Advanced Topics
Elective deepening through specialization tracks.
Modernism
Focuses on experimental forms and responses to modernity (e.g., fragmentation, stream-of-consciousness).
| Subject | Why Study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modernist Literature: Key Texts | Explores innovations in form and content during the early 20th century. | The Modernist Papers | Introduction to Modernist Literature |
| Modernism and Culture | Examines intersections with art, psychology, and war. | Modernism: A Very Short Introduction | The Modern and the Postmodern (Part 1) |
| Postmodernism Extensions | Investigates shifts from modernism to postmodern playfulness and irony. | Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism | Covered in The Modern and the Postmodern (Part 1) |
Postcolonial Studies
Emphasizes literature from formerly colonized regions, addressing power, identity, and resistance.
| Subject | Why Study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postcolonial Theory | Introduces concepts like hybridity and subaltern voices. | The Post-Colonial Studies Reader | Postcolonial Literature |
| Postcolonial Literature: Africa and Asia | Analyzes narratives of decolonization and cultural reclamation. | The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures | Covered in Postcolonial Literature OR Postcolonial Literature (indian english, but this is the only full & free course I could find) |
| Diaspora and Migration in Literature | Explores themes of displacement and transnational identities. | Diaspora: An Introduction | Refugee, Migration, Diaspora |
Gender Studies
Investigates representations of gender, sexuality, and power in literature.
| Subject | Why Study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feminist Literary Criticism | Applies gender lenses to reinterpret canonical and marginalized texts. | Feminist Literary Theory: A Reader | The Classical Feminist Tradition in Literature |
| Queer Theory in Literature | Examines non-normative sexualities and identities. | Queer Theory: An Introduction | Queer Theory and Gender Performativity |
| Gender and Intersectionality | Integrates race, class, and gender for multifaceted analysis. | This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color | Gender and Intersectionality |
Digital Humanities
Blends literature with technology for new analytical methods (e.g., text mining, digital archives).
| Subject | Why Study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Digital Humanities | Overviews tools for digitizing and analyzing texts. | Debates in the Digital Humanities | Introduction to Digital Humanities |
| Textual Analysis with Digital Tools | Teaches computational methods for pattern recognition in literature. | Digital_Humanities | Text Analysis with Digital Tools (unavailable) |
| Digital Storytelling and Archives | Explores creating and curating digital literary projects. | The Johns Hopkins Guide to Digital Media | Digital Storytelling |
Critical Theory (Advanced)
Deepens theoretical mastery for sophisticated critique.
| Subject | Why Study? | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Literary Theory | To delve into complex theories like post-structuralism for advanced analysis. | ||
| Structuralism and Post-Structuralism | Delves into language, signs, and deconstruction. | Structuralism and Poststructuralism for Beginners | Structuralism & Post-Structuralism |
| Marxist and Cultural Materialism | Analyzes literature through economic and ideological lenses. | Marxism and Literature | |
| Ecocriticism and Environmental Theory | Applies theory to nature, sustainability, and human-environment relations in texts. | The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology | Ecocriticism |