The course will consist of lectures in one period and associated tutorials in the next period. We will touch on theoretical paradigms including New Criticism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, feminism, poststructuralism, deconstruction, the New Historicism, cultural materialism, postcolonial and queer theory, spatial theory, and ecocriticism.

During the series of lectures, the central aim is to learn to read theoretical argumentation and to discover methods of applying this insight to reading other texts. Part of the effort is to become aware of the historical dialogue in which the theories are engaged, and to understand how one might take part in it. Each student is expected to purchase Hans Bertens’ book Literary Theory: The Basics (3rd ed., 2014), which will provide preliminary reading for each lecture.

In the tutorials, students will work in small teams to develop specific theory-based interpretations of a literary text. The teams will present their findings in class. In addition to the refinement of advanced analytical skills, the purpose of the team projects is to help students see the broader significance of theoretical choices and the meaning(s) of ‘method’ in literary studies.

Assessment will be based on a short learning diary and class participation.