This course will study the major schools of contemporary literary theory, comparing their principles and methods to changing definitions of literature, testing their claims and uses against differing values of readers. Theoretical debate and practical analysis combine in this course to train the student as a polemical literary critic. Selected readings represent Gender, Post-Colonial, New Historical, Feminist, Marxist, Psychoanalytic, Structuralist, Reader- Response, and Formalist criticism. Prerequisite: Full year of 200-level English.