Literary Theory: Foundations and Contemporary Perspectives

This course is designed to provide a foundational introduction to the major schools of literary theory that have shaped the study of literature from the early twentieth century to the present. Over the span of ten weeks, students will engage with the central concepts, debates, and methodologies that allow literature to be read not only as art, but also as a site of ideology, identity, culture, and power. The course will be particularly valuable to students interested in the social sciences, political thought, gender studies, and questions of power, domination, and resistance, as well as to anyone seeking to understand how literature engages with broader social and cultural realities.