The course offers a critical introduction to various genres of literature (a diverse selection of short stories, poems, plays, novels) as well as an introduction to critical reading methods. The course aims to enhance a student’s appreciation and understanding of major types of literature; to develop critical approaches to thinking, reading and writing about literary works; and to cultivate an understanding of the relationship between literary texts and their contexts. To foster the development of critical views about literature, students will be expected to read, discuss, and write about a variety of literary works. This course was previously CUL-221404 Introduction to Literature.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Literature (LITR). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

The purpose of this study is to introduce influential texts produced by African American thinkers, novelists, poets, dramatists and essayists from the eighteenth century to the present. The exploration of these texts allows the student to discover the major aesthetic, intellectual, and political concerns of these writers and contributes to a better understanding of American culture as a whole. An additional goal of the study is to familiarize the students with the specific terms and conventions of literary analysis and to help them become more practiced at using them.

Attributes: Liberal

This course offers an introduction to the development of literary styles and genres from initial European contact with the Americas through the Civil War. The course will examine texts within their historical, political, and social contexts. Readings will reflect the diverse cultural traditions within American literature and will cover a variety of genres (e.g., autobiography, poetry, correspondence, political writings, religious oratory, fiction, etc.). This course was previously CUL-222404 American Literature: 1600-1865.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will introduce students to literary styles and genres from the Civil War through the present, looking at a variety of texts in their social, historical, and cultural contexts. This course was previously CUL-222414 American Literature: 1865-Present.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will introduce students to major short stories and novellas of the 20th century and the literary devices and techniques the authors of these works employ. Along with following the chronological development of this genre, students will explore themes within these stories, and how these themes converge with social, historical and political movements of the time period. Students will also be exposed to methods of literary interpretation and ways to effectively argue their findings in writing.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for the student to explore literature that has been suppressed, banned, prohibited, or censored based on religious, sexual, social and/or political grounds Prerequisites: Intro to Lit.

Attributes: Liberal

This course surveys literature created especially for children. Students will read both broadly and deeply in the genre, though the course may be structured by, for example, chronology, sub-genre, or topics. Students will learn to read children's literature in the context of literary studies rather than pedagogy, though this course is likely to benefit those who work with children’s literature professionally. This course was previously CUL-222514 Children's Literature: Introductory.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course is intended to get students to investigate the nature of literature. The course is focused around two texts, Shakespeare's Hamlet and Lolita Files' Child of God, which students will read and discuss in depth. Both texts include a similar story-line: a murder, an incestuous relationship, an uneasy resolution at the end. By exploring these texts written hundreds of years apart, students will learn about the types of themes, questions, comparisons and insights that literature has to offer. The course will also start to offer insight into literary analysis and research. Students planning to use financial aid: Students taking courses that are shorter than the standard term (at least 15 weeks in length) may have their federal loans reduced and/or state aid reduced or cancelled. Please visit our Web site at www.esc.edu/FinancialServices for more information. This course was previously CUL-232072 Exploring the Disciplines: Literature. This course may be used to fulfill educational planning credit with mentor approval.

Attributes: Liberal, Partial Hum Gen Ed

This course will concentrate on selected literary texts in Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern literature as well as works that bring insight into American and European sub-cultures. Students will explore concepts such as cultural traditions, rituals and stereotypes, social and political justice, cultural transition and disorientation, and racism and imperialism. Additionally, students will be exposed to methods of literary interpretation and ways to effectively argue their findings in writing.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will provide the student with a basic understanding and appreciation of how poems, fiction, memoir, and essays can be directed to address a variety of issues relevant to substance abuse and the human dynamic. Prerequisites: Preferably the student will have taken Intro to Literature

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

In this study 20th and 21st century Science Fiction will be explored in several contexts: technical, historic, socio-political, and as modern fable, dealing with human nature in speculative circumstances and futuristic environments. Prerequisites: Preferably the student will have taken Intro to Literature

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Iterations of this course will concentrate on one or more of a variety of topics organized, for instance, around a period, genre, major (or minor) author, or critical question. The topic will be studied at the introductory level and provide the basis for continued study in British or other literature at the advanced level.

Attributes: Liberal

In this introductory-level course, students will be introduced to the rich tradition of writing about New York City. The city and its dwellers have for centuries been described, celebrated, and criticized by natives, visitors, and settlers, and the world’s fascination with the metropolis continues unabated today. Studying diverse genres such as diary entries, poems, newspaper articles, essays, letters, short stories, and excerpts from novels and memoirs, the student will gain a new understanding and appreciation of the unique history and culture of the city and its residents. Although there are no prerequisites, the student should have a foundational background in writing.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Literature (LITR). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for the student to explore literature that has been suppressed, banned, prohibited, or censored based on religious, sexual, social and/or political grounds. Prerequisites: Intro to Lit.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

The purpose of this study is to introduce influential texts produced by African American thinkers, novelists, poets, dramatists and essayists from the eighteenth century to the present. The exploration of these texts allows the student to discover the major aesthetic, intellectual, and political concerns of these writers and contributes to a better understanding of American culture as a whole. An additional goal of the study is to familiarize the students with the specific terms and conventions of literary analysis and to help them become more practiced at using them.

Attributes: Liberal

This course focuses on children's literature and its current scholarship in the field. Students may examine one or more of the following topics as they pertain to children's literature: the history and chronological development of children’s literature as a genre; race, class, gender, sexuality, and other issues of multiculturalism in children’s literature; censorship; and adaptations. Students will read, analyze, and discuss children's literature from a variety of relevant perspectives. Students should note that this is a course in literature, not in pedagogy. This course was previously CUL-224524 Children's Literature: Advanced.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

To help the student achieve a useful and important set of insights into various cultures and American sub-cultures by reading and analyzing important short and long fiction of these cultures.

Attributes: Liberal

As Laurence Perrine has stated 'Poetry is as universal as language and almost as ancient. The most primitive peoples have used it, and the most civilized have cultivated it.' In this study we are going to explore why poetry has been such a powerful and important art form since the beginning of time by immersing the student in poetry--as a reader and writer. The student will read a great deal of poetry, but also gain an understanding of the craft of poetry, becoming familiar with figures of speech and poetic techniques.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This study examines how poetry can function as an interpretive narrative for visual art.

Attributes: Liberal

As the world moves toward closer connectivity to technology and distancing ourselves from each other, it is important to look at our relationship with nature and the spirits, our own and others,’ who inhabit it. This course explores traditional folktale, literary fairytale, and contemporary fantasy and their role in literature. We will explore the connections among traditional stories and literary ones, and their enduring place in our culture and imagination. In addition to studying the fairy folk, students may engage in creative writing and/or visual art projects. Prerequisites: Advanced level reading and writing skills will be helpful.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will concentrate on selected literary texts in Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern literature as well as works that bring insight into American and European sub-cultures. Students will explore concepts such as cultural traditions, rituals and stereotypes, social and political justice, cultural transition and disorientation, and racism and imperialism. Additionally, students will gain theoretical knowledge of how texts are produced and interpreted and gain experience in articulating the concepts, methods, and practices of current literary approaches to texts. Although there are no prerequisites, the student should have a foundational background in writing and literature studies.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

What is an ideal society? What potential for peace and equality do humans possess? In what ways do our contemporary cultures manifest a utopian impulse, if they do? Is the concept of utopia of value? If so, why? This course explores narratives about ideal communities-places where people live without war, hunger, or need. Such narratives use a variety of fictional situations (such as dreams, travel tales, futuristic visions) to present the ideal culture. As with any examination of other cultures (real or fictional), this study will help you examine your own culture, reflect on it from a broader perspective, and develop new insight into your cultural assumptions and values. This course was previously CUL-224504 Ideal Worlds: Utopian Literature.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

While Jane Austen is certainly an important and a famous author, she is much more than that: she is also an icon, an enduring cultural success story, and the center of a cult of personality. In this course, we will examine the work of Austen herself and potentially the work that has been done with her life and her materials, from high culture to pop-culture. The field of Austen studies and critical work in Austen scholarship may be considered. This course was previously CUL-224404 Topics in Literature: Jane Austen.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

The purpose of this study is to provide the student with an opportunity to study poetry in English and its role and status in our technological, consumer culture.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Literary Theory examines the main trends of literary theory of the last century, and asks students to evaluate and critically apply literary theory. The course introduces some of the different strategies of reading and integrates philosophical and social perspectives in the consideration of the questions: what is literature, how is it produced, and what is its purpose? In general, we will: (1) consider selected readings in order to see how they define literary interpretation; (2) consider the limits of each particular approach; and (3) trace the emergence of subsequent theoretical paradigms as responses to what came before. Students cannot take both LITR 3049 and LITR 3050

Cross-listed with LITR 3050.

Attributes: Liberal

Students will create original interpretations of U.S. and international literary works by identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the various lenses through which they, and selected literary and cultural theorists and critics, see the literary works. Students read novels, short stories, and a play that reflect the complexities of different groups and cultures meeting and interacting. Students will also read theoretical and applied writings about interpretation from a variety of disciplines, including selected traditional and contemporary literary criticism theories. Students will complete a combination of formal, informal, and creative writing assignments. Prerequisites: Ability to read, write, and think at the advanced level. Some previous study of literature is helpful, but is not required. Students cannot take both CUST 3025 and LITR 3050 This course was previously CUL-223454 .

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

The contract will provide the student with a basic understanding and appreciation of how poems, fiction, memoir, and essays can be directed to address a variety of issues relevant to substance abuse and the human dynamic. Prerequisites: Preferably the student will have taken Intro to Literature.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This study will look at the development of immigrant literature in 20th-century America. We will consider themes of assimilation and identity, difference and otherness, ethnic, racial, and gender identity and American national identity. We will consider various genres, including the novel, short story, and memoir, and representative works from different ethnic groups, including Jewish, Irish, Italian, Asian, African, Latino, and Dominican immigrants.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

The vampire, as an enduring cultural metaphor for sexuality, class struggle, and Imperialism, has inconveniently and consistently refused to die. He (and, more recently, she) eerily transforms to suit history and circumstances: as Nina Auerbach explains, 'every age embraces the vampire it needs.' This course hopes to survey some of the most popular incarnations of the vampire in films, on TV, and in literature, both classic and contemporary. We will consider these works in the light of recent critical scholarship which takes them seriously, to help us decide what is at stake for our culture in the figure of the vampire.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

We will read Native literary theorists who offer concepts such as communal narrative, survivance, gender balance, orality, and cyclical time, in order to understand Native American literature in historical and cultural context. We will consider the ways Native literatures negotiate the historical legacy of power dynamics; for example, colonizing stereotypes, and how Native writers use humor to evoke, play with, and intervene in these stereotypes. Native literatures register tensions between Native and Western cultural qualities and values and we will examine the stakes of these values to address contemporary issues that we face globally. Related courses may be disciplinary rather than interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary; for example: First Peoples of North America (HIS).

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will introduce the student to the rich tradition of writing about New York City. The city and its dwellers have for centuries been described, celebrated, and criticized by natives, visitors, and settlers, and the world’s fascination with the metropolis continues unabated today. Studying diverse genres such as diary entries, memoirs, biographies, journals, poems, lyrics, newspaper articles, essays, letters, speeches, short stories, and novels, the student will gain a new understanding and appreciation of the unique history and culture of the city and its residents. Although there are no prerequisites, the student should have a foundational background in writing and literature studies.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

In this study 20th and 21st century Science Fiction will be explored in several contexts: technical, historic, socio-political, and as modern fable, dealing with human nature in speculative circumstances and futuristic environments. Prerequisites: Preferably the student will have taken Intro to Literature.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course aims to help you read and understand Shakespeare and his work. Students will become familiar with several canonical plays. Additional materials may also be covered. Other potential topics of study might include the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, the historical/political/cultural contexts of Shakespeare’s work, Shakespeare’s plays in performance, and the contemporary field of Shakespeare criticism. This course was previously CUL-223554 Shakespeare.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will introduce students to major short stories and novellas of the 20th century and the literary devices and techniques the authors of these works employ. Along with following the chronological development of this genre, students will explore themes within these stories, and how these themes converge with social, historical and political movements of the time period. Students will also be exposed to methods of literary interpretation and ways to effectively argue their findings in writing. Although there are no prerequisites, the student should have a foundational background in writing and literature studies.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This study will function as a survey of the U.S. popular romance genre. The student will become familiar with the formulaic conventions of the romance novel, paying particular attention to the changes that occur in the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

In this study, students will read a selection of work written by bilingual and multilingual writers depicting their experiences learning English for the first time. Through these readings students will come to understand the struggles and determination of these vulnerable young learners. Additionally, students will gain theoretical knowledge of how texts are produced and interpreted and gain deeper experience in articulating the concepts, methods, and practices of current literary approaches to texts Prerequisites: a previous course in literature.

Attributes: Liberal, Partial Hum Gen Ed

Iterations of this course will concentrate on one or more of a variety of topics organized, for instance, around a period, genre, major (or minor) author, or critical question. Students should have the necessary knowledge and skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing to study British literature at an advanced level.

Attributes: Liberal

In this study, students will have the opportunity to explore the fascinating world of what pivotal comics figure Will Eisner termed, "Sequential Art" and discover the nuances of storytelling through narrative and pictures. Graphic novels will be examined as a significant and influential part of the literary cannon, a medium that captures both personal odyssey and cultural events while heightening awareness of larger historical, political, and social issues. It is advisable to have taken another literature course previously but not required.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will explore the treatment, meanings, and implications of race, ethnicity, and cultural diversity in U.S. fiction. It may focus on a variety of literature by African American, Asian American, Latina/o/Chicana/o, and Native American writers, and about these communities. This course was previously CUL-224024 U. S. Multicultural Fiction.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will introduce the student to Asian American fiction and drama, with an emphasis on 20th and 21st century texts. Intro to Literature is recommended, but not required.

Attributes: Liberal

This study will look at the emergence of women writers in late 19th and 20th century American literature and the conflicts confronting the figure of women in literature. How do women reconcile traditional social roles of wife and mother with their personal desires as women, as intellectuals, and as individuals? How do issues of race, ethnicity, class and sexuality affect women’s sense of identity and self-realization? We will explore themes of identity and difference, resistance and transformation, silence and voice, self-definition and social identity in works by multicultural authors.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Investigate personal narratives, memoirs, and autobiographies by U.S. women selected for their literary excellence in describing their participation in more than one culture within the U.S. Writers include Marita Golden, Eva Hoffman, Aurora Levins Morales and Rosario Morales, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim and Julia Alvarez, among others. Discuss how narrative is used to construct meaning, identity and culture. Prerequisites: Ability to do advanced-level work. This course was previously CUL-224014 U. S. Women's Multicultural Life-Writings. This course can fulfill either Humanities OR The Arts general education credit (not both). Students choosing Humanities will have the option of focusing more on reading and analysis of life writings, while students choosing The Arts will have the option of focusing more on creating and revising their own work.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This study will look at the rise of modern American literature and the 1920s culture of the “Jazz Age.” We will look at the post-World War I disillusionment of such writers as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T.S. Eliot, the flowering of African-American writing known as the “Harlem Renaissance” and the artistic contributions of jazz writers and performers.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

This course will focus on the interesting, controversial genre of Young Adult literature. While these books often focus on issues of specific interest or relevance to teenagers (more or less), they are often purchased and read by adults. And that is how we will approach these texts: as experienced, thoughtful, reflective readers. This does not mean, of course, that we will not experience the same kind of emotional exhilaration as our younger counterparts. We will read broadly, to help us think about such issues as the ways in which young adults and the challenges facing them are both described in and constructed by this body of literature. This course was previously CUL-224414 Topics in Literature: Young Adult.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

In this course, you will learn about anti-semitism and the underlying causes and impacts that led to and resulted in the German persecution and annihilation of Jews and other “undesirable” people. Despite the horrific circumstances imposed by the German government, the human spirit found expression in artistic efforts in art, music and literature. You will gain an appreciation for the role that the arts, and literature in particular, can play in explaining and understanding the human condition and the ability of people to endure even the most severe hardship. Highly Recommended (not required): At least one study of literature This course was previously CUL-224354 Literature of the Holocaust.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

"Twentieth-century American Literature" encompasses an extraordinarily diverse range of texts, and there are many ways in which its history could be traced and constructed. This course offers one particular route through this vibrant and divergent literary field. We will examine a range of American literature written between the end of the First World War and the dawning of the 21st century. We will look at some major American writers -- F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Willa Cather, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and others -- but also consider the evolving path of American literary history in the twentieth century, its relationship to the social upheavals of the times as well as to the aesthetic and generic development of American art and writing. We'll look at novels, short stories, and journalism, and consider the changing fate of these forms in the age of modernism and post-modernism. Some of the fundamental issues of twentieth-century American life (wars in Europe and Vietnam, the civil rights movement, second wave feminism, the triumph of late capitalism, urbanism and its discontents, religion and secularism, etc.) will be explored alongside a wide variety of literary forms and styles: from the modernist novella and the postwar realist novel, through the experimentalism of Native American writing and New Journalism, to genre fiction, theater, and the graphic novel.

Attributes: Liberal

This course introduces students to a full range of twentieth-century American Poetry. The emphasis in this course will be on the poets and their poems as well as their impact and poetry's impact on politics/democracy. Students will be introduced to the basics of analyzing poetic form and rhythms, as well as interpretative strategies relevant for understanding an author's individual voice and the ways in which his or her poems engage with U.S. history and ideas of the poet's vocation in society.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

The content of this course will vary by term and section. Students may repeat this course for credit as long as the topic differs. Please refer to the Term Guide for course topic offerings.

Attributes: Liberal

The content of this course will vary by term and section. Students may repeat this course for credit as long as the topic differs. Please refer to the Term Guide for course topic offerings.

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Literature (LITR). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

The student will prepare a proposal for the senior project and engage in educational planning. The senior project facilitates the integration and reflection of knowledge acquired from university learning which is aimed at creating an original culminating work. Educational planning includes the preparation of a rationale essay articulating how the program of study for the bachelor's degree meets the student's educational and career goals. For the senior project proposal, the student will pose a question to be addressed under the guidance of the ESC mentor. The student and mentor will discuss the focus and design of the research question to be developed. The student will identify the appropriate resources needed to address the question and submit the proposal to the mentor. The thesis, based on the proposal submitted for this study, will be carried out the following semester. This course will be used as part of the Educational Planning credit. Prerequisites: As part of a capstone course, students should enroll in Senior Project Proposal during their final year of study. All lower level concentration courses should be complete, as well as at least two advanced level concentration courses or their equivalent.

Attributes: Liberal

The student will prepare a proposal for the senior project and engage in educational planning. The senior project facilitates the integration and reflection of knowledge acquired from university learning which is aimed at creating an original culminating work. Educational planning includes the preparation of a rationale essay articulating how the program of study for the bachelor's degree meets the student's educational and career goals. For the senior project proposal, the student will pose a question to be addressed under the guidance of the ESC mentor. The student and mentor will discuss the focus and design of the research question to be developed. The student will identify the appropriate resources needed to address the question and submit the proposal to the mentor. The thesis, based on the proposal submitted for this study, will be carried out the following semester. This course will be used as part of the Educational Planning credit. Prerequisites: As part of a capstone course, students should enroll in Senior Project Proposal during their final year of study. All lower level concentration courses should be complete, as well as at least two advanced level concentration courses or their equivalent.

Attributes: Liberal

The student will complete the senior project thesis as planned in the proposal phase of this study. The project provides an opportunity to conduct an in-depth examination of a topic of interest related to the study program that emerged from the student’s earlier course work, and in this regard will complete educational planning by focusing on the mastery of academic skills, college level writing and presentation, and independent research and critical thinking. The student will be expected to produce a major research paper that meets the standards established during the proposal stage and prepare the final drafts of the rationale essay. This course will be used as part of the Educational Planning credit. Prerequisites: Successful completion of the Senior Project Proposal.

Attributes: Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Literature (LITR). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.