Concentration in Literary Studies

Course Requirements

Either of the following two:

• ENG 290 Shakespeare's Tragedies and Romances
• ENG 345 Shakespeare's Histories and Comedies

All of the below:

• ENG 311 Structure of the English Language
• ENG 380 Literary and Cultural Interpretation
• ENG 400 Assessment Portfolio (.5 credit)

A student must select at least eight additional literature courses. Of these courses, at least three must be taken at the 300 level and one must be in each of the following areas: British literature, American literature, European literature, literature written before 1700, and literature written after 1900. A student may choose ENG 220 Creative Writing as one of the eight courses, provided that the above criteria are met. No 100-level English courses count towards completion of the concentration.

All students at Wilson are required to complete Assessment in their Major.

Assessment for Concentration in Literary Studies

As a Wilson College English major, you are required to assemble a writing portfolio. Its contents will address four general goals and thirteen sub-goals (see below). In all, students majoring in the literary studies concentration will be

Persuasive Expository Writers 

Papers which meet this goal will show the student writer's awareness of

• Purpose in writing
• Audience
• Role
• Tone
• Use of supporting details

Familiar with the Literary Traditions of Britain, Europe, and the U.S.

Papers which meet this goal will show the student writer's knowledge of

• A literary school, movement, period, genre, or major author
• The debate over the literary canon

Skillful Interpreters of Literature

Papers which meet this goal will show the student writer's ability to

• Read literature closely and discuss narration, literary devices, or poetics
• Use evidence from the history of literature
• Situate literature in its socio-historical context

Effective Synthesizers of Ideas 

Papers which meet this goal will show that the student writer can

• Compare and contrast themes across works of literature
• Apply theories of literature (e.g., feminism, historicism, psychoanalysis) to texts
• Use research to enter scholarly dialogue

Compiling the Student Portfolio

The first document in each English major's portfolio will be a lengthy essay (typically15-20 pages) that lists what is in the portfolio, names the course for which each item was produced, and explains the relevance of individual items to specific departmental goals. These materials may be written papers and, less frequently, essay exams. For example, a paper written for ENG 108 College Writing would be expected to show a mastery of purpose, audience, role, tone, and supporting details—the sub-goals of the "persuasive expository writer" criterion. Similarly, a paper for an upper-division course might demonstrate your knowledge of "the literary traditions of Britain, Europe, and the U.S" as well as your ability to interpret literature. Papers produced for upper-division courses in other departments may be applied to these general criteria as well, so long as you provide a specific context for their inclusion. As a whole, the introductory essay will be a reasoned argument that treats the portfolio's materials as evidence of your development as a student.

Students will develop their portfolios during their senior year by enrolling in ENG 400 Assessment Portfolio, a one-half credit course required for graduation. Questions about portfolios should be directed to Professor Larry Shillock.