- to introduce students to major works of world literature
devoted to the presentation of the self, such as lyric poetry 
and autobiography, with special emphasis on the relevance of 
these texts to contemporary society around the world; 
- to inform them of diverse conceptions of the self in different
cultures and historical periods; to situate each literary work 
within its larger social and cultural context; 
- to hone students' skills in literary analysis. Students'
critical abilities will be developed through classroom analysis 
of texts and through expository writing assignments. 

Students' performances will be assessed through presentations,
in-class writing assignments, essays, tests, and a final 
examination.

The course is comprised primarily of readings of literary works
focusing on the self, with special emphasis on the relevance of 
these texts to contemporary society around the world. The topics 
covered are generated by the works under analysis, with 
recurrent issues consisting of those of the conception of the 
self, its relation to familial, ethnic and class structures, the 
rhetoric of self presentation, the relation of inner sincerity 
to external standards of truth, etc. The works treated vary with 
the instructor. The following is a sample syllabus of readings 
for a single semester:

Sei Shonagon.  The Pillow Book
Cellini.  Autobiography
Rousseau.  Confessions
Wordsworth.  The Prelude
Newman.  Apologia Pro Vita Sua
Chopin.  The Awakening
Shen.  Six Records of a Floating Life
Plath.  Selected Poetry

Students are required to abide by the University of Georgia academic honesty policy.