Cognitive approaches to literature and a broad introduction to
cognitive poetics. Designed to familiarize students with key
concepts in cognitive science and to demonstrate how knowledge
of those topics can help to inform readings of literary texts.
Athena Title
Literature and the Mind
Prerequisite
ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1103 or ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1060H
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate comprehension of key concepts in cognitive science and will demonstrate comprehension of cognitive literary theory.
Students will develop analytical thinking skills through the application of these concepts to literary texts. They will contextualize and analyze examples from multiple literary genres. They will practice analyzing literary form and thinking critically about literature and language.
Students will understand that literary language is merely an extension of the toolkit used in everyday language, that poetic language is central to language behavior, and that metaphor is fundamental to human understanding.
Students will understand that reading a text is a triangulation of minds and that a better understanding of cognitive processes can help to elucidate the behaviors of characters, authors, and readers.
Students will practice engaging in collaborative discussion with their peers, in small groups and/or full-class discussion. They will improve their ability to express their ideas cogently and effectively.
Students will improve their abilities to argue persuasively, use textual evidence, and write vigorous prose that adheres to conventional standards of grammar and usage.
Topical Outline
What follows is a list of possibilities and is not meant to be indicative of what the course might cover. Possible topics:
Joint attention and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”
Theory of mind and “Good Country People”
Cognitive empathy and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Conceptual metaphor theory and poetry (specifically Emily Dickinson and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death")
Schema theory and scripts
Blending theory and Henry IV, Part I
Prototype theory and the bildungsroman
Creativity studies and authorship (cognitive case study method)
Image schema theory and imagery
Possible textbook: Cognitive Literary Studies: Current Themes and New Directions (eds. Jaen and Simon)
Possible readings: Cognitive Literary Theory Selections from: More Than Cool Reason (Lakoff and Turner) The Way We Think (Fauconnier and Turner) Why We Read Fiction (Zunshine) Fictional Minds (Palmer) Cognitive Science, Literature, and the Arts (Hogan) The Poetics of Mind: Figurative Thought, Language, and Understanding (Gibbs) Reading Minds: The Study of English in the Age of Cognitive Science (Turner) The Literary Mind (Turner)
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
