ENGLT 360

Women in Literature

This course is a survey of literature from the Middle Ages through the 21st Century, designed for students who are interested in examining the writing of and about women and their roles in literature, both as writers and as protagonists. Emphasis will be placed on literature that develops protagonists and explores literary themes found in these works, such as: women representative of or in conflict with their societies; women and power; women as daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, leaders; independence vs. dependence; domestic vs. public space; women in relation to men and to each other. In developing cultural competency, students will also explore related issues as discovered in the readings, including ethnocentrism, racism, ageism, classism, gender construction, gender inequity, sexual orientation, and religious differences. The literary selections may include essays, biographies, short stories, novels, poems, and plays. These works will be considered in various critical and theoretical perspectives: feminist, historical, formalist/ New Critical, psychoanalytical, sociological, biographical, Marxist, and eco-critical.

Units: 3.0

Hours: 54 hours LEC