Hocbigg - Literature
Contents
Summary
The Literature curriculum is a comprehensive education in Literature, designed for self-directed study using online materials.
Note: High-quality courses or books that do not fit into the core curriculum are listed separately in extras/courses and extras/readings.
Organization
This repository is organized into three main components:
- Core Curriculum (this page): the foundational knowledge of the field;
- Advanced Topics: focused study in specific areas;
- Projects: support learning through practical application throughout the curriculum.
Process
Learners may work through the curriculum independently or collaboratively, and either sequentially or selectively.
- For simplicity, courses in the Core Curriculum are ordered according to their prerequisites.
- The Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation and is intended to be completed in full.
- Advanced Topics are optional; learners are encouraged to select one area of focus and complete all courses within that topic.
Practical work is integrated through the Projects section and may be undertaken alongside coursework.
See How to contribute for contribution guidelines.
Communities
- Forums:
- Subreddits:
- Discord servers:
- Other:
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
-
Join our Discord server (for discussions around this and other curricula):
Curriculum
- Foundations: How Literature Works
- Core Genres
- Survey of Literary History: Key Periods and Global Perspectives Chronological Core
- Translation & World Literature Basic Concepts
- Literary Theory Basics for Beginners
Foundations: How Literature Works
A. Academic Reading & Writing
| Subject | Resource |
|---|---|
| Academic Argument | They Say / I Say |
| Literary Writing & Analysis | Lumen Learning: Writing About Literature |
| Essay & Report Writing | Open University: Essay and report writing skills |
B. What Literature Is and How It Is Read
| Subject | Resource |
|---|---|
| What is Literature? + Introduction to Literary Studies | Yale ENGL 300: Introduction to Theory of Literature (full course lectures) |
| Author, Text, Reader | Yale ENGL 300 (introductory lectures 1 and 2) |
C. Literary Terms and Close Reading Skills
| Subject | Resource |
|---|---|
| Literary Terms | Abrams Glossary of Literary Terms |
| Close Reading | Harvard Writing Center: How to Do a Close Reading |
| Narrative Fundamentals | Open University: Exploring Narrative |
| Reading Longer Texts | Open University: Reading longer works |
Core Genres
Survey of Literary History: Key Periods and Global Perspectives (Chronological Core)
Primary textbook for all periods below: Longman Anthology of World Literature (focus on selections from the relevant volume/period as noted; read introductions, headnotes, and key texts for each era to build a global view).
| Topic | Resource |
|---|---|
| A. Ancient → Medieval | Longman Anthology Volume A (The Ancient World) + Volume B (The Medieval Era) – selections from Near East, Greece, Rome, South Asia, China, Islamic world, Europe, etc. |
| B. Renaissance → Enlightenment | Longman Anthology Volume C (The Early Modern Period) – focus on vernacular writing, Europe (Petrarch, Machiavelli, etc.), Asia, and emerging global exchanges |
| C. Romanticism → 19th Century | Longman Anthology later volumes (19th-century sections) + supplementary Open University period introductions (e.g., 1700–1830 and 1830–1914 modules for context) |
| D. Modernism → Contemporary | Longman Anthology 20th/21st-century sections + Bradbury & McFarlane – Modernism: A Guide to European Literature 1890–1930 (for focused Modernist overview) |
Supplementary:
- HarvardX: Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature (edX – covers ancient epics/myths globally).
- HarvardX: Modern Masterpieces of World Literature (edX – 20th-century focus, Kafka to contemporary). Use these to watch lectures alongside anthology readings for chronological context and discussion.
Translation & World Literature (Basic Concepts)
| Subject | Resource |
|---|---|
| Reading in Translation (introductory concepts) | Longman Anthology of World Literature – general introduction sections |
| Global Canon | Longman Anthology of World Literature |
| Comparative Reading | (Practice through anthology selections) |
Literary Theory (Basics for Beginners)
A. Theory Basics
- Peter Barry – Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory – Start with the Introduction and Chapter 1 ("Theory before 'theory'") to build a beginner-friendly foundation, then proceed through the chapters on major schools.
- Terry Eagleton – Literary Theory: An Introduction (supplementary historical overview)
B. Core Schools of Theory
Primary textbook for all schools below: Peter Barry – Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory – read the relevant chapter(s) listed.
| School | Resource |
|---|---|
| Formalism & New Criticism | Barry Ch. 1 ("Theory before 'theory'") & introductory discussions throughout early chapters |
| Structuralism | Barry Ch. 2: Structuralism |
| Marxist Criticism | Barry Ch. 8: Marxist criticism |
| Feminist Criticism | Barry Ch. 6: Feminist criticism + Feminist Criticism (1960s–present) |
| Postcolonial Criticism | Barry Ch. 10: Postcolonial criticism + Postcolonialism - NASRULLAH MAMBROL |
| Queer Theory | Barry Ch. 7: Queer theory |
Supplementary: Match these schools to lectures from Yale ENGL 300: Introduction to Theory of Literature (full 26-lecture course by Paul H. Fry). Lectures 6–7 (Formalism/New Criticism), Lecture 8 (Structuralism), Lectures 17–18 (Marxist approaches), Lecture 20 (Feminist tradition), Lectures 21–23 (Postcolonial & Queer Theory).