Literary Studies/History

"Young Girl Reading"
by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (c. 1776)
Course Metadata
SchoolLanguage and Literature
DepartmentLiterary Studies
Course NumberLS100
Course SectionA
Course InstructorJustin Yang
PrerequisitesHigh School English

Introduction edit

Through the study of selected examples of poetry, fiction, and drama, this course will introduce students to the fundamentals of the university-level literary study, and furnish them with the skills to think and write critically about literature. Students will be taught the basic concepts of genre and form in literature, and methods of literary analysis, to enable them to continue in more specialized English courses at the second year or beyond. This section of Introduction to Literary Studies will emphasize an exploration of wit and satire, beginning with English literature of the Middle Ages and ending sometime near the end of the eighteenth century.

Evaluation edit

  • 10% Participation
    Participation is counted through contributions to this course wiki. All contributions should be signed.
  • 20% Reading Questions
    Only the top five reading question packages submitted will be counted.
  • 40% Research Paper
    1500-2000 word research paper on a pre-selected topic or, with instructor permission, a topic of a student's own choosing.
  • 30% Final Examination
    Open-book examination comprised of 5 passage recognition questions and 2 essay questions.

Course edit

 
Syllabus and Learning Materials

Syllabus and Learning Materials edit

  1. Introduction to Literary Study
    1. History of Literature
    2. Genre
    3. Literary Criticism
    4. Theories of Humour
  2. from The Canterbury Tales
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. The General Prologue
    3. The Miller's Tale
  3. The Country Wife
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. Prologue
    3. Act I
    4. Act II
    5. Act III
    6. Act IV
    7. Act V
    8. Epilogue
  4. from Gulliver's Travels
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. A Voyage to Lilliput
    3. A Voyage to Brobdingnag
    4. A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms
  5. The Rape of the Lock
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. Canto I
    3. Canto II
    4. Canto III
    5. Canto IV
    6. Canto V
  6. Northanger Abbey
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. Chapter 1
    3. Chapter 2
    4. Chapter 3
    5. Chapter 4
    6. Chapter 5
    7. Chapter 6
    8. Chapter 7
    9. Chapter 8
    10. Chapter 9
    11. Chapter 10
    12. Chapter 11
    13. Chapter 12
    14. Chapter 13
    15. Chapter 14
    16. Chapter 15
    17. Chapter 16
    18. Chapter 17
    19. Chapter 18
    20. Chapter 19
    21. Chapter 20
    22. Chapter 21
    23. Chapter 22
    24. Chapter 23
    25. Chapter 24
    26. Chapter 25
    27. Chapter 26
    28. Chapter 27
    29. Chapter 28
    30. Chapter 29
    31. Chapter 30
    32. Chapter 31
  7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    1. Introductory Notes
    2. Down the Rabbit Hole
    3. The Pool of Tears
    4. A Caucus-Race and A Long Tale
    5. The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
    6. Advice from a Caterpillar
    7. Pig and Pepper
    8. A Mad Tea-Party
    9. The Queen's Croquet-Ground
    10. The Mock Turtle's Story
    11. The Lobster-Quadrille
    12. Who Stole the Tarts?
    13. Alice's Evidence
 
Assignments & Examinations

Assignments edit

Examination edit

Required Readings edit

Primary Texts edit

Any standard, unabridged edition of the following works will be acceptable.