedial landscape. Includes analysis of class, gender, and race as modes of performance. Typically features Beckett and Brecht, as well as some of the following playwrights: Chekov, Churchill, Deavere Smith, Ibsen, Fornes, Friel, Kushner, O'Neill, Shaw, Stoppard, Soyinka, Williams, Wilson. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
D. Henderson
21L.487 Modern Poetry
Prereq: One subject in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Study of major modern texts and manifestos from the late 19th century through the 20th century. Examines works written in English, with attention to Modernist texts from other cultures and other languages as well. Poems by T.S. Eliot, W.C. Williams, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Pablo Neruda, Hilda Doolittle, Charles Baudelaire, and others. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
S. Tapscott
21L.488 Contemporary Literature
Prereq: One subject in Literature
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Study of key themes and techniques in prose, poetry, and drama since the 1970s. Recent topics include postmodernism, globalization, new British and Irish writing, and literature and development. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs.
Staff
21L.489[J] Interactive Narrative
Same subject as 21W.765[J], CMS.618[J]
Subject meets with CMS.845
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-A
See description under subject 21W.765[J].
N. Montfort
21L.490[J] Introduction to the Classics of Russian Literature
Same subject as 21G.077[J]
Subject meets with 21G.618
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject 21G.077[J].
M. Khotimsky
American Literature
21L.006 American Literature
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Studies the national literature of the United States since the early 19th century. Considers a range of texts - including, novels, essays, films, and electronic media - and their efforts to define the notion of American identity. Readings usually include works by such authors as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Sherman Alexie, and Toni Morrison. Enrollment limited.
W. Kelley
21L.501 The American Novel
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Works by major American novelists, beginning with the late 18th century and concluding with a contemporary novelist. Major emphasis on reading novels as literary texts, but attention paid to historical, intellectual, and political contexts as well. Syllabus varies from term to term, but many of the following writers are represented: Rowson, Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, Wharton, James, and Toni Morrison. Previously taught topics include The American Revolution and Makeovers (i.e. adaptations and reinterpretation of novels traditionally considered as American "Classics"). May be repeated for credit with instructor's permission so long as the content differs.
J. Terrones
21L.504[J] Race and Identity in American Literature
Same subject as WGS.140[J]
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Questions posed by the literature of the Americas about the relationship of race and gender to authorship, audience, culture, ethnicity, and aesthetics. Social conditions and literary histories that shape the politics of identity in American literature. Specific focus varies each term. Previously taught topics include Immigrant Stories, African American Literature, and Asian American Literature. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if the content differs.
J. Terrones
21L.512 American Authors
Prereq: One subject in Literature and permission of instructor
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Examines in detail the works of several American authors selected according to a theme, period, genre, or set of issues. Through close readings of poetry, novels, or plays, subject addresses such issues as literary influence, cultural diversity, and the writer's career. Previously taught topics include American Women Writers, American Autobiography, American Political Writing, and American Short Fiction. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with instructor's permission so long as the content differs.
J. Terrones
International Literatures
21L.007 World Literatures
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Introduces students to a coherent set of textual and visual materials drawn from different geographical regions, languages, artistic genres, and historical periods. The focus may vary but usually cuts across national boundaries. Includes non-English works read in translation and examines different kinds of writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Pays special attention to such issues as identity formation, cultural contact, exploration, and exile. Previously taught topics include contemporary writing from Africa and South Asia, the impact of the discovery of the New World, and Caribbean literature. Enrollment limited.
Staff
21L.020[J] Globalization: The Good, the Bad and the In-Between
Same subject as WGS.145[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Examines the cultural paradoxes of contemporary globalization. Studies the cultural, artistic, social and political impact of globalization across international borders. Students analyze contending definitions of globalization and principal agents of change, and why some of them engender backlash; identify the agents, costs and benefits of global networks; and explore how world citizens preserve cultural specificity. Case studies on global health, human trafficking and labor migration illuminate the shaping influence of contemporary globalization on gender, race, ethnicity, and class. Develops cultural literacy through analysis of fiction and film. Enrollment limited.
M. Resnick
21L.522[J] International Women's Voices
Same subject as 21G.022[J], WGS.141[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Introduces students to a variety of fictional works by contemporary women writers. International perspective emphasizes the extent to which each author's work reflects her distinct cultural heritage and to what extent, if any, there is an identifiable female voice that transcends national boundaries. Uses a variety of interpretive perspectives, including sociohistorical, psychoanalytic, and feminist criticism, to examine texts. Authors include Mariama Ba, Isabel Allende, Anita Desai, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing, Alifa Riyaat, Yang Jiang, Nawal Al-Saadawi, and Sawako Ariyoshi. Taught in English.
M. Resnick
21L.580 Translations
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-A
Students study theories of translation, compare examples of multiple renderings of the same work, and work on translation projects. Supplementary assignments focus on adaptation of works from one genre to another, and on transmission of information from one mode to another (visual to verbal changes, American Sign Language, etc.). Students write essays about relative theories of translation and about comparisons of variant versions, and also work on translation projects of their own in workshop-format. Includes texts such as the King James Bible, and writers such as Walter Benjamin, George Steiner, Wislawa Szymborska, Czeslaw Milosz, Pablo Neruda, Gabriela Mistral, Rainer Maria Rilke, William Gass, and Robert Pinsky. Limited to 18.
S. Tapscott
21L.590 The Spanish Incubator
Prereq: None
U (IAP)
3-3-3 units. HASS-E
Students travel to Spain to explore the country's influence on our understanding of contemporary culture, from its role as the crucible of the international avant-garde, to its genesis of political art and writing, to its Civil War that ignited the artistic passion of authors around the world, to the exuberant liberation after 40 years of dictatorship. Readings include Hemingway, Lorca, Orwell, Neruda, memoirs of Americans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Spanish poetry of the war and repression that followed, and the films of Saura and Almodovar. Films, readings, field trips to museums, and cultural events enable students to understand the full context in which today's vibrant Spanish democracy emerged. Contact Literature about travel fee and possible funding opportunities. Enrollment limited. Application required; contact Literature Headquarters for details.
M. Resnick
21L.591 Literary London (New)
Prereq: None
U (IAP)
3-3-3 units. HASS-E
Based in London, explores the specific locations, history and artistic institutions that have made London a world cultural hub, deepening students' knowledge gained on site through guided readings, theater performances, visits to homes associated with major authors, guest experts, and independent "author mapping" projects with reports back to the class. Sharpens students' understanding of the complexities of international exchange and identity formation in a global age. Contact Literature about travel fee and possible funding opportunities. Enrollment limited. Application required; contact Literature Headquarters for details.
D. Henderson
21L.601[J] Old English and Beowulf
Same subject as 24.916[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Intensive introduction to Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon), the ancestor of modern English that was spoken in England ca. 600-1100. In the first half of the term, students use short prose texts to study the basics of Old English grammar. They go on to read short poems, and conclude by tackling portions of the epic Beowulf in the last third of the term. Assessment based upon translation work, daily vocabulary quizzes, and three exams. Limited to 16.
A. Bahr
21L.607 Greek I
Prereq: None
U (Fall; first half of term)
3-0-3 units
Introduces rudiments of ancient Greek - the language of Plato, Sophocles, Thucydides, and Euclid, and the basis for that of the New Testament - to students with little or no prior knowledge of the subject. Aimed at laying a foundation to begin reading ancient and/or medieval texts. Greek I and Greek II may be combined (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H. Limited to 20.
S. Frampton
21L.608 Greek II
Prereq: 21L.607 or permission of instructor
U (Fall; second half of term)
3-0-3 units
Introductory Greek subject for students with some prior knowledge of basic grammar and vocabulary. Intended to refresh and enrich ability to read ancient and/or medieval literary and historical texts. May be taken independently of Greek I with permission of instructor. Greek I and Greek II may be combined (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H. Limited to 20.
S. Frampton
21L.609 Greek Readings (New)
Prereq: 21L.608 or permission of instructor
U (Spring; first half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Introduction to reading ancient Greek literature in the original language. Provides a bridge between the study of Greek grammar and the reading of Greek authors. Improves knowledge of the language through careful examination of literary texts, both prose and poetry. Builds proficiency in reading Greek and develops appreciation for basic features of style and genre. Texts vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. 21L.609 and 21L.610, or two terms of 21L.609, may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H.
S. Frampton
21L.610 Advanced Greek Readings (New)
Prereq: 21L.609 or (placement exam and permission of instructor)
U (Spring; first half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Building on 21L.609, develops the ability to read and analyze ancient Greek literary texts, both prose and poetry. Focuses on increasing fluency in reading comprehension and recognition of stylistic, generic, and grammatical features. Texts vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. 21L.610 and 21L.609, or two terms of 21L.610, may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H.
S. Frampton
21L.611 Latin I
Prereq: None
U (Spring; first half of term)
3-0-3 units
Introduces rudiments of Latin to students with little or no prior knowledge of the subject. Aimed at laying a foundation to begin reading ancient and/or medieval literary and historical texts. Latin I and Latin II may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H. Limited to 20.
Staff
21L.612 Latin II
Prereq: 21L.611 or permission of instructor
U (Spring; second half of term)
3-0-3 units
Introductory Latin subject for students with some prior knowledge of basic grammar and vocabulary. Intended to refresh and enrich ability to read ancient and/or medieval literary and historical texts. May be taken independently of Latin I with permission of instructor. Latin I and Latin II may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H. Limited to 20.
Staff
21L.613 Latin Readings
Prereq: 21L.611 or permission of instructor
U (Fall, Spring; second half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Introduction to reading Latin literature in the original language. Provides a bridge between the study of Latin grammar and the reading of Latin authors. Improves knowledge of the language through careful examination of literary texts, focusing on prose and poetry in alternate years. Builds proficiency in reading Latin and develops appreciation for basic features of style and genre. Texts vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. 21L.613 and 21L.614, or two terms of 21L.613, may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H.
S. Frampton
21L.614 Advanced Latin Readings
Prereq: 21L.613 or (placement exam and permission of instructor)
U (Fall, Spring; second half of term)
2-0-4 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Building on 21L.613, develops the ability to read and analyze Latin literary texts, focusing on prose and poetry in alternate years. Increases fluency in reading comprehension and recognition of stylistic, generic, and grammatical features. Texts vary from term to term. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. 21L.613 and 21L.614, or two terms of 21L.614, may be combined by petition (after completion of both) to count as a single HASS-H.
S. Frampton
21L.636[J] Introduction to Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film
Same subject as 21G.716[J]
Prereq: One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2019-2020: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Studies important 20th- and 21st-century texts and films from both Spain and Latin America. Readings include short stories, theater, the novel, and poetry, as well as some non-fiction. Students acquire skills necessary for a serious examination of literacy and cultural issues in the Spanish-speaking world. Conducted entirely in Spanish. Emphasis on active participation of students in class discussion.
M. Resnick
21L.637[J] Introduction to Hispanic Culture
Same subject as 21G.717[J]
Prereq: One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Studies the major social, political, and aesthetic modes which have shaped Spanish civilization. Coordinates the study of literature, film, art, and architecture with the historical evolution of Spain. Readings and discussions focus on such topics as: the coexistence of Christians, Moors, and Jews; Imperial Spain; the First and Second Republics; and the contemporary period as background for the emergence of distinctively Spanish literary and artistic movements. Taught in Spanish. Limited to 18.
M. Resnick
21L.638[J] Literature and Social Conflict: Perspectives on the Hispanic World
Same subject as 21G.738[J]
Prereq: One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Considers how major literary texts illuminate principal issues in the evolution of modern Spanish society. Emphasizes the treatment of such major questions as the exile of liberals in 1820, the concept of progress, the place of religion, urbanization, rural conservatism and changing gender roles, and the Spanish Civil War. Authors include Perez Galdos, Pardo Bazan, Unamuno, Ortega y Gasset, Salinas, Lorca, La Pasionaria, and Falcon. Taught in Spanish.
J. Terrones
21L.639[J] Globalization and its Discontents: Spanish-speaking Nations
Same subject as 21G.739[J]
Prereq: One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Studies new paradigms of cultural exchange that have shaped Latin America in the 20th and 21st centuries. Examines how globalization is rapidly changing the identity of peoples and cultures in Spanish-speaking nations. Spotlights debates about human rights. Materials studied include film, fiction, essay, architectural archives, music and art. Students complete a research project about a specific aspect of Hispanic culture that has been shaped by contemporary forces in the global economy. Taught in Spanish with required readings and writing in Spanish.
M. Resnick
Seminars
21L.640[J] The New Spain: 1977-Present
Same subject as 21G.740[J]
Prereq: One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Deals with the vast changes in Spanish social, political and cultural life that have taken place since the death of Franco. Topics include new freedom from censorship, the re-emergence of strong movements for regional autonomy (the Basque region and Catalonia), the new cinema including Almodovar and Saura, educational reforms instituted by the socialist government, and the fiction of Carme Riera and Terenci Moix. Special emphasis on the emergence of mass media as a vehicle for expression in Spain. Considers the changes wrought by Spain's acceptance into the European Community. Materials include magazines, newspapers, films, fiction, and Amando de Miguel's Los Españoles. Taught in Spanish.
M. Resnick
21L.701 Literary Methods
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Introduces practice and theory of literary criticism. Seminar focuses on topics such as the history of critical methods and techniques, and the continuity of certain subjects in literary history. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Previously taught topics include Virginia Woolf's Shakespeare, Theory and Use of Figurative Language, and Text, Context, Subtext, Pretext. Approved for credit in the Women's and Gender Studies when content meets requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
W. Kelley
21L.702 Studies in Fiction
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Intensive study of a range of texts by a single author or by a limited group of authors whose achievements are mutually illuminating. Some attention to narrative theory and biographical and cultural backgrounds. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Previously taught topics include Stowe, Twain, and the Transformation of 19th-century America, and Joyce and the Legacy of Modernism. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
J. Buzard
21L.703 Studies in Drama
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Intensive study of an important topic or period in drama. Close analysis of major plays, enriched by critical readings and attention to historical and theatrical contexts. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication through student presentations and research essays. Previously taught topics include: Renaissance Drama; Shakespeare with his Contemporaries; Oscar Wilde; and Stoppard and Company. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
S. Raman
21L.704 Studies in Poetry
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature
U (Fall, Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Intensive study of a body of poetry, raising questions of form, authorship, poetic influence, social context, and literary tradition. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Previously taught topics include: Does poetry Matter?, Poetry and the Science of Mind; Songs, Sonnets and the Story of English; Virgil, Spenser, Milton; and The Image: Poetry, Photography, and Technologies of Vision. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
N. Jackson
21L.705 Major Authors
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Close study of a limited group of writers. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Previously taught topics include John Milton and his Age, Chaucer, Herman Melville, Toni Morrison, and Oscar Wilde and the '90s. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
M. Fuller
21L.706 Studies in Film
Subject meets with CMS.830
Prereq: (21L.011 and one subject in Literature or Comparative Media Studies) or permission of instructor
U (Spring)
3-3-6 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Intensive study of films from particular periods, genres, or directors. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. Previous topics include Global Horror Film, Film Remixes, Film Narrative, and Heroic Cinema. Students taking graduate version complete different assignments. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
P. Donaldson, E. Brinkema
21L.707 Problems in Cultural Interpretation
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature or permission of instructor
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Studies the relation between imaginative texts and the culture surrounding them. Emphasizes ways in which imaginative works absorb, reflect, and conflict with reigning attitudes and world views. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Previously taught topics include Women Reading/Women Writing; Poetry, Passion, and the Self; and Race, Religion and Identity in Early Modern America. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
I. Lipkowitz
21L.709 Studies in Literary History
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature or History
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Close examination of the literature of a particular historical period. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication. Syllabi vary. Previous topics include Britons Abroad in the 18th Century; Modernism: From Nietzsche to Fellini; and Make it New: Manifestos and the Invention of the Modern. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
W. Kelley
21L.715 Media in Cultural Context
Subject meets with CMS.871
Prereq: Two subjects in Literature or Comparative Media Studies or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Can be repeated for credit.
Seminar uses case studies to examine specific media or media configurations and the larger social, cultural, economic, political, or technological contexts within which they operate. Organized around recurring themes in media history, as well as specific genres, movements, media, or historical moments. Previously taught topics include Gendered Genres: Horror and Maternal Melodramas; Comics, Cartoons, and Graphic Storytelling; and Exploring Children's Culture. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Approved for credit in Women's and Gender Studies when content meets the requirements for subjects in that program. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor if content differs. Limited to 12.
M. Marks
Special Subjects, Research, and Thesis
21L.900 Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified students who wish to pursue an independent study with members of the Literature faculty. Normal maximum is 6 units, though exceptional 9-unit projects are occasionally approved. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
Staff
21L.901 Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Spring)
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified students who wish to pursue an independent study with members of the Literature faculty. Normal maximum is 6 units, though exceptional 9-unit projects are occasionally approved. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
Staff
21L.S88 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Spring; second half of term)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
S. Frampton
21L.S89 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S90 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S91 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S92 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S93 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (IAP)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S94 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S95 Special Subject in Literature
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, IAP, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Covers topics in Literature that are not provided in the regular subject offerings. Units vary depending on the number of class meetings, readings and assignments. May be repeated for credit if the subjects are different.
Staff
21L.S96 Special Subject in Film and Media
Prereq: Two subjects in Film and Media and permission of the director of Comparative Media Studies
U (Fall, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified students who wish to pursue special projects with film and media studies faculty. Individual or small group projects encouraged. Usually limited to 6 credits. May be repeated for credit with additional permission of the instructor.
Staff
21L.S97 Special Subject in Film and Media
Prereq: Two subjects in Film and Media and permission of director of Comparative Media Studies
U (Fall, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified students who wish to pursue special projects with film and media studies faculty. Individual or small group projects encouraged. Usually limited to 6 credits. May be repeated for credit with additional permission of the instructor.
Staff
21L.THT Literature Pre-Thesis Tutorial
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
1-0-5 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Definition of and early-stage work on thesis project leading to 21L.THU. Taken during the first term of the student's two-term commitment to the thesis project. Student works closely with an individual faculty tutor. Required for students in Course 21L when the thesis is a degree requirement.
Staff
21L.THU Literature Thesis
Prereq: 21L.THT
Acad Year 2018-2019: Not offered
Acad Year 2019-2020: U (Fall, Spring)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Completion of work on the senior major thesis under supervision of a faculty tutor. Includes oral presentation of thesis progress early in the term, assembling and revising the final text, and meeting at the close with a committee of faculty evaluators to discuss the successes and limitations of the project. Required for students in Course 21L when the thesis is a degree requirement.
S. Raman
21L.UR Undergraduate Research
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Individual participation in an ongoing research project. For students in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
Consult with Section UROP Coordinator
21L.URG Undergraduate Research
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Individual participation in an ongoing research project. For students in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
Consult with Section UROP Coordinator
