Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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HU 421 - Literary Genres

3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with the conventions of the novel, short story, poetry, and drama and to provide them with the tools they need in order to interpret, evaluate, and appreciate quality literature. By providing students with a richly diverse menu of selections, which balance the classic with the contemporary, it is hoped that they will develop a habit of reading quality literature because it holds their interest, helps them reflect on and understand the human condition better, and affords them much pleasure. The course focuses on class discussions involving the analysis and interpretation of many selections in each genre, but also considers, at times, historical, political, and social forces which may impact on a writer’s vision. It also considers major approaches to literary criticism. (prereq: None) 
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Recognize the characteristics of a drama, short story, or poem and understand the structure of the work.
  • Analyze and interpret a given drama, short story, or poem.
  • Recognize the difference between popular and quality literature.
  • Appreciate the contributions of specific authors to the body of literature.
  • Understand and apply the main critical theories used to analyze and interpret literature

Prerequisites by Topic
  • No previous literature course are required; however, it is expected that students will apply and build on the learned knowledge from previous literature courses and language skills learned from their EN 131  and EN 241  courses in their class discussions and writing. Examples of such skills are the recognition of figurative language and their understanding of character and plot as well as their ability to articulate their responses to the selections they read.

Course Topics
  • Discussion of drama and terms used in drama (2 classes)
  • Specific dramas, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Beckett (6 classes)
  • Live theatre experience (1 class)
  • Discussion of terms used in the short story (1 class)
  • Discussion of critical theories (4 classes)
  • Discussion of short stories (6 classes)
  • Discussion of poetry and terms used in poetry (1 class)
  • Discussion of specific poems by the following authors (6 classes)
  • Critical Essays (2 classes)
  • Tests (2 classes)

Coordinator
R. David Kent



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