English: Women in Literature

Survey of women's literary tradition in English. Focuses on the ways women have written, read, written about, and been represented in nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature. Cross-listed with: GSWS 1630.

Open to Degree and PACE students Crosslisted with GSWS 1630 Total combined enrollment = 40

This is an introductory level course which fulfills the CCC designation of AH2 focusing on understanding and analyzing the literature of women. As Alice Walker once wrote, "our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see; or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read. Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength—in search of my mother’s garden, I found my own.” This course searches for our mothers’ gardens by examining the contributions of women to English speaking literary cultures from the earliest periods through today. This course has two goals. One is to provide an historical overview of women's contributions to the major periods and genres of literary history. The other is to introduce students to some of the critical questions and methodologies of feminist literary studies.

Students are expected to engage earnestly with the readings and lecture material.

Section exams, social annotation assignments, and a short essay.