This course introduces students to the study of literature through close reading, thoughtful discussion, and engagement with diverse texts from a variety of cultural, historical, and spatial contexts. We will explore how literature shapes and reflects the world, considering questions of identity, society, and human experience. Students will encounter various forms of literature, which might include poetry, fiction, drama, and hybrid texts that challenge conventions and invite multiple interpretations.
In addition to reading and discussion, students will experiment with different theoretical perspectives—social, historical, and literary—while making critical ideas accessible. Through writing, reflection, and creativity, students will develop skills in reading, thinking, and engaging with literature thoughtfully, considering both artistic form and broader social significance. This course emphasizes curiosity, critical thinking, and how literature can open new ways of seeing and understanding the world.
If you engage in plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct, you will fail the assignment and possibly be referred to the Office of Student Integrity. You should be familiar with these Georgia Tech sites:
- Honor Challenge —https://osi.gatech.edu/students/honor-code
- Office of Student Integrity — https://osi.gatech.edu/index.php/
A Note Addressing Artificial Intelligence:
This course is about growing in your ability to write, communicate, and think critically. Generative AI agents should only be used as tools. Tools cannot learn or communicate for you, and they cannot meet the course requirements for you. AI cannot stand in for your voice and your ideas. Work generated with AI and submitted will be treated as if it is plagiarized work—which leads the student to fail the assignment and possibly be referred to the Office of Student Integrity.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Arts, Humanities & Ethics area. Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic, and philosophical works?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts in English or other languages, or of works in the visual/performing arts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Information Literacy
- Intercultural Competence