Reading Women's Writing

Why and how do women write? Does literary history reveal distinctive styles, patterns, and continuities in the works of female authors? We will begin to address these questions through our close reading of a wide variety of women's literature in English, including poetry, fiction, essays, and drama from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. Secondary readings will reflect on the concept of gender as a central organizing principle. Employing various methods of literary analysis, the course will address issues of interest to students in a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, and history, as well as literature. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. disc.