English
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
100 Basic Composition
(3 s.h.) Required of freshmen who, on evidence of high school record and SAT scores, show need for practice in critical reading and writing. Objective is competence in reading analytically and writing essays that meet standards of organization, logical development, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Emphasis on extensive composition and revision.
101 Intermediate Composition: PEG
(3 s.h.) For first-year students in the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted, integrating composition and literature. Varied readings provide topics for discussion and writing assignments. Instruction and practice in the writing process, focusing on the college-level essay and critical thinking. Introduction to research techniques and review of grammar and mechanics, focusing on major errors and issues of style. Grade of B- or better exempts a student from ENG 102.
102 Intermediate Composition
(3 s.h.) Required for graduation. Designed to improve writing, critical thinking and ability to read carefully. Classes devoted to discussing student essays and texts by professional writers, emphasizing discussion and the writing process. Students write six-eight essays or equivalent and revise at least two.
103 English as a Second Language I: Basic Composition
(3 s.h.) Prepares ESL students for academic writing, with emphasis on analytical reading and on writing short essays that meet standards of organization, logical development, sentence structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Emphasis on extensive composition and revision. Students taking 103 in fall should expect to take either ENG 104 or ENG 102 in spring.
111 Introduction to Literature
(3 s.h.) Provides an introduction to close reading of poetry, fiction, and drama. Through class discussion and regular writing assignments students will gain an understanding and appreciation of literary genre. The course will also involve discussion and writing about how the elements of each genre — including setting, plot, imagery, sound, and rhythm — contribute to the meaning and effect of a literary work.
202 Advanced Composition
(3 s.h.) Develops proficiency in writing prose nonfiction with sophistication and voice, through reading of selected nonfiction works; stylistic exercises; and frequent writing, peer review, and revision. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
203 Children’s Literature before 1900
(3 s.h.) Study of representative works through the Golden Age, including folktales in translation; poetry from Mother Goose to Lear; and works such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Little Women, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Pinocchio, and Arabian Nights. Emphasis on history of children’s literature and analysis of individual works. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
204 Children’s Literature after 1900
(3 s.h.) Study of representative works after 1900, including poetry, short fiction, picture books, novels such as The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, and translated fiction in a variety of genres. Emphasis on history of children’s literature and analysis of individual works. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
208 British Literature before 1780
(3 s.h.) Works of major British writers, both men and women, from the Anglo-Saxons to 1780. Develops skill in analyzing and comparing works and in communicating ideas in discussion and short essays. Literary texts are also discussed in relation to their cultural and historical contexts, and students develop an understanding of differing genres. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
209 British Literature after 1780
(3 s.h.) Continuation of ENG 209. Study works of major British writers, both men and women, from 1780 to the late 20th century. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
216 Introduction to Shakespeare
(3 s.h.) Discussion/performance course focusing on examples of comedy, history, and tragedy, each considered from the dramatic, poetic, and theatrical perspectives, with some attention given to historical background and characteristics and development of Shakespeare’s art. Cross listed as ENG/THEA 216. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
217 Great Plays
(3 s.h.) For course description, see THEA 217 in the Theatre listing.
220 American Literature: Colonial to Romantic
(3 s.h.) Study of representative selections, including writers such as Bradstreet, Poe, Emerson, Melville, Hawthorne, Thoreau and Whitman. Develop skill in reading, understanding, and writing about works and gain confidence in the give-and-take of discussion. Literary merit, importance in the development of American literary themes and ideas, and power to elicit response from the modern reader will dictate selection of readings. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
221 American Literature: Realism to Present
(3 s.h.) A continuation of ENG 220 above. Representative selections from late 19th and 20th centuries are studied, including works by Chopin, James, Eliot, Frost, Stevens, and Hughes. Literary merit, importance in the development of American literary themes and ideas, and power to elicit response from the modern reader will dictate selection of readings. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
225 18th-Century British Literature
(3 s.h.) Introduction to literature and culture of a period of enormous literary innovation, including the rise of the novel and the woman writer. Texts often focus on issues of public concern: sex and marriage, education, crime and punishment, slavery and abolition, human rights. Develops understanding of how literature and culture contribute to this period, whilst speaking to issues of enduring relevance. Authors include Behn, Defoe, Pope, Swift, Burney, and lesser-known writers. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
227 The 18th-Century British Novel
(3 s.h.) Introduction to major novels. Develops detailed knowledge of the works as the basis for critical reflection and for understanding of the novel in its many forms. Attention to these early novels’ involvement in cultural debates about class, gender, domesticity and national identity. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
228 The 19th-Century British Novel
(3 s.h.) Introduction to five major novels, with attention to their social and historical background. Introduces key critical approaches to 19th-century fiction and explores ways in which the novels intervene in topics of enormous cultural importance such as politics, poverty, the position of women, and evolutionary theory. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
231 Romantic Literature
(3 s.h.) Brings together readings from the “Big Six” male Romantic poets (Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley and Byron) and discusses readings from a host of important women writers and lesser-known men, to construct a dynamic survey of this creative and revolutionary period. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
235 Women’s Writing
(3 s.h.) Selected writings of authors of the English-speaking world from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Many readings are short selections, but several novels will be read. Students’ journals record responses to readings, including what these women writers say about marriage, women’s education, legal rights and social roles, and how the experiences of women affect us as modern women or men. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
236 Victorian Literature
(3 s.h.) Focusing on a sequence of inter-related themes — faith and doubt, men and women, self and society, past and present — this course will include readings in poetry, short fiction, and controversial essays, to develop an understanding of this complex and tormented era. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
244 Autobiography
(3 s.h.) Introduction to autobiography as a literary genre. Through reading and analyzing works, students develop a greater understanding of this genre’s range and of various writers’ responses to critical issues raised by autobiography: To what degree does a text recount a life? Create a life? How do form and style contribute to self-representation? *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
246 The Crafting of Fiction
(3 s.h.) Introduction to basic elements of fiction writing, including characterization, plot, and point of view. In-class exercises, frequent writing assignments, and readings in contemporary fiction. Also introduces the writing workshop method of analysis and critique. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
247 The Crafting of Poetry
(3 s.h.) Introduction to basic elements of poetry writing, including persona, rhyme, rhythm, and meter. Through in-class exercises, frequent writing assignments, and readings in contemporary poetry, students develop strategies and skills for creating and developing formal and free-verse poetry. Also introduces the writing workshop method of analysis and critique. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
251 Technical and Professional Writing
(3 s.h.) Practice, drafting, and revising professional documents. Case studies examine common genres of writing in communities and workplaces: instructions, letters, memos, reports, proposals. One objective is to simulate the processes of writing in professional settings. Students gain appreciation for the interacting demands of content, audience, and structure and learn to use writing time more effectively. *Prerequisites: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111 and at least sophomore status, or permission of instructor.
264 African-American Literature
(3 s.h.) This course will focus on 20th-century African-American fiction, poetry, and essays. Through discussion, journal entries, and essays, students will develop skill in analyzing and comparing literary works and will consider contexts for African-American writing. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
268/368 Histories and Theories of Writing and Rhetoric
(3 s.h.) Introductory survey of high points in the Western tradition of writing and rhetoric, including ancient Greece and Rome and the rise of English rhetoric during the Renaissance. The course also provides attention to evolving assumptions about text and authorship from the Enlightenment through the 20th century, with a speculative look forward. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
270 Teaching Writing: An Introduction to Theory and Practice
(3 s.h.) Introduction to the major developments in the history of writing instruction in the U.S. as well as composition studies and writing pedagogy. Students will practice collaborative writing and research, and, through observation and practice in MBC’s Writing Center, gain first-hand experience assisting student writers across the curriculum. Students who complete this course and meet additional requirements may apply to work in the College’s Writing Center. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
310 Chaucer
(3 s.h.) A study of the Canterbury Tales and other selected texts. Students read the Middle English text. No background in Middle English is assumed. Students also learn about the political, religious, and intellectual background of the 14th century. Strongly recommended: ENG 208. *Prerequisite: one 200-level literature course or permission of instructor.
315 Tudor-Stuart Drama
(3 s.h.) A discussion course studying six to eight plays written between 1580 and 1640, including texts by Marlowe, Jonson, and Webster. The plays are studied in chronological order so that the student will gain some understanding of the development of the drama of the period. Cross listed as THEA 315. *Prerequisite: one 200-level literature course or permission of instructor.
320 Renaissance Literature
(3 s.h.) Renaissance Literature is a study of non-dramatic English poetry and prose from Thomas Wyatt through John Milton. This discussion course will cover the major authors of the mid-sixteenth through the mid-seventeenth centuries and will provide an overview of several minor writers of the period. Students will be introduced to the literary theories pertinent to study of the period, primarily New Historicism and Cultural Studies, and will write research papers on topics of their choice. *Prerequisite: one 200-level literature course or permission of instructor.
333 Modern Fiction
(3 s.h.) A survey of major novels and selected short stories by modern
and contemporary writers, including Hemingway, Faulkner, O’Connor, and Woolf. Attention given to the works’ reflection of 20th-century culture and themes, and to shifts in 20th-century aesthetics. Emphasizes techniques of reading and writing about fiction. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
334 Modern Poetry
(3 s.h.) A survey of poetry in the twentieth century. The greatest amount of time will be devoted to the poetry between World War I and World War II. Largely discussion-based, the course will also provide opportunities for student research on individually-designed projects. *Prerequisite: ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 111.
346 The Writing of Fiction
(3 s.h.) Emphasizes the process and craft of fiction writing. Classes are designed as workshops and divided between periods of writing and periods of reading and discussing each other’s work. *Prerequisite: ENG 246 or permission of instructor.
347 The Writing of Poetry
(3 s.h.) Emphasizes the process and craft of poetry writing. Classes are designed as workshops and divided between periods of writing and periods of reading and discussing each other’s work. *Prerequisite: ENG 247 or permission of instructor.
375 Special Topics in Language and Literature
(3 s.h.) Intensive study of a literary or English language subject, such as the work of one or two major authors, a recurring literary or rhetorical theme, a genre, or a critical problem. Topics and instructors will vary.
400 Major Seminar
(3 s.h.) Students will learn about and evaluate the various theoretical approaches that may be used to analyze literary texts. They will also develop their research expertise within their chosen area of interest, in order to produce a research proposal and annotated bibliography. Once this proposal is approved, they will write either a research paper (4,000-6,000 words excluding notes and bibliography) or a themed critical portfolio of three shorter papers (1,500-2,000 words each excluding notes and bibliography), culminating in a formal presentation and defense. *Prerequisites: senior standing and at least a 2.0 GPA in English major courses.
Note: Directed inquiries, teaching assistantships, and internships in English can be arranged on an individual basis.
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