Course Description
Comparative study of the self as presented in literature of the first person (such as lyric poetry and autobiography), with special emphasis on the relevance of these texts to contemporary society around the world.
Athena Title
Literature of the Self
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- 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.
Topical Outline
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
Syllabus