[ENGL 504] Literary Theories and Practices

Course Title: Literary Theories and Practices

Course Description

This course introduces students to a wide range of literary theories, providing a conceptual foundation for advanced-level research in the humanities and social sciences. It familiarizes students with Russian Formalism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Postmodernism, Reader Response, Psychoanalysis, Historiography, Postcolonialism, Feminism and Cultural Studies.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Get acquainted with a variety of theoretical tools, concepts and perspectives to the text.
• Respond to theoretical material coherently, both verbal and non-verbal, visual and non-visual.
• Develop ability to question theoretical claims from their own subject position or vantage point.
• Conduct research projects that utilize theoretical concepts, methods and models.
• Understand philosophical assumptions underlying different theoretical worldviews.

Course Contents

Unit I: Introduction, Formalism, Structuralism and Narratology (12 Hours)

1. Introduction to Literary Theory: "What is Theory?" (Culler 1); "Introduction"; "Theory Before Theory" (Barry 1, 11)
2. Russian Formalism: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 3); Boris Eichenbaum, The Formal Method (Rivkin and Ryan 7); Viktor Shklovsky, Art as Technique (Rivkin and Ryan 15); "Formalism" (Ryan 12)
3. Structuralism: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 53); Jonathan Culler, The Linguistic Foundation (Rivkin and Ryan 56); Roman Jakobson, Two Aspects of Language (Rivkin and Ryan 76); "Structuralism" (Ryan 128)
4. Narrative Theory: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 53); Vladimir Propp, Morphology of the Folk-tale (Rivkin and Ryan 72); Roland Barthes, Mythologies (Rivkin and Ryan 81)

Unit II: Deconstruction, Reader Response and Postmodernism (9 Hours)

1. Deconstruction: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 257); Jacques Derrida, Différance (Rivkin and Ryan 278); Jacques Derrida, Of Grammatology (Rivkin and Ryan 300); "Structuralism" (Ryan 128)
2. Reader Response Theory: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 127); Stanley Fish, Interpretive Communities (Rivkin and Ryan 217); John Frow, Text and System (Rivkin and Ryan 222)
3. Postmodernism: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 257); Jean-Francois Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition (Rivkin and Ryan 355); Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulations (Rivkin and Ryan 365)

Unit III: Psychoanalysis (9 Hours)

1. Freudian Psychoanalysis: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 389); Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams (Rivkin and Ryan 397); Sigmund Freud, Beyond the Pleasure Principle (Rivkin and Ryan 431); "Psychology" (Ryan 99)
2. Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 389); Jacques Lacan, The Mirror Stage (Rivkin and Ryan 441); Jacques Lacan, The Instance of the Letter in the Unconscious (Rivkin and Ryan 447)

Unit IV: Political Criticism, Historiography and Cultural Studies (9 Hours)

1. Political Criticism: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 643); Karl Marx, The German Ideology (Rivkin and Ryan 653); Karl Marx, Wage Labor and Capital (Rivkin and Ryan 659); "Marxism" (Ryan 112); Antonio Gramsci, Hegemony (Rivkin and Ryan 673); Louis Althusser, Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Rivkin and Ryan 693); "Politics" (Ryan 210)
2. Historiography: Introduction to Historicisms section (Rivkin and Ryan 505); Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish (Rivkin and Ryan 549); Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality (Rivkin and Ryan 892); "Historicism" (Ryan 66)
3. Cultural Studies: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 1233); John Fiske, Culture, Ideology, Interpellation (Rivkin and Ryan 1268); Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning of Style (Rivkin and Ryan 1258)

Unit V: Feminism, Postcolonial Studies and Ethnic Studies (9 Hours)

1. Feminism: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 765); Luce Irigaray, "The Power of Discourse..." (Rivkin and Ryan 795); Audre Lorde, Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference (Rivkin and Ryan 854); "Gender" (Ryan 142)
2. Postcolonial Studies: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 1071); Ania Loomba, Situating Colonial and Postcolonial Studies (Rivkin and Ryan 1100); Homi Bhabha, Signs Taken for Wonders (Rivkin and Ryan 1167); "Global Studies" (Ryan 167)
3. Ethnic Studies: Introduction to the section (Rivkin and Ryan 959); Ian F. Haney Lopez, The Social Construction of Race (Rivkin and Ryan 964); Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Interrogating "Whiteness" (Rivkin and Ryan 975); "Ethnicity" (Ryan 157)

Evaluation Scheme

Internal Evaluation (40 Marks)

External Examination (60 Marks)

Prescribed Text

Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory. Manchester UP, 2002.
Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP, 2011.
Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan. Literary Theory: An Anthology. Blackwell, 2004.