ENGL 40198 - Reading, Studying and Teaching Literature in the Contemporary Classroom

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

One of the most beloved storytellers of the 20th century, J.R.R. Tolkien, contemplates the power of stories within his masterwork, The Lord of the Rings. Resting for a while on the road to Mordor, Sam and Frodo find a measure of solace and purpose as they ruminate together on the nature of "the tales that really mattered, the ones that stay in the mind." Shakespeare also acknowledges the power of story, albeit in a different sense, when he has Hamlet assert: "The play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." Central to this course is our study of two great writers of the English tradition, Shakespeare and Tolkien. We will read and discuss works that "stay in the mind" - Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Lord of the Rings. In one sense the contemporary classroom will be our own! Yet we will also study these works in the context of contemporary education, one in which, for example, English teachers find that many of their students either complain about reading or choose not to read much at all, at least in part because they lack the skill and patience to read long or difficult texts. So as we study Shakespeare and Tolkien, we will do so with attention to questions about the purpose of literature, issues of literacy, and the challenges and opportunities of teaching literature in the contemporary classroom.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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