EGL 191 - Confronting the Canon: The Modernist Edition

Course Units: 1

(Spring: Bracken and Mitchell) Modernism, the literary movement that dominated in the West from about 1890-1950, has been a stronghold of white male privilege, subtended by deep seated anxieties about other bodies. In this section of “Confronting the Canon,” we will consider the complicated legacy of modernism and its influence on more recent literary works; the often troubling personal and political legacy of modernist writers; the relationship between the modernist canon and perpetuation of white supremacy; and the ways in which modernism, and the scholarship about it, bolster a rigid heteronormative patriarchy. “Confronting the Canon” courses are cornerstones of the new English curriculum and required beginning with majors/minors in the class of 2025.

100-level courses are open to all students. CC: WAC ISP: AFR, GSW