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Advanced (Seminar) Courses
Two sections of English 497 are the two Advanced Courses offered every fall. These are seminars designed primarily for English majors (although occasionally English minors enroll in them). The topics vary depending upon the research and teaching interests of the faculty. They demand a high level of student involvement in research and discussion. Several short papers and a long critical essay are required. Please Note: the two seminars are only offered in the fall semester.
ENG 497 Seminar in English Literature
Gender Criticism
In what ways do conceptions of “masculinity” and “femininity” shape the way we create and respond to texts? In this seminar, we will consider this question, one that has been central to literary study for the past two decades. We will also look at gender criticism in relation to other critical currents like formalism, psychoanalysis, multiculturalism, new historicism, post-structuralism, gay studies, and cultural studies. During the first half of the semester we will read theoretical and critical essays, and study a range of works to create a common context for our discussions. Writers and filmmakers might be chosen from among Shakespeare, Austen, Melville, Dickinson, Cather, Hemingway, E.M. Forster, John Ford, Richard Wright, Anne Sexton, Russell Banks, Michael Chabon, Jane Champion, Ang Lee, and Toni Morrison. We will also study other cultural representations of gender, including television, the web, political ads, and comics. If possible, we will interact with a gender studies course at DePauw.
The second half of the semester will be devoted to individual research projects shared with the class. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Credits: 1
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