Criticism and Psychoanalysis
ENGL 327
Spring 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
RL&L 327, GRST 227 |
| Course Cluster and Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate |
This course introduces some classical psychoanalytic methods of reading and interpretation, with accent on the four concepts Jacques Lacan identified as foundational: the unconscious, repetition, the transference, and the drive. We will approach psychoanalysis as a style of close reading whose influence on forms of interpretation--especially literary interpretation--has been immeasurable. One central concern will be the capacity of psychoanalysis to enable us to read ourselves reading, to make the interpretive situation itself the object of our analysis. Students with an interest in literary-critical methods will benefit from the course, as will students with an interest in the internal logic of an important body of thought. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ENGL |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (English)(French Studies Minor)(French Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Sigmund Freud, THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS (Basic Books)
Sigmund Freud, JOKES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE UNCONSCIOUS (W.W. Norton)
Sigmund Freud, THE FREUD READER, ed. Peter Gay (W.W. Norton)
Jacques Lacan, SEMINAR XI: THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF PSYCHOANALYSIS (W.W. Norton)
A course reader including additional writings by Freud and Lacan, and pieces by Leo Bersani, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, Frantz Fanon, Bruce Fink, Patricia Gherovici, Ben Kafka, David Marriott, Juliet Mitchell, Adam Phillips, and Antonio Viego.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Five reading exercises, one essay. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Students wishing to fulfill the research-paper requirement for writing an honors thesis will complete memos and reading exercises, but will write a 20-25pp. research essay instead of the two essays.
Contributes to the fulfillment of English major requirements: Theory |
| Instructor(s): Garrett,Matthew Carl Times: .M.W... 10:50AM-12:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: 15 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 1 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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