Catalog 2024-2025

LIT - Literature

LIT 117 War in Literature and Film

Explores the vicarious experience of warfare and the practical and moral problems associated with command.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 118 Fairy Tales in Cultural Contexts

This course begins by exploring 15th and 16th century fairy tales as they were recorded from oral culture. Students will then study contemporary revisions as they occur in both literature and film, examining the way contemporary writers and filmmakers challenge social and/or political conventions.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 120 Introduction to Literary Studies

This course introduces students to the foundational categories and concepts of contemporary literary studies. Students will learn about the defining features of major textual genres, as well as the key terms involved in their literary and linguistic analysis. Students will also practice key skills such as scansion, close reading, and lexical inquiry through class discussion and short essays. Course readings will include examples of major literary genres and elementary literary criticism. The course will also discuss professional preparation for humanities majors.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

Pre- or corequisite: AWR 101.

LIT 126 Literature and Film Classics

A study of the techniques, history and development of selected literature and film classics. Content may vary depending on instructor.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 140 Introduction to the Novel

An introduction to one of the most popular literary genres, the novel, with particular focus on the varied relations novelists establish between individual and society, audience and storyteller, to entertain, unsettle and inspire readers.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 150 Introduction to Poetry

This course will investigate the roots, elements and nature of poetry in an effort to make poetry a rich source of pleasure for a lifetime. We will read poetry of all types from all ages, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 171 Topics in Literature

An introductory study of fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry for majors and non-majors. May be repeated if the content varies.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 200 Introduction to Shakespeare

An introduction to the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, including a survey of the texts and an introduction to the staging and poetry of the work. The objectives of this course are to familiarize students with the work and techniques of a great poet and playwright. For English and writing majors, it is essential. For all students, a familiarity with Shakespeare is a cornerstone of a well-rounded liberal arts education.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 201 World Literature I

A survey of major world authors from the ancient world through the Renaissance.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 202 World Literature II

A survey of major world authors from the 18th century to the present.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 206 British Literature I

A survey of major authors and literary trends up to the 18th century.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 207 British Literature II

A survey of major authors and trends from the 19th century to the present. LIT 206 is not a prerequisite for LIT 207.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 208 American Literature I

A survey of major authors and literary trends from colonial and revolutionary periods to the westward expansion.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 209 American Literature II

A survey of major authors and literary trends from the Civil War to modern times.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 214 Introduction to Literary Theory

This course introduces students to the shared vocabulary of humanistic scholarship that has developed from aesthetic philosophy, literary and art criticism, and cultural studies. Students will read foundational texts from these traditions and apply their methodologies to analyze contemporary cultural objects in their written work. 

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 221 Foodways: Literature, Food, and Culture

This cultural studies course explores the intersection of food, literature, history and culture, which means it concerns the way food is represented, manipulated, sold, eaten, cooked, distributed, marketed, grown, and discussed.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 222 Rebellions, Revolutions, and Reform

This course investigates literature that concerns the relationship of those in power to the people over whom they have authority and the resulting rebellions, revolutions, and reform movements. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 229 Contemporary African Literature

A survey of contemporary African authors.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 233 Trauma Narratives: Africa

Students will learn to understand and explain the issues, terms and concepts involved in discussing African literature. They will be able to identify and define the basic concepts and narrative techniques of trauma literature. They will analyze selections of African fiction dealing with human-made and deliberately perpetrated traumas. They will also develop tentative conclusions about the nature and craft of African trauma narratives, how they differ from other trauma literatures and how they evolve African and postcolonial literatures. Students will lead peers in discussions on the core issues/texts of the course and write a clear, well-developed and organized essay that demonstrates rigorous critical thinking, mastery of writing skills and competence in integrating and documenting research.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 238 Women's Literature

This course critically examines women's writing and may incorporate a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. The texts come from a variety of traditions, from classic texts by women writers to the avant-garde, and from a variety of historical and literary periods.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 240 Contemporary Themes: Memoir

A study of selected contemporary memoir. Content will vary depending on instructor.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 251 Literary History I

This course introduces students to a selection of texts drawn from periods up to the age of imperialism. It examines the beginnings and development of literary traditions in classical and vernacular languages. Methodologically, the course investigates the contexts of texts and literary movements, and analyzes their genres, questions the concept of periodization, and situates literature in its cultural and historical moment(s). 

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 252 Literary History II

This course examines texts from the age of imperialism to the present. It traces the global spread of texts through colonial networks, and investigates the literary and cultural consequences of an increasingly globalized world. Methodologically, this course investigates the contexts of texts and literary movements, and analyzes how genre forms travel, looks at periodization from a global perspective, and positions texts in their cultural and historical moments(s).

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 257 The Contemporary Novel

A study of selected novels by major contemporary authors.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 265 History of the English Language

An introduction to the history and development of the English language through literary texts and secondary sources.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 270 Topics in Literature

A study of traditional or experimental fiction, non-fiction or poetry at the introductory level. May be repeated if the content varies.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 280 Flashpoints

This course examines past or present issues and conflicts in popular culture as they are represented in literature. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 281 Identity and Difference

This course introduces students to how texts have been used to divide people or bring them together. Students will cover major theoretical texts dealing with gender, citizenship, race, language, and ethnicity. Additional readings will be drawn from literary, legislative, and juridical primary sources that illustrate the interplay between popular media, discrimination, and empowerment. Writing assignments will ask students to apply their theoretical knowledge to explain contemporary and historical examples of oppression and liberation. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101

LIT 285 Topics in Drama

A study of different subjects, themes, and periods in drama at the introductory level. May be repeated if content varies.

Spartan Studies:

TBH

Credit Hours: 4

LIT 300 The Romantic Writers

A study of the Romantic Movement from Blake to Keats.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 301 The Victorian Writers

A study of Victorian literature from Carlyle to Kipling.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 303 Modern Poetry

An introduction to the major poets and schools of modern and contemporary poetry in England and the United States.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 307 Shakespeare's Romances and Tragedies

An advanced study of several of Shakespeare's finest romances and tragedies, involving a close analysis of the texts and incorporating a thorough grounding in the Renaissance mindset.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 308 Shakespeare's Comedies and Histories

An advanced study of several of Shakespeare's finest comedies and history plays.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 309 Advanced Drama

Studies include Elizabethan, Restoration or contemporary drama. May be repeated if content varies.
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 312 Contemporary World Literature

A selection of today's major living authors from around the world.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 313 Literary Genres

This course will focus on one genre or a select set of genres through which students will approach literature. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and ENG 305

LIT 314 Literary Places

Recognizing that literary production does not happen in the abstract but in specific places, this class offers an in-depth investigation of how place facilitates collaboration and dissent among authors and exerts an influence on their works. The course will focus on works from a specific place, to be chosen by the instructor, from which students will read extensively. Students will also read critical and historical material about the place. Informed by these readings, students in their written work will research some aspect of the relationship between the place and the work produced in it. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and ENG 305

LIT 318 Fiction

A study of traditional or experimental novels or short fiction. May be repeated if content varies.
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 324 Post-Colonial Literature and Theory

This course is designed to focus on a variety of colonial and post-colonial literatures in Africa, the Caribbean, Indonesia or Latin America. It is a study of the representation of personal, racial and national identity in works from the selected region, written during the period of struggle against colonialism and afterwards. May be repeated if content varies.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 325 The Eighteenth Century

Studies the major authors of the neoclassical period.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor. May be repeated if content varies.

LIT 334 The Medieval Vision

Investigation of medieval views of the world and humankind through close reading of several literary masterpieces.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 335 English Renaissance Literature

The poetry, prose and drama of England's most glorious literary period, the 16th and 17th centuries.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 337 Multiethnic U.S. Literature and Film

This course explores four major ethnic heritages - Native American, Hispanic, African American and Asian American - through contemporary literature and film. Discussion of the unique historical background casts light upon multicultural expression in literature and film. Other arts, such as dance, music and folklore, enrich our appreciation of each community's artistic identity.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 340 Major Poets

Close reading and analysis of one or more major poets. May be repeated if content varies.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 347 Irish Literature

A study of Irish fiction, drama, poetry, memoir and film of the 20th and 21st centuries. Includes the influences of colonialism, politics, sectarianism, religion and notions of family and women's roles on this body of literature. Includes a study of major writers from the early part of the 20th century, such as James Joyce, and their influence on contemporary writers.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 348 Sex and Seduction in the Early American Republic

This course examines sex, gender and marriage in literature of the early American republic (1775-1815) via its rogues, flirts, virgins, crossdressers, fallen women, mothers, fathers, husbands and wives. In particular, the course will be scrutinizing seduction, didacticism, gender construction and republican mother/wifehood. We will also read, write about and evaluate current scholarship concerning these issues.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 350 Topics in Literature

This is a special topics course at the 300 level. The course will incorporate an advanced study of a topic and/or genre. The course material may be from any historical period and may include any nationality, ethnicity, etc. Course may be repeated if content varies.
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 360 Major Authors

An in-depth study of one or more influential writers. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and ENG 305

LIT 425 Seminar

A capstone course focused on a defined area of literary study, such as a major author, literary movement or genre. Content varies depending on instructor. Especially recommended for students going on to professional or graduate school. May be repeated for credit if the content varies. 

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 430 Literary Criticism

A study of significant contemporary literary theories. Selected approaches to literary texts may include formalist, Freudian, reader response, poststructural, cultural and new historicist criticism.

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 450 Topics in Literature

Deals with different subjects each time course is offered and may be repeated for credit.

Credit Hours: 1-4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.

LIT 490 Literature Thesis

Students will produce advanced, research-based writing in a field of literary studies.
Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, and ENG 305

LIT 495 Directed Reading

A program of directed readings and related writing assignments agreed upon by individual students and professors. May be repeated if content varies.
Credit Hours: 1-4

Prerequisites

AWR 101, AWR 201, one literature course; or permission of the instructor.