Feminism and Gender in Literature

This module consists of two interwoven elements, an introduction to feminist and gender studies and development of the necessary skills for close textual analysis. Students will carefully dissect and critically analyze 4 short stories through a feminist and gender lens. By the end of the course, students will not only understand how to pick apart the textual and structural elements of literature, but will also gain an understanding of how feminism and gender studies began to and is continuing to develop. Students will examine the following short stories: – The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman – Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter – Snow Child by Angela Carter – Mona’s Story by Urvashi Butalia Through the exploration of these texts some of the themes that will be covered (but not limited to) are: – Women and mental health – Sexual autonomy and liberation – Transgender and Hijras. This course is intended for students interested in studying Literature, Gender Studies or History. It will also provide the skills that will be beneficial for numerous other humanities degrees.