MU Catalog » Course descriptions » Graduate »
EN 521 The Origins of the Novel, 1594-1800 (3)
The goal of this course is to show students how writers and readers can collaborate to invent a new literary form. The form in question is the English novel, and the principal period is the 18th century. There will be two subordinate topics: (a) the definition(s) of comedy and the problem of how comedy is to be realized in the medium of prose fiction; and (b) the new scholarly accounts of the early history of the novel that are superseding the long-authoritative account given by Ian Watt in The Rise of the Novel.
EN 522 Out of the '30s (3)
The years of the Great Depression saw the rise of a new generation of writers who confidently attempted to combine literature and social advocacy. This course examines two groups of writers: one is predominantly Northern, urban, and progressive; the other is predominantly conservative.
EN 524 Myth, Symbol, and Language (3)
An investigation of the various interpretations of myth as representative of the struggle toward conceptual thought; the interpretation of myth and symbolic form is explored. The latter part of the course focuses on Noam Chomsky's work Language and the Mind.
EN 526 Concepts of Gender in the Modern World (3)
Explores how gender concepts and relationships affect the individual's self-concept in modern culture.
EN 528 Visions of Freedom in the Modern World (3)
Examines the diverse concepts of "freedom" that bear upon the individual in the 20th century. By contrasting literary and philosophic figures who worked in relative awareness of each other but who arrived at opposing stands on freedom, the elusive character of the concept is revealed. Selected texts from writers such as Dickens, Mill, James, Eliot, Joyce, Woolf, and Sartre.
EN 530 Social Upheaval and Dramatic Structure (3)
The Vietnam War, violence in the streets, and the unrest on college campuses in America in the late '60s worked profound changes in the fabric of American life, reflected in the plays of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. This course traces these changes from a background examination of major works by O'Neill, Hellman, Miller, and Williams.
EN 540 The Transformation of Literary Study (3)
A study of the major contributions to modern literary theory in Europe and the United States.
EN 550 General Linguistics (3)
A study of the basic concepts of phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
EN 552 Applied Phonology (3)
The study of phonetics and phonemics including comparative analysis techniques. Emphasis on phonology and the ESL learner.
EN 554 Applied Grammar: Syntactic Structures (3)
An analysis of contemporary English grammar that investigates the meaning in written and oral discourse. Emphasis given to the application of English grammar in second-language learning.
EN 558 History of the English Language (3)
The development of English from its Anglo-Saxon roots to its present-day form.
EN 561 Canterbury Tales and the Late Medieval World (3)
Explores the historical and cultural factors that influenced the ways in which Chaucer invites his audience to enter into dialogue on the era's central issues. It also studies the Tales' overall design.
EN 562 Shakespeare: Text and Performance (3)
An intensive study of several Shakespearean plays as both text and performance.
EN 580 Independent Study (3)
Gives students the opportunity to pursue in depth, and under the direction of a faculty member, a topic in literature and/or language for which no formal course is available.
EN 590 Major Author(s) (3)
Provides an in-depth study of one or two major writers. Author(s) announced in the course schedule. This course may be taken more than once provided that the student selects different authors.