Writing about Literature: Thinking and Feeling

As human beings, we think and we feel all the time. And yet, sometimes--or oftentimes--it can be difficult to determine where one begins and where the other ends. What exactly is the difference between "thinking" and "feeling"? In this class, we will dwell on this question as we explore different works of literature and approaches to writing about literature, and we will consider how "thinking" and "feeling" shape our own responses to what we read. Assigned texts in this class will include: Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë (1847); The Crucible, by Arthur Miller (1953); Soft Science, by Franny Choi (2019); and a selection of works of literary criticism. As we read and write about these materials, we will investigate how thinking and feeling manifest in interpersonal relationships, communities, and ourselves, and we will seek to better understand the roles that thinking and feeling play in literary analysis.

Assignments will include a close-reading essay (3-4 double-spaced pages); an article review essay (3-4 double-spaced pages); a research paper proposal (2-3 double-spaced pages); peer review workshop for drafts of final research papers; and a final research paper (7-8 double-spaced pages). Active in-class participation in discussions and activities will also be a crucial component of the final grade in this class.