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English
E340-345 Special Topics in English 1-4 credits
Designed to permit instruction in specialized fields of English, explore new topics and utilize the
expertise of the faculty and other resource persons.
E351 British Modernism: Its Origin and Its Ends 3 credits
This course explores the primary characteristics of British Modernism by studying authors writing
before, during and after the high point of the movement in the early twentieth century. By studying
Victorian, Modern and Postmodern British writers, the course considers the creation of modernism and
its aesthetic aftermath and simultaneously questions the legitimacy of modernism as a distinct aesthetic
category. Special attention is given to aesthetic, theological and philosophical questions and how these
are reflected or addressed in literary works. Authors studied might include Charles Dickens, George
Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, Jean Rhys and Peter Carey. Offered in alternate
spring semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
E352 The Edge of Empire 3 credits
This course studies British Literature from the Victorian Age into the postmodern period by looking at
it from the “outside.” By studying works of literature from those writing on or about the periphery of the
central literary tradition of the British empire, students gain a sense of post-1830 British literature and
its relationship to the cultural conditions in which it was produced. Topics could include such areas as
Colonial Literature, the Irish Literary Renaissance, and Women’s Literature and consider writers such as
Bram Stoker, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce, Graham Greene, Jean
Rhys, Salman Rushdie, and Seamus Heaney. Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
E370 Literature in Evolution 3 credits
This course examines contemporary literature in English by writers from around the world. The course
aims to convey a sense of the stylistic and thematic tendencies that continue to evolve in the literatures
of our world by exposing students to intensive study of the representation of a particular theme or
strain (e.g., imperialism, desire) in works by authors from a variety of backgrounds and social/political
situations. Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
E373 Postcolonial Fictions 3 credits
This course focuses on literature in English that addresses colonization and decolonization. The course
considers how postcolonial texts present the legacy of imperialism; how postcolonial writers inscribe
their perspectives, politics, and lived experiences in literature; and how various fictional accounts
(of origin, of colonization, of identity, of nationality) contribute to a contemporary understanding of
community, history, and narrative. Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
E381 The Adventures of the Writer in World Literature 3 credits
A study of selected works in translation from non-Anglo-American cultural traditions. Students in this
course examine how geographical and cultural differences contribute to varying literary representations
of “universal” themes. Taking as our point of departure the notion of the artist figure, we examine
ancient and modern ideas of creativity, authorship, and the role of the writer in society in cultures
around the world. Offered in alternate fall semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
E383 Geographies of Identity 3 credits
A study of selected works in translation from non-Anglo-American cultural traditions. Students in this
course explore literature from around the world with a focus on how identities, perspectives, and values
are shaped by geographical and cultural circumstances. We look particularly at literary dialogues and
confrontations between the Western European tradition and writers from other cultures, especially Russian
and African, from the 19th century to today. Offered in alternate fall semesters. Prerequisite: E250.
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