Twentieth Century Literary Theory

We will read key texts of critical theory from the early to the late Twentieth Century, representative of Structuralism, Poststructuralism, Psychoanalysis, Feminism, New Historicism, Posthumanism and Disability Studies. The course is premised on the idea that theory informs each and every act of reading and interpretation. We will unravel and discuss the central tenets of each movement and the evolution of theoretical ideas throughout the century. Our readings of critical theory will then be put to use by engaging with a number of works of fiction to which we will refer throughout the semester. Students will apply the different tools of interpretation learnt in the course to their reading of these texts.