Introduction to Literature: Culture & Literature (Women in Literature)

We will be diving into a global pool of 18th-century to contemporary women’s literatures, including personal essays, novels, short stories, films, and pop songs that have been produced by and/or depict women. By analyzing these texts, we will be exploring topics of gender, sex, feminism, women’s rights, sex work, racialized sexism, femininity, girlhood, womanhood, patriarchal marriage, and the female body. Some recurring questions prompted through this course will be: What is Woman? What is a feminist? Is feminism still necessary? How do our bodily experiences relate to our gender? How have our childhood experiences shaped our gender identities? In what ways are some racial and ethnic groups sexualized/fetishized/considered taboo in the US? Course requirements will include pop quizzes, a short midterm essay, and a final essay.