A study of the literary writings of several medieval writers in the Christian mystical tradition, situated in their cultural and religious contexts.

A study of The Canterbury Tales and selected minor works, which may include The Book of the Duchess, The Parliament of Fowls, and Troilus and Criseyde. The course involves reading Chaucer’s texts in their historical and cultural contexts. The student will also develop a good reading knowledge of Chaucerian Middle English.

Examines the ways in which gender is represented in all forms of literature, from poetry and fiction to drama and creative nonfiction. Students will evaluate how literary representations of gender are informed by other social variables, such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious belief, political affiliation, and cultural background. They will appraise how time and place influence depictions of gender in literature and apply a broad array of contemporary literary theories to their analysis of diverse works of literature.

A survey of English literary texts reflecting changing conceptions of and attitudes toward nature across time and place. Students will apply ecocritical analytical approaches to literature that explore the relationships among human and non-human beings and the environment.

Literature has been at the centre of the human story from its beginnings as recorded in ancient sacred texts to its current study as cultural narrative with transformative and transcendent possibilities for interpretation and creativity. This course will explore literary themes integral to the pursuit of Christian spirituality, past and present.

A study of representative works of twentieth-century American literature and the development of its themes in various historical, political, and socio-cultural contexts.

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.

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.

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 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.