Studies in the Literature of Life Writing

All first-year English literature courses share the following features:

1. Students are instructed in the writing of critical essays on literary subjects.
2. Students are taught to recognize and understand a variety of literary devices and textual elements, such as metaphor, symbolism, distinctions between author and narrator/narrating persona, and issues of language and of structure, as appropriate to the genres and texts studied.
3. Readings and topics vary among sections of the same course, according to each instructor’s selection; however, all course materials are consistent with the objectives of the course. 

In English 1118, students will examine works in at least three of the following forms of life writing:

1. Autobiographical prose (long or short works, ranging from the personal essay or creative non-fiction to novel-length works);
2. Autobiographical poetry;
3. Autobiographical drama (full-length play, performance essay or dramatic monologue);
4. Memoir;
5. Biography;
6. Travel narrative;
7. Journals/diaries; and
8. Letters.

For purposes of comparison, students may also examine some mock-autobiographical works (such as fiction, diaries or memoirs that purport to be based on “real-life”), and/or autobiographical film, theatre, music or performance art.