The Great Works
The literature minor has limited hours so that students in a variety of fields can obtain it. Students from the following majors have found the literature minor coursework to be relevant to their areas of study: English, Theology, Elementary education, History, Political science, Communication and many more.
Students are exposed not only to traditional works in American and British literature, but also to multicultural and non-Western literature. Authors studied include Langston Hughes, Geoffrey Chaucer, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, Salman Rushdie, Amy Tan and Sherman Alexie, among many others.
Through their studies, students develop the ability to think and write critically about literature in addition to appreciating literature.
To help students gain an even greater appreciation of literature, the department plans a trip to England every two years for a literary tour — one week in the countryside, and one week in the heart of London. Literature students also frequently attend plays at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theatre.
Understanding that literature is connected to the world in which we live, students who have completed work for a minor in literature have deepened their liberal arts education and enriched their main studies.
