The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with some of the literary and theoretical skills in the discipline of English, with particular emphasis on critical close reading, research, and writing practices.  You will learn how to analyze and interpret texts by examining what is within the text as well as its biographical, historical, and social contexts. You will also be comparing texts structurally, ideologically, and thematically. To think and write clearly with meaningful complexity, to conduct effective research and construct reasonable arguments, to present your ideas orally and concisely—these are all skills that will serve you beyond this class.

The topic of this course revolves around human identity, but sometimes defining what is human is related to what is perceived as not human.  We will move from heaven and hell to the more mundane spaces of everyday life.  We will study what some Western texts have to say about gods and humans, angels and devils, monsters, outcasts, and animals.  As we ponder the intricacies and contradictions of human nature from ancient to contemporary texts, we will discuss literary and philosophical issues debating the place of the human in what some would call our posthuman times.

Course Requirements:

Assignments include quizzes, brief discussion posts, short essays, and a final research paper.