This course is a comprehensive introduction to English literature beginning in 1800 to the present, including the Romantic, Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite, Modern, and Post-Modern eras. The course focuses on major movements in English historical traditions, as well as individual literary voices and styles including adolescent authors from Lewis Carroll to J.K. Rowling. Literary texts will be studied in the context of important cultural influences, among them revolution, Darwinism, industrialization and colonization, world war, and post-colonialism as well as fantasy. The course also gives attention to assessment tools to measure comprehension of literature studied, written about, and researched. Students explore different theories relevant to the variety of literature covered and engage in collaborative communication through group dynamics (i.e., oral presentations) that build students’ leadership roles.
