English majors who take the Literature Option are required to take an “authors class,” one that focuses on one author (or, in some cases, a very small group). These classes give students the opportunity to compare multiple works by a single writer, to watch the development of a literary career, and to explore the connections between biography and literature.
These include some of the big, canonical names in English and American literature (Shakespeare, Chaucer, Melville), but recent offerings have also included Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison.
As you plan your classes remember only two 200-level classes can count toward the major.
- 350:206, Shakespeare for the 21st Century
- 350:319, Shakespeare: Early Works
- 350:320, Shakespeare: Late Works
- 350:339–340, Major Writers of the 20th Century
- 350:371, Milton
- 350:373, Chaucer
- 350:374, Joyce
- 350:419, Authors before 1900
- 350:420, Authors since 1900
- 350:424, Authors
- 350:479–80, Seminar in Major British Authors
- 350:481–482, Readings in a Major Author
- 352:361, Studies in American Authors of the 19th Century
- 352:362, Studies in Modern American Authors
See the Schedule of Classes for the current offerings and the Course Catalog for descriptions.