At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Define key literary terms (i.e. literal and figurative language, metaphor, trope, imagery, allegory) and the elements of literature (plot, character, setting, theme, point of view)
- Analyze how the elements of literature work together to create meaning and affect reader interpretation
- Articulate how the elements of literature work within multiple literary genres, including fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction
- Discuss and write responses to literature utilizing various critical perspectives
- Define both literary theory and literary criticism and distinguish between the two terms
- Use the methodologies of specific literary theories to analyze the themes, values, and viewpoints in a literary text
- Relate the themes present in multiple texts to the personal, social, political, ideological, etc. aspects of life, both within the historical context of the text and within contemporary culture
1. Reading Skills
a. Close reading, annotation, active reading and engagement
2. Writing Skills
a. Writing distinct literary arguments
b. Organizing ideas
c. Using textual evidence
d. Citing literature
3. Literary Terms and Devices
a. Common devices: simile, metaphor, imagery, symbolism, flashbacks, motif, trope, allegory, etc.
4. Literary Elements
a. Plot, narrative, and story; Freytag's Triangle
b. Characters, protagonists, antagonists, dynamic/static, flat/round, foils, direct v. indirect characterization
c. Setting: description, importance to narrative
d. Point of view: narration and narrators, perspective, unreliable narrators, naïve narrators, various narrative povs
e. Theme: moral of the story v. issues addressed and arguments made
5. Interpretation
a. How the elements work together to create meaning
b. Using critical perspectives to analyze literary works
c. Literary theory versus literary criticism
d. How literature reveals reality