# data[].attributes.body
About me

# data[].attributes.body
The study of poetic language

Study of the speaker

Psychoanalytic reading

The Author’s social condition

Language as a system of signs and words

Literature in its cultural context

Literature as a colonial product

Text analysis through the female lens

# data[].attributes.body
Email: bill.n@umontreal.ca

I do check my emails daily. Feel free to contact me. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.

# data[].attributes.body
This course will introduce you to the history and main concepts of Literary Theory.

# data[].attributes.body
Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and the methods of literary analysis. Since the 19th century literary science includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, moral philosophy, social prophecy and interdisciplinary themes relevant to how people interpret meaning. In the humanities in modern academia, the latest style of literary science is a development of critical theory. Consequently, the word "theory" has become an umbrella term for scientific approaches to reading texts, some of which are informed by strands of sociology and continental philosophy.

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 1: History of literary theory and literary criticism from Antiquity to present. (Week 1 - Week 4)

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 1: History of literary theory and literary criticism from Antiquity to present. (Week 1 - Week 4)

# data[].attributes.body
Week 1:
Ancient Greek Criticism:

Classical Literary Criticism: Intellectual and Political Backgrounds

Plato and Aristotle

Readings:

Syllabus

J. W. H. Atkins: Literary Criticism in Antiquity (1934). Chapter III and IV.

Week 2:
The Medieval Era:

St. Augustine

Dante Alighieri

St. Thomas Aquinas

Excerpts from:

Hardison, Jr., O. B., Medieval Literary Criticism: Translations and Interpretations (1974)

St. Augustine. City of God. Trans. Henry Bettenson (1984)

Literary Criticism of Dante Alighieri. Trans. Robert S. Haller. (1973)

St. Thomas Aquinas. An Introduction to the Metaphysics of St. Thomas Aquinas (1953)

Week 3:
The Enlightenment

John Locke

David Hume

Excerpts from:

Hobsbawm, E. J. The Age of Revolution: Europe, 1789 – 1848 (1977)

Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Ed. A. D. Woozley (1975)

Hume, David. Four Dissertations (1970)

Week 4:
The Twentieth Century

Sigmund Freud

Michel Foucault

Excerpts from:

Newton,  K.  M., Twentieth-Century  Literary  Theory:  A  Reader (1997)

Freud, Sigmund. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay (1989)

Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1995)

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 2: Schools of literary theory. (Week 5 - Week 9)

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 2: Schools of literary theory. (Week 5 - Week 9)

# data[].attributes.body
Week 5:

Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Readings:

Smith, Nicole. An Overview and Extended Definition of Formalism in Literature and Theory. (https://www.articlemyriad.com/overview-formalism-literature-theory/)

Bogdal, Klaus-Michael: Neue Literaturtheorien. Eine Einführung (2005)
(pp 57 - 83)

Week 6:

Marxist Criticism

Structuralism

Readings:

Eagleton, Terry: Marxism and Literary Criticism (2002) (Excerpts)

Bogdal, Klaus-Michael: Neue Literaturtheorien. Eine Einführung (2005)
(pp 108 - 133)

Week 7: Reading Week
Week 8:

Post-Structuralism/ Deconstruction

New Historicism

Readings:

Veeser,  H.  Aram: The  New  Historicism  Reader (1994) (Excerpts)

Bogdal, Klaus-Michael: Neue Literaturtheorien. Eine Einführung (2005)
(pp 32 - 56)

Week 9:

Post-Colonial Criticism

Feminist Criticism

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 3: Reading and interpreting of Kafka’s “Urteil” and “Vor dem Gesetz”. (Week 10 -12)

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 3: Reading and interpreting of Kafka’s “Urteil” and “Vor dem Gesetz”. (Week 10 -12)

# data[].attributes.body
Week 10:
Analysis of Franz Kafka's "Das Urteil"
Readings:
Jahraus, Oliver/Stefan Neuhaus (Hg.): Kafkas „Urteil“ und die Literaturtheorie. Stuttgart 2002
Week 11:
Analysis of Franz Kafka's “Vor dem Gesetz”
Readings:
Bogdal, Klaus-Michael (Hg.): Neue Literaturtheorien in der Praxis. Textanalysen von Kafkas „Vor dem Gesetz“. Göttingen 2005
Week 12:
Analysis of diverse literary texts
Week 13:
Final discussion

# data[].attributes.body
We will need some literary texts to analyze during week 12 (see schedule)
I would like you to provide 1–2 pages from a book that you read in the past and really enjoyed.

# data[].attributes.body
Even though I'm not a fan of grading, I do like assignments and I'm planning to make them fun for everyone. There are four of them:

Webinars (30%):

These are my favourites. You will co-create a webinar (podcast-style interview) with me. Topics are based on the course content. Check the list with “Webinar Topics”.

In class participation (20%):

This doesn't need much explanation. I'd like you to prepare at least two questions or observations for each of our Zoom meetings.

Essays (30%):

Written assignment (1500–2000 words). Write about a topic related to “literary theory”. For this assignment, I would like you to use open educational resources (OER) exclusively.

Quizzes (20%):

Quizzes are all done in class. We will use the “Poll” function on Zoom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Required Syllabus Statements, University of Waterloo

# data[].attributes.subject
Required Syllabus Statements, University of Waterloo

# data[].attributes.body
Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.

Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.

It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit alternate assignment.

# data[].attributes.body
You can scroll left and right, up and down.

To expand a post, right-click on it and choose “Expand post”.

# data[].attributes.body
I'll be the last one to leave after our Zoom meetings. You're welcome to ask questions, discuss or just say hello :)
You can also schedule a 1on1 Zoom meeting. Just send me a request and I'll take care of the rest.

# data[].attributes.body
At the end of the semester, you will be able to distinguish between the different theoretical approaches to literature and use these approaches in text analyses.

# data[].attributes.body
We will meet twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 - 12:00) on Zoom. Please always join at least five minutes prior to above mentioned time.

# data[].attributes.body
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/7313239487?pwd=WjQxQ29pRHI2M2c3cVpvcWdhS0tUUT09

Meeting ID: 731 323 9487
Passcode: wD0ndc

# data[].attributes.body
It's of critical importance that you read the course material so that you're prepared for our meetings.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like you to be active on the discussion board. You don't have to create new threads every time. All inputs count as participation.

# data[].attributes.body
There is an “Ask the Teacher”-thread on our discussion board. You can ask questions or comment. You can send me a private message as well.

# data[].attributes.body
For your essays, I would like you to use Open Educational Resources exclusively. Don't wait until the end of the semester to start your research.