ENGL 2051 - Modern World Literature

Credits: 3
Hours/Week: Lecture 3 Lab 0
Course Description: This literature course intended for all students will introduce Modern World Literature from the first half of the 20th century, examining poetry, fiction, and drama from a global perspective. The course explores writers in response to the political, social, and cultural transformations of the modern world. Typical authors may include Franz Kafka, Lu Xun, Chinua Achebe, Virginia Woolf, Pablo Neruda, and Rabindranath Tagore.
MnTC Goals
6 Humanities/Fine Arts, 8 Global Perspective

Prerequisite(s): Course placement into college-level English and Reading OR completion of ENGL 0950 with a grade of C or higher OR completion of RDNG 0940 with a grade of C or higher and qualifying English Placement Exam OR completion of RDNG 0950 with a grade of C or higher and ENGL 0090 with a grade of C or higher OR completion of ESOL 0051 with a grade of C or higher and ESOL 0052 with a grade of C or higher.
Corequisite(s): None
Recommendation: ENGL 1020 with a grade of C or higher OR ENGL 1021 with a grade of C or higher.

Major Content

Colonialism and postcolonialism
Modernism and early postmodernism
The expanding canon: voices from colonized and marginalized communities in response to power structures and the shifting of overriding narratives
Cultural, political, and historical influences
Elements of literature: plot, character, setting, and style
Approaches to reading: close analysis and comparative contexts

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course students will be able to:

describe the scope and variety of works in Modern World Literature.
analyze political, economic, and cultural elements in Modern World Literature that shape relations among states and societies.
interpret works in early 20th-century world literature.
analyze key literary elements (e.g., plot, character, theme, style).
interpret works as expressions of both individual and human values within historical and social contexts.
analyze Modern World Literature in relation to international, cultural, economic, and political differences.
reflect on cultural, social, religious, and linguistic differences represented in Modern World Literature.

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC): Goals and Competencies
Competency Goals (MnTC Goals 1-6)

06. 01. Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.

06. 02. Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social context.

06. 03. Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.

06. 05. Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities.

Theme Goals (MnTC Goals 7-10)

Colonialism and postcolonialism
Modernism and early postmodernism
The expanding canon: voices from colonized and marginalized communities in response to power structures and the shifting of overriding narratives
Cultural, political, and historical influences
Elements of literature: plot, character, setting, and style
Approaches to reading: close analysis and comparative contexts

Courses and Registration