Courses

A study of representative works in British fiction and poetry that have been most influential in shaping and reflecting twentieth-century sensibilities and imaginations.

A study of representative works of contemporary Canadian fiction and the development of the postmodern, and post-colonial, and post-national novel.

Designed to give students the opportunity to study the works of significant writers while also providing opportunities for engagement with thematic concerns and special topics in literary studies. Note: Students may take more than one version of this course.

A survey of children’s literature from the sixteenth century to the present, examining representative texts and changing attitudes towards children and their books.

A study of the genre of fantasy literature, including some early works (such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) that shaped the imagination of creators of modern fantasy such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.

A survey of Canadian plays, starting with the first official play written in North America (a 17th-century Canadian play) and progressing to 21st-century dramatists and their texts. Students will engage in detailed analyses of plays: their structures, historical/cultural contexts, and present-day relevance. The plays explore a variety of topics and themes, including but not limited to family life, social issues, class struggles, oppression, and marginalization. Students will also read plays about Indigenous culture and plays by Indigenous writers.

A study of eight to ten modern plays, British, American, and Canadian, representing different forms and approaches to drama in the last one hundred years.

A survey of significant American dramatic literature. Touching on the 18th and 19th century contributions from Royall Tyler's The Contrast (1787) to George Aiken's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853) and Steele MacKaye's Hazel Kirke (1880), the course moves quickly to Eugene O'Neill's Beyond the Horizon (1920), which many historians consider the first truly indigenous American drama of international import, and examines the significant work of playwrights such as Arthur Miller, Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, Sam Shepard, and David Mamet.

Independent but guided research in a specialized area of interest to the student. Directed studies are not offered concurrently for courses available in the regular academic year.