English
ENGL 101. Introduction to Writing (4F)
This course introduces students to college-level discourse and aims to help students improve basic writing skills. The course will emphasize effective processes of composing as well as the qualities of a successful written product. Instruction is conducted through journal writings, class meetings, small-group sessions, tutorial sessions and individual conferences. It will also include work on grammar, sentence structure and the writing of paragraphs and essays. Students who have worked diligently but not reached Honors College writing proficiency by the end of the fall semester will be invited to participate in the English 101 Extension; they will continue working on their writing with Writing Center staff during the spring semester, and at the end of that semester they will submit work to their English 101 instructors for evaluation and final grades for the course. Prerequisite: Placement by examination.
ENGL 102. Composition (4)
In this course, students consider writing as a major tool for discovering what they think, examining these thoughts, communicating them effectively and generating ideas as they take in new information. This course will generally use peer-group techniques to help develop a sense of audience and purpose. Each section of ENGL 102 will have a primary focus or subject matter determined in advance by the instructor, and students will be introduced to various strategies for refining their thinking by taking their writing through the drafting, crafting, editing and polishing processes. ENGL 102, CORE 101, or NITZ 180 are prerequisites or co-requisites to all subsequent English courses.
ENGL 106. Introduction to Literature (4E)
This course is a college-level introduction to methods of interpreting literature and to deeper questions raised by the study of literature. Readings will be drawn from different historical eras and will focus on the similarities and differences involved in reading various genres, including fiction, poetry and drama. Discussion will also raise such questions as the following: Why does literature take different forms? Are literary uses of language different from other uses of language (scientific or historical or philosophical language, for example), and if so, how? With what assumptions do readers approach literary texts, and how might an examination of these assumptions broaden and deepen our reading experience? How do historical, cultural and philosophical contexts influence the nature of literary works and how we read them? This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Recommended for non-majors and not required of majors.
ENGL 130. Literary Topics (4E)
This course is a college-level introduction to methods of interpreting literature and to deeper questions raised by the study of literature. Unlike ENGL106, ENGL130 offers readings that are connected by a common theme, origin or perspective. ENGL130 will address similar questions as those listed in ENGL106; however, content and focus will vary from section to section. Recent offerings have included American Plays and Playwrights, Science Fiction, Detective Fiction and Environmental Literature. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Recommended for both majors and non-majors, but not required of majors. May be repeated for credit if the topic is substantially different. Prerequisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 197/297/397/497. Guided Readings (1-2E)
Coherently organized readings under the guidance of an English faculty member in an area of special interest to the student. A reading list and means of evaluation must be formalized in a learning contract prior to registration. Prerequisites: At least eight credit hours in English.
ENGL 199/299/399/499. Independent Study (1-4E)
This course consists of an independent creative or research project designed by the student and supervised by an English faculty member. The nature of the project, the schedule for accomplishment and the means of evaluation must be formalized prior to registration in a learning contract. Prerequisites: At least eight credit hours in English, exclusive of ENGL 102.
ENGL 201. Topics in Writing (4A)
Courses in this area offer students the opportunity to develop their writing skills in one or more genre(s) of nonfiction prose. Common to all courses will be a sustained attention to writing for specific audiences and purposes. In addition, courses will aim at developing the ability to control tone, emphasis and nuance for effective and—when appropriate—evocative prose style. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included Writing Arguments, Science Writing, Introduction to Creative Nonfiction, and Feature Writing. May be repeated for credit if the topic is substantially different. Prerequisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 204. Reading and Writing in the Major (4E)
The goal of ENGL 204 is to teach students reading and writing skills particular to literary study. In this course: (1) Students will hone and refine their ability to perform close readings of both primary and secondary texts. (2) They will learn to identify formal elements that contribute to a text’s meaning (such as symbolism, meter, etc.). (3) In order to write better literary analyses, they will learn to pose questions about a text that are both worth asking and also answerable. (4) They will learn to formulate a literary argument, to support their position with evidence from their reading of a primary text (and secondary texts, if appropriate) and to revise their work in response to critiques. This course is required for English majors and minors. Prerequisite or co-requisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 235. Topics in Literature and Culture (4E)
This course assumes familiarity with an interest in the skills and methods presented in ENGL 106, including close textual reading and the writing of literary analyses. It aims to examine literary and non-literary representations of the ways race, class, ethnicity, gender and/or sexuality help shape an individual’s worldview. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but might include topics such as Mysteries of Identity; African-American Expression; Shakespeare, Sex and Gender; and American Slave Narratives. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in cultural perspectives. Recommended for both majors and non-majors, but not required of majors. May be repeated for credit if the topic is substantially different. Prerequisite or co-requisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 270. Creative Writing (4E)
This course will consider the nature of the creative process, introduce a variety of approaches to creative writing, and help students discover and develop their own imaginative and analytical resources for telling, through fiction and poetry, the stories they have to tell. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Prerequisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 281. Literature in History I: The Beginnings through the Renaissance (4E)
Much of what we call English literature owes its origins to the diverse and ancient cultures that created the Greco-Roman and biblical literatures. This course will consist of selected readings of early Western literature chosen from its beginnings in the Homeric epics, Greek tragedies and the Hebrew Testament; through major works of Christian culture in the Middle Ages, such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Dante’s Divine Comedy; to the revival of classical learning in the Renaissance, embodied in the work of such authors as William Shakespeare and John Milton. The course may examine classical and Biblical works in translation, as well as works originally written in English. Always, however, this course will explore something of what early literature in the West tells us about changing notions of the spiritual and the material—of heroism, faith, love and redemption—and the relationship of these ideals to our world today. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Prerequisite or co-requisite: ENGL 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 282. Literature in History II: The Rise of Anglo-American Literature (1700-1900) (4E)
The explosion of science and capitalism at the beginning of this era caused fundamental questioning of traditional religious and political ideas. At the same time, Britain was emerging as the world’s most powerful colonial force. While focused on the close reading of texts, this course will also explore Enlightenment literature that addresses these political and intellectual developments (including works selected from such writers as Swift, Defoe, Pope, Fielding, Wollstonecraft and Franklin). Additionally, the course may investigate how English settlers and colonial peoples modified and questioned these Enlightenment ideas. With the rise of revolutionary challenges to the Enlighten¬ment, England and America began to define simultaneously connected and different identities, while also engaging in a more self-conscious literary and philosophical dialogue. Tracing related Romantic ideas in such authors as Blake, Wordsworth, Mary and Percy Shelley, Tennyson, Poe, Emerson, Thoreau and Dickinson, the course will explore how each country created a distinct culture in an increasingly secular, industrial, and multicultural world. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Prerequisite or co-requisite: English 102, CORE 101, NITZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 283. Literature in History III: Twentieth-Century Voices (4E)
The first part of the 20th century, shaped largely by World War I, marks a radical break with the past. Known as the Modernist period, these years saw a flowering of literary and artistic experimentation. Such writers as T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf investigated new ways of representing consciousness and subjectivity through stylistic dislocation and fragmentation innovations echoed in painting, music, theater and film. World War II and its aftermath are sometimes called the Postmodern period. Writers such as Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, Doris Lessing, Toni Morrison, Derek Walcott, Salman Rushdie and Bharati Mukherjee explored the human condition in an age characterized by the rise of mass and visual culture, the threat of atomic destruction, the disintegration of colonial empires and increasingly pressing issues of ethnic and national identity. While focusing on close readings of the texts, this course will also study ways in which 20th-century literature has been informed by, and has established, globalism and nationalism. It will pay attention to literature as history, history as literature, and the role of literature in the community of expressive arts. This course satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement in the Arts. Prerequisite or co-requisites: English 102, CORE 101, NitZ 180, or CORE 301.
ENGL 304. Methods of Literary Study (4E)
This course will introduce students to the complex and dynamic study of literature and literary criticism. Students will be introduced to the methods and discourses of classical and contemporary literary theory and will use these tools to read prose, poetry and drama in critically informed ways. The techniques of critical thinking, argumentation and textual analysis that students develop in this course will serve as a vital foundation for further study of literature. The course will also provide an introduction to means and methods of literary research and help students understand the many possible alternative paths of study in the English major, including research projects at the senior level. Prerequisite is ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor. It is recommended that students take the course in their junior year.
ENGL 350. Studies in Language: Historical, Linguistic, and Rhetorical Contexts (4A)
Course offerings in this area will provide students the opportunity to explore the evolution of the English language; the nature, structure, and modifications of human speech; and the persuasive aspects of language. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included “The Rhetoric of Humor, The Rhetoric of Politics,” and “The Study and Teaching of Writing.” Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor.
ENGL 355. Studies in British Literature (4E)
The offerings of this course will provide a historical approach to the study of various designated periods in British literature. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included Legends of King Arthur; Renaissance Drama; Couples Comedy in the Restoration and 18th Century; Victorian Adaptations, and The Emerging Novel. Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor. Recommended: ENGL 281 (for topics before 1700), ENGL 282 (for topics after 1800), or ENGL 283 (for topics after 1900).
ENGL 365. Studies in American Literature (4E)
This course will provide students with a variety of perspectives on American literature by focusing on specific periods, aesthetic movements and/or developments. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included Sympathy and Sentiment; The American Road; Civil Rights Literature; Realism and Modernism; American Comedy; and Environmental Literature After Thoreau. Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor. Recommended: ENGL 281 (for topics before 1700), ENGL 282 (for topics after 1800), or ENGL 283 (for topics after 1900).
ENGL 380. Studies in World Literature (4A)
Each version of the course will engage the student in the reading of major works in translation, including works outside what is thought of as the traditional Western canon. Recent offerings have included New Testament Narrative; Modernism and the Noh and The Tale of Genji. Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor.
ENGL 390. Topics in Literature (4A)
This course will provide an introduction to broad thematic areas of literary study that cross historical, national and disciplinary boundaries. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included Contemporary Multicultural Voices; Poetry and Science; Books that Cook; Victorians in Text, Photo, and Film, and Landscape and Literature. Prerequisites: ENGL 204 and one of the following: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or permission of the instructor.
ENGL 395. Advanced Topics in Writing (4E)
Designed to help students deepen their understanding of writing and develop distinctive writing voices, this course will enable students to explore the types of writing in which they are particularly interested. Various offerings of this course will help students develop skills in scholarly and expository writing, journalism, cultural journalism, fiction, poetry, nonfiction prose and autobiographical writing. Prerequisite: one 200-level writing course or the permission of the instructor.
ENGL 398/498. Internship (4-16E)
A variety of off-campus experiential learning opportunities can be arranged through the Career Development Center. The off-campus internship is an individually designed experience that allows the student to explore the relationship between learning in the classroom and the practical application of knowledge in everyday work situations. No more than four credit hours of internship credit may be applied for elective credit in the English major. Approval by the department chair in English for four credit hours of credit in English is required. See the English Majors Handbook for guidelines as to which projects may count up to four credits toward the 44 credit hours in the English major. Prerequisites: Admission to the Internship Program and approval of the English faculty. (See “Internships” under “Academic Policies” section.) Credit/no credit grading.
ENGL 400. Studies in Genre (4A)
This course will engage students in exploring the conventions and forms of expression integral to one or more genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction prose, drama, and film. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent offerings have included The Female Coming-of-Age Novel and Film Genres. Prerequisites: ENGL 304 and one 300-level literature course or permission of instructor.
ENGL 410. Studies in Authors (4A)
This course will provide the opportunity for advanced study in the work of a selected author or authors, or a “school” of authors such as the Beat Poets. Recent offerings have included Mark Twain; Melville’s Moby-Dick; Dante; Staging Shakespeare; Milton; and Jane Austen. Prerequisite: ENGL 304 and one 300-level literature course or permission of instructor.
ENGL 420. Studies in Theory (4A)
This class will expose students to the advanced study of literary theory. The focus may be on a historical survey or on interpretative strategies such as classical poetics, New Criticism, psychoanalytic interpretation, reader-response, feminist criticism, cultural studies, new historicism, ecocriticism, or rhetorical theory. Recent topics have included Rhetoric and Poetics; Parody and Intertextuality; and The Invention of “Modern” Rhetoric: Richards, Burke, and Perleman. Prerequisite: ENGL 304 and one 300-level literature course or permission of instructor.
ENGL 430. Special Topics in Literature (4A)
Topics and authors will vary each time the course is taught. Recent offerings have included Scream & Shout! American Literature and Music as Social Protest; Race Passing Narratives; Writing India, Writing Empire. Prerequisite: ENGL 304 and one 300-level literature course or permission of instructor.
ENGL 493/494. St. Mary’s Project (1-8E)
The St. Mary’s Project in English is designed for students with a definite, large-scale, independent project they wish to accomplish primarily on their own. It is ideal for students who have consistently developed particular interests, who desire to prepare for graduate study or a particular profession such as journalism, or who are ready to take on a substantial creative-writing task. The project draws on and extends knowledge, analytical skills, and creative achievement developed through previous academic work. By the end of his or her junior year, the student should initiate the project, identify an area to be explored, propose a method of inquiry and/or process of work appropriate to the project, and, in consultation with the English faculty, determine a mentor who will supervise the project. The project should reflect the social context, the body of literature, or the conceptual framework to which it contributes. The project must have a significant English component, but it may be within this discipline, across disciplines, or in an established cross-disciplinary studies option. Supervised by an English faculty mentor, each project is subject to departmental approval (for details on the English SMP, see the English Department website). (Please see College guidelines for the St. Mary’s Project.) The project must be shared with the College community through a public presentation of some kind. Prerequisite: Senior standing, approval by faculty mentor and by the English Department. Consult faculty mentor for project guidelines.
ENGL 495. Studies in Creative Writing (4A)
This class will provide the opportunity for advanced study in a sustained form of creative writing or in a subgenre of creative writing, such as writing about place or writing the contemporary epic. Content and focus will vary from section to section, but recent topics have included The Novella and The Contemporary Poetic Sequence. Prerequisites: ENGL 270, ENGL 304, and one 300-level literature course or permission of the instructor.