This document provides an outline for a literature course covering major topics such as forms of literature like poetry, drama, novels, and folk forms. It discusses literary concepts, critical approaches, language skills, and eras of literature from late 20th century to contemporary works. Specific genres like novels, drama, poetry, and feminist literature are examined across various historical periods. The course also focuses on Indian writing in English with sections on pre-independence to contemporary works. Short stories from various Indian authors are also included.

1. Mehta Drashti
•Background
• B.A.
• S.N.D.T Women’s
University. Mumbai. Smt.
N. C. Gandhi Mahila Arts
and Commerce college,
Bhavnagar

2. Literature
• Basic concepts in Literature studies in English
• What is Literature?
• Concepts of literariness and what is an Author?
• Forms of Literature:
Poetry Types:
i. Ode
ii. Ballad
iii. Elegy
iv. Sonnet
v. Epic

3. Drama:
I. Tragedy
II. Comedy
III. Tragi-Comedy
IV. Farce
V. Melodrama
Novels:
 Autobiographical
 Biographical
 Realistic
Folk Forms:
Oral
Traditional
ex. Bhavai, Ramleela, Yakshagana
Selections from critical essays on children’s literature

4. Critical approaches and language skills
in Literature
• Introduction to nature and functions of literary criticism
I. A Brief introduction to the following critical approaches
II. A very brief introduction to contemporary approaches like
structuralist and post structuralist approaches
III. Historical
IV. Biographical
V. Psychological
VI. Formalist
VII. Feminist
VIII. Marxist
IX. Post colonial

5. • Features of Organized Writing
• Cohesion, Coherence, Situations, styles of
Writing, Structures of Writing

6. Late 20th Century Literature
Socio-cultural and Literary Background
• World War-2
• End of Empires
• Emergence of the New Left-
Richard Hoggart
Raymond Williams
E.P. Thompson
• Rise of new Voices- John Arden, John Berger, Doris Lessing,
Iris Murdoch, John Osborne,
• Existentialism, Absurd, Surrealism
• 1960 students’ movements- rise of new social, cultural and
ideological spaces, emergence of the post modern
• New awareness of gender roles and rise of multiculturalism

7. Novel
1. Features of Novel:
Story, Plot, character, Point of View,
Narrative Techniques and Styles
2. Types of Novels:
Epistolary, Picaresque, Gothic
Romance, Novels of Manners, Psychological
novel, Buildungsroman, Utopias and
Distopias, Popular novel, Science Fiction,
Modernist novel

8. 19th Century Novel
Industrial Revolution and the rise of the novel
Social and Cultural Milieu of the period which
includes French and American revolution
Rise of Democracy, imperialism an Colonialism
Introduction to the important writers, novelist
and philosophers of the period

9. 20th Century Novel
• Background of the novel from modernist to
the post modernist, rise of socialism, Suffrage
movement, last phase of colonialism,
existentialism, imagism, Marxism, surrealism,
impressionism, psychoanalysis, structuralism,
early post modernism, intertextuality
• History, features and forms, biography,
popular novels, retelling postcolonial varieties
of the novel from across the world

10. The American Novel
• Distinctiveness of American Literature,
American identity, Evolution of the Novel
from, Multi-culturalism and immigrant
literature

11. Drama as a Form
• Structure of Drama:
Plot, Characters, three unities, dialogue, conflict,
protagonist, tragic flaw, dramatic devices like
Atmosphere, Irony,Soliloquy
• Types of Drama:
a. Tragedy: Greek Tragedy, Revenge Tragedy,
Domestic Tragedy, Heroic Tragedy, Tragi comedy,
Restoration Drama, Naturalistic Drama, Absurd
Drama, Theatre an Performance, Indian Drama
of the 60’s

12. Poetic Forms from the Renaissance to
the 20th century
• History, developments and structure of the
forms
• Different forms of Poetry:
Pastoral,
Songs and Sonnets,
Narrative Ballads,
Epic,
Mock Epic and Satire

13. Romantic and Victorian Poetry
• Rise of the Victorian movement
• Features of Romantic poetry
• Introduction to Victorian poetry
• Characteristics of Victorian poetry

14. Early 20th Century literature
• Literary and Socio cultural background
• 1) Beginning of the modern movement and
modernist literature
• Irish Movement and Irish contribution to
literature
• War Poets and World war 1 and 2
• Experimental and innovative movements in
the Arts, Painting, Music, Cinema, and Effect
on Literature

15. Feminist Literature
• Study of the early Feminist Text
• Suffragette Movement
• Early Feminist thought:- Marry Wollstonecraft
Virginia Woolf
Simone de Beauvoir
Gertrude stein etc.
Post 60’s Feminist Movement:-
Kate Millet
Elaine Showalter

16. Women’s writing in India
• Issues and questions related to women in the
post independence era
• Women in India -Nationalist Movement, Social
reforms, Partition etc
• Complex issues of gender raised in Women’s
writing

17. Indian Writing in English
1)Pre –Independence to the Nehruvian Era:
Literary, Historical and Social background, Social
reforms, Women’s Questions, Nationalism,
Nehruvian Era, Dalit Movement, Mandal
Commission( Caste Issue), Communal Tension, Post
Ayodhya, Liberation and Globalisation

18. Short Stories :Katha Publication
• Yuvakatha
• Girls- Mrinal Pandey
• Bayen- Mahaswetadevi
• The Decision-T. Janki Rani
• The Sermons of Haji Gul Baba Bektashi-
Qurrantutain Hyder
• I am Complete-Varsha Das
• A Day with Charulata- Anupama Niranjana
• The Hijra-Kamala Das