Overview
English 316 is a three-credit senior-level course designed to introduce students to the most important reading practices in the history of the Western world. From foundations in antiquity to innovative twenty-first-century approaches, the course takes a long view of literary theory and criticism. With a focus on prominent authors and key approaches, from Plato’s idealism to digital humanities, the course describes how assumptions and methodologies have shaped reading outcomes prior to and since the rise of English studies in the late-nineteenth century.
English 316 also encourages students to experiment with various lenses—personal and political, formalist or historical—to analyze canonical works of English literature and to reflect on reading in everyday life. What is a Freudian reading of Hamlet? Is Frankenstein a feminist critique of nineteenth-century gender relations? Am I ‘deconstructing’ my text messages, and if so, am I aware of the underlying interests and circumstances?
English 316 is not only a literary history relevant to English program students; likewise, it is not just preparation for the in-depth investigation of contemporary literary theory in English 423. Through historical survey, literary analysis, and real-world application, English 316 is an act of defamiliarization with potentially profound consequences for all readers—the re-imagination of reading as a radical act of self-reflection, perhaps even reinvention. In a world of texts, what sort of reader are you?
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction
Unit 2: The Ancient World
Unit 3: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Unit 4: The Enlightenment
Unit 5: The Nineteenth Century
Unit 6: Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Formalist Approaches
Unit 7: Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Historicist Approaches
Unit 8: Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Political Approaches
Unit 9: Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Psychoanalytical Approaches
Unit 10: From Theory to Practice
Learning outcomes
When you have completed ENGL 316, you should be able to
- define terms, concepts, events, and figures in the history of literary theory and criticism;
- summarize the aims and methodologies of major approaches to literary theory and criticism;
- apply one or more approaches of literary theory and criticism to a work of literature;
- consider the interconnectedness of reading, theory, and criticism in everyday life; and
- develop reading and research practices to write persuasive analysis in a variety of modes.
Evaluation
To receive credit for ENGL 316, you must complete and submit all the assignments. You must achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on each assignment and an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) for the course.
You will be evaluated based on your understanding of the concepts presented in the course and on your ability to apply those concepts. Your final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Personal Reflection | 5% |
| Assignment 2: Review Quiz | 5% |
| Assignment 3: Critical Analysis | 20% |
| Assignment 4: Essay Project | 25% |
| Final Examination | 45% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Stevens, Anne H. Literary Theory and Criticism: An Introduction. 2nd ed., Broadview Press, 2021.
Other Materials
Additional materials are provided online, including the following:
- Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. ca. 1599. Ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Folger Shakespeare Library, 24 Apr. 2026.
- Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus. 1818. Project Gutenberg, 2022.