University of St. Thomas

4 Credit Hours

J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS, works that have been popular since they were first published. As an Oxford Professor and eminent medievalist, he wrote out of what he knew about Old English, Old Norse, and Middle English literature. He was a ground-breaking medieval scholar who loved his work so much that he created fictional works rooted in the language and traditions of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Gothic, and Celtic cultures that he studied. This course explores Tolkien's work as rooted in ancient and medieval legends, mythologies, and literary genres and practices. We will seek to understand Tolkien's achievement both in its own right and as the continuation of the classical and medieval narrative traditions it both springs from and renews. Among the topics to be dealt with: Tolkien's understanding of mythology and "faerie story"; Germanic and Finnish mythology; Anglo-Saxon literature; Celtic legend and mythology; the genre of medieval romance; his critics; and the silver screen. THIS IS NOT A COURSE FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE WORKS OF TOLKIEN OR FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN ONLY PETER JACKSON'S MOVIE VERSIONS. Prior knowledge of THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS will provide the foundation for much of our analysis. This course fulfills the Early Literature distribution requirement for English majors. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 and/or ENGL 201, 202, 203, 204.

4 Credit Hours

J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS, works that have been popular since they were first published. As an Oxford Professor and eminent medievalist, he wrote out of what he knew about Old English, Old Norse, and Middle English literature. He was a ground-breaking medieval scholar who loved his work so much that he created fictional works rooted in the language and traditions of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Gothic, and Celtic cultures that he studied. This course explores Tolkien's work as rooted in ancient and medieval legends, mythologies, and literary genres and practices. We will seek to understand Tolkien's achievement both in its own right and as the continuation of the classical and medieval narrative traditions it both springs from and renews. Among the topics to be dealt with: Tolkien's understanding of mythology and "faerie story"; Germanic and Finnish mythology; Anglo-Saxon literature; Celtic legend and mythology; the genre of medieval romance; his critics; and the silver screen. THIS IS NOT A COURSE FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE WORKS OF TOLKIEN OR FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN ONLY PETER JACKSON'S MOVIE VERSIONS. Prior knowledge of THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS will provide the foundation for much of our analysis. This course fulfills the Early Literature distribution requirement for English majors. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 and/or ENGL 201, 202, 203, 204.

3 Credit Hours

"Wake up, Neo..." "Knock, knock, Neo..." "Did you ever have that feeling that you didn't know if you were awake or still dreaming?" (From THE MATRIX). Think of GENG 514 Genre Studies: Science Fiction as a "window washer" for your mind. You have the opportunity to wake up to the fact that, when you read a text, you are living within your own world view and already are applying a specific kind of interpretation whether you are aware of it or not. That unexamined, perhaps even invisible world view is the prison within which your mind currently encounters texts. Like all recently freed prisoners, you probably will be suspicious of other world views, but until you try thinking with their rules, "seeing" by their light, you have no idea whether they are valid or invalid, powerfully liberating or merely coercive, useful or toys. The texts we will read and watch will offer us other world views and allow us to question whether these world views are valid or not. This class explores the myths and literary traditions that prevail in science fiction. A literary history of science fiction is also a social history of popular beliefs about science, philosophy, religion, politics, and about our ability or inability to control our physical, mental, spiritual, and political environments. Science fiction also encourages us as readers to explore possible worlds as we examine our own world and our beliefs. This course counts as elective credit.

3 Credit Hours

"Wake up, Neo..." "Knock, knock, Neo..." "Did you ever have that feeling that you didn't know if you were awake or still dreaming?" (From THE MATRIX). Think of GENG 514 Genre Studies: Science Fiction as a "window washer" for your mind. You have the opportunity to wake up to the fact that, when you read a text, you are living within your own world view and already are applying a specific kind of interpretation whether you are aware of it or not. That unexamined, perhaps even invisible world view is the prison within which your mind currently encounters texts. Like all recently freed prisoners, you probably will be suspicious of other world views, but until you try thinking with their rules, "seeing" by their light, you have no idea whether they are valid or invalid, powerfully liberating or merely coercive, useful or toys. The texts we will read and watch will offer us other world views and allow us to question whether these world views are valid or not. This class explores the myths and literary traditions that prevail in science fiction. A literary history of science fiction is also a social history of popular beliefs about science, philosophy, religion, politics, and about our ability or inability to control our physical, mental, spiritual, and political environments. Science fiction also encourages us as readers to explore possible worlds as we examine our own world and our beliefs. This course counts as elective credit.

4 Credit Hours

Students will read and write about literary texts critically and closely. The course emphasizes recursive reading and writing processes that encourage students to discover, explain, question and clarify ideas. To this end, students will study a variety of genres as well as terms and concepts helpful to close analysis of those genres. They will practice various forms of writing for specific audiences and purposes. Students will reflect on and develop critical awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as readers and writers. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 12 pages of formal revised writing.

4 Credit Hours

Students will read and write about literary texts critically and closely. The course emphasizes recursive reading and writing processes that encourage students to discover, explain, question and clarify ideas. To this end, students will study a variety of genres as well as terms and concepts helpful to close analysis of those genres. They will practice various forms of writing for specific audiences and purposes. Students will reflect on and develop critical awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as readers and writers. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 12 pages of formal revised writing.

3 Credit Hours

Geoffrey Chaucer, the fourteenth-century English poet, ambassador, and controller of customs, was a man well-versed in a variety of languages. Notable for his translation of Boethius' CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY and his translation of the French classic THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE (a translation which the French raved about), Chaucer is known mostly for his great social comedy, THE CANTERBURY TALES as well as his TROILUS AND CRISEYDE. This seminar will explore how in a highly stratified society, Chaucer offers a sympathetic treatment of women, the common people, and those deemed as the Other or outsider. This course satisfies the Pre-1800 British Literature distribution requirement and counts as a 600-level seminar. Prerequisite: GENG 513 or permission of the instructor and degree-seeking status.

3 Credit Hours

Geoffrey Chaucer, the fourteenth-century English poet, ambassador, and controller of customs, was a man well-versed in a variety of languages. Notable for his translation of Boethius' CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY and his translation of the French classic THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE (a translation which the French raved about), Chaucer is known mostly for his great social comedy, THE CANTERBURY TALES as well as his TROILUS AND CRISEYDE. This seminar will explore how in a highly stratified society, Chaucer offers a sympathetic treatment of women, the common people, and those deemed as the Other or outsider. This course satisfies the Pre-1800 British Literature distribution requirement and counts as a 600-level seminar. Prerequisite: GENG 513 or permission of the instructor and degree-seeking status.