ENGL232

043268

This course delves into the themes and conventions shared by English Renaissance and African American literature, highlighting the essential role of humanism in understanding historical developments and the legacy of cultures in society. In this course, we will bridge the historical boundaries between early modern and modern literature, investigating how authors have tackled complex subjects like miscegenation, passing, homosexuality, and homosociality through the notion of identity and subjectivity across temporal and geographic divides. By examining these literary works through a humanist, anti-humanist, and post-humanist lens, we will explore the historical, social, and cultural contexts that have shaped various aspects of human experiences constructed, in part, by humanism--rights, identity (race, gender, sexuality), language practices, exploitation, and objectification. Focusing on power and identity, representations of sexuality, class, gender, and race, this course underscores the significance of the humanities (despite its origins in humanism) in fostering inclusivity and diversity in society.

Throughout the course, we will read several dramatic plays and prose pieces by prominent authors, such as Harriet Ann Jacobs, Nella Larsen, W.E.B. Du Bois, Adrienne Kennedy, James Baldwin, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare. By engaging with their works through a humanist perspective, we will gain a deeper understanding of the rich tapestry of human cultures and the expressions that have shaped our shared literary heritage.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate

GEED - EPHUM (Gen Ed: EP Humanist)