5. Course Requirements

The class format will emulate a graduate-level seminar, heavy on student-led discussion. At this point in your college career, you probably understand that my role as your instructor is not to divulge "the right answer" for you to memorize and spit back for credit. The professor who taught lit crit to me, E. D. Hirsch, Jr., pointed out that criticism is a skill that you do, rather than a set of facts to memorize. [1]

Instead, you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to apply a particular critical theory to an assigned literary text, backing up your analysis with specific evidence from both the academic and literary sources.

I will often send out bulk e-mails to the Seton Hill address on file for you in the GriffinGate system. If you prefer to get your mail from a different address, please use SHU's e-mail forwarding service so that you don't miss important updates.

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[1]  I recall Hirsch's statement as particularly significant, because at the time he made it, he was famous for a series of essays and books promoting his concept of "cultural literacy" -- his observation that educated people share a common core of facts and concepts, that are necessary for comprehension of complex subjects; he has argued that the public school system is failing precisely because teachers focus on nebulous "critical thinking skills" rather than spending time teaching content.