What is theory and why should we engage with it? In what way does it inform our methods of interpreting literary and cultural production? How can theory enable us to formulate forms of critique? In this course, we will survey some of the most important theoretical traditions and methods from the 19th-21st century. The course is organized around three conceptual clusters that will allow us to trace lines of influence across centuries and theoretical traditions: 1. Commodity, Consciousness, Affect; 2. Colonialism, Race, Other; 3. Climate, Species, Entanglement. Each cluster will be paired with a literary study text to highlight the ways in which theory can inform methods of reading and analysis. All material in English; no German needed.

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