ClassInfo

In this class, we will study British Literature that spans roughly 1000 years of British history, from the Anglo-Saxon invasion through the eighteenth century. As we move through the centuries, we will encounter a variety of texts and genres, and we will study them with a careful eye toward their historical, social, and political contexts. How do literary representations of violence, war, and betrayal respond to, mirror, or distort real world events? How do texts represent men and women in ways that both reify and challenge the expectations of their time? How does the form of a text affect our interpretation of its meaning? We will study literature across many genres - from epic poetry to drama to short stories to social pamphlets - and students should leave this class armed with an interpretative toolset underwritten by newfound knowledge of historical periods, literary methodology and cultural criticism.