Program Description

The advent of literary theory has been one of the most exciting, productive, and controversial developments in literary studies since the 1970s. Literary theory has questioned the texts we read in the traditional canon and the ways that we read any text. It has also questioned the relation of literature—and by extension English departments—to society, to power, and to class, race, gender, and sexual identities. The MU English department represents a range of contemporary theoretical approaches, and features specialists in theories of gender and sexuality, psychoanalytic theory, Africana womanist theory, postcolonial theory, and the history of criticism and theory. In addition, specialists in areas such as film, cultural studies, science and literature, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and oral tradition teach courses that deal with theoretical concerns. Whether focusing upon theory or upon traditional areas such as early modern or twentieth-century literature, students will find a rich source to draw upon in their graduate work.

Course Offerings