Introduction to Literature

Within lies a shakeup of the traditional introductory literature course textbook formula, with a unique perspective on literature. You will find some theories that have not even been published in scholarly journals before, like the examination of the merchants’ language that Swift uses to disguise his meaning. Each of the sections on fiction, drama and poetry provides the most essential commentary, definitions and concepts. The readings include three short stories from Edgar Allan Poe, novel segments from Don Quixote, and Gulliver’s Travels, various poems, and a classic Greek play, Lysistrata. The uniting elements in these pieces are satire, sarcasm, and other forms of humor. This dense political, social and cultural content should inspire students with questions and a desire to write about it.