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Fourth Year English Courses
Listed below are the course descriptions for all fourth-year English courses offered at TRU. Not all courses will be offered in a given year.
- ENGL 4000 Early Modern British Literature
- ENGL 4040 The Modern British Novel
- ENGL 4130 Contemporary British Drama
- ENGL 4140 The Contemporary British Novel
- ENGL 4150 Studies in Women's Literature
- ENGL 4160 Topics in Modern Irish Literature
- ENGL 4200 Canadian Literature
- ENGL 4210 Studies in British Columbia Literature
- ENGL 4220 Modern Canadian Drama on the Page, Stage, and Screen
- ENGL 4240 Nineteenth Century Canadian Literature
- ENGL 4250 Contemporary Canadian Poetry
- ENGL 4260 Studies in Canadian Literature
- ENGL 4340 American Fiction to 1900
- ENGL 4350 American Fiction in the First Half of the Twentieth Century
- ENGL 4360 Studies in American Literature
- ENGL 4370 American Fiction from Mid-Twentieth Century to the Present
- ENGL 4430 Studies in Literature and the Environment
- ENGL 4440 Postcolonial Women's Literature
- ENGL 4450 Commonwealth/Postcolonial Literature
- ENGL 4460 Studies in Commonwealth/Postcolonial Literature
- ENGL 4470 Studies in Indigenous Literature
- ENGL 4510 The Beat Writers
- ENGL 4600 American Poetry of the First Half of the Twentieth Century
- ENGL 4610 American Poetry from the Mid-Twentieth Century to the Present
- ENGL 4760 Editing and Publishing
- ENGL 4770 Studies in Literature
ENGL 4000 Early Modern British Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Development in British Literature, including the genres of novel, poetry, drama, and biography, from 1880 to the 1920s.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110, or 1210 and completion of 45 credits.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4040 The Modern British Novel (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Developments in the novel up to the Second World War.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110 or 1210, Completion of 45 credits,
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4130 Contemporary British Drama (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course surveys British drama from the 1950s, with Beckett's absurdist work and John Osbourne's hyper-realism, to the 1980s and 1990s' feminist cultural critiques by Caryl Churchill and Pam Gems.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110 or 1210 and completion of 45 credits.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4140 The Contemporary British Novel (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine the novel, from the Second World War to the present.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110 or 1210 and completion of 45 credits.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4150 ***Studies in Women's Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Major themes in Women's literature or theory.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110, or 1210 and Completion of 45 credits,
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4160 Topics in Modern Irish Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course examines topics in Irish literature (in English) since the Irish Literary Renaissance. Students may take this course more than once, provided the content is different each time. Since the content of this course varies, please visit the English and Modern Languages web pages, pick up a booklet of course offerings, or contact the English Department to request more information.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4200 Canadian Literature (3,0,0)(3,0,0)
Credits: 6 credits
Delivery: Campus
A study of the literature in English with some attention to major French-Canadian works in translation. **This course is going to be semesterized. Consult English and Modern Languages department for details.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4210 Studies in British Columbia Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students explore work that depicts aspects of BC life. From the urban to the rural, from the coast to the interior, and from the past to the present, course readings provide a panorama of the province. Through this exploration, students gain not only a greater sense of local and provincial literature but also an understanding of relevant literary movements.
Prerequisite: Six credits of first year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent AND completion of 45 credits OR Permission of the instructor or department Chair
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4220 Modern Canadian Drama on the Page, Stage, and Screen (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students can expect to become familiar with the themes and approaches of Canadian drama from 1967 to the present. Taking a survey approach, students study plays from different regions of Canada that represent a spectrum of approaches that may include postmodern, feminist, postcolonial, collective creations, and intercultural. Films or excerpts of some of these plays will be included, and students may be engaged with current local productions and with theatre professionals.
Prerequisite: Six credits of first-year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent and completion of 45 credits OR permission of the instructor or department chair.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4240 Nineteenth Century Canadian Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course will survey major authors and trends in Canadian literature written before 1900. Some pre-nineteenth century work will be included, but the course will focus on the nineteenth century.
Prerequisite: Any two of ENGL 1100, 1110, 1120, 1140 or 1210 and Completion of 45 credits,
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4250 Contemporary Canadian Poetry (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course focuses on English Canadian poetry written between mid-twentieth century and the present. In addition to examining and analyzing representative poems, students are expected to consider questions of both a 'national poetry' and the poetic genre itself. Students explore the following questions: What constitutes the Canadian-ness of Canadian poetry? What poetic techniques characterize innovative expression in these poems? Can common themes and poetic techniques be ascribed to these poems? Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to consider individual poems and the work of individual poets in this larger context.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4260 ***Studies in Canadian Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course presents special topics and approaches to Canadian literature. Literary periods, authors and material vary depending on the research interests of the instructor. Recent examples include Humour and Satire, British Columbia Literature, and Canadian Writing from the Edge of Genre. Students may take this course more than once, provided the content is different each time. Since the content of this course varies, please visit the English and Modern Languages web pages, pick up a booklet of course offerings, or contact the English Department to request more information.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, Completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4340 American Fiction to 1900 (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course focuses on the writings of Irving, Poe, Hawthorne and Melville.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4350 American Fiction in the First Half of The Twentieth Century (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine major works and movements between 1900 and 1950, including naturalism, realism, and modernism.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4360 ***Studies in American Literature (3,0,0) or (3,0,0)(3,0,0)
Credits: 12 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course involves special studies of individual periods of authors or themes in American literature. Students may take this course more than once, provided the content is different each time. Since the content of this course varies, please visit the English and Modern Languages web pages, pick up a booklet of course offerings, or contact the English Department to request more information.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, Completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4370 American Fiction From Mid-Twentieth Century to the Present (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course examines major works and movements since 1950, including realism, neorealism, and postmodernism.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4430 Studies in Literature and the Environment (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students explore the relationships between humans and the natural (or the “more-than-human") environment as it is represented in a variety of literary sources, such as poems, plays, short stories, novels and creative non-fiction. Students analyze the construction of the natural world through language, genre, imagery, and narrative. The specific focus of the course will change each year.
Prerequisites: 6 credits of first-year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent AND completion of 45 credits OR permission of the instructor or department chair.
Note that students cannot receive credit for both ENGL 4430 and ENGL 4231
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4440 Postcolonial Women's Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course studies literature, written in English, by women from African nations, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and India. It includes work written from imperialist, colonial, and aboriginal perspectives. Students explore identity and gender politics through the analysis of texts by women from diverse nations and backgrounds.
Prerequisite: any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, Completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4450 Commonwealth/Postcolonial Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
This course surveys 'colonial' and 'postcolonial' literature from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on modern fiction. Works are studied within their historical and cultural contexts, and students gain an understanding of issues including canon formation, generic conventions, language choices, ethnic and first nations identifications, and competing definitions of 'postcolonial.'
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4460 ***Studies in Commonwealth/Postcolonial Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine major themes in postcolonial literature or theory. This course may be taken more than once, provided the content is different each time. Since the content of this course varies, please visit the English and Modern Languages web pages, pick up a booklet of course offerings, or contact the English Department to request more information.
Prerequisite: any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, Completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4470 Studies in Indigenous Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students analyze modern and contemporary writing (in English) of Indigenous peoples in various parts of the world, with a focus on those of Canada and the United States. Students explore how Indigenous writers adapt oral strategies to writing and employ various techniques and devices to challenge and subvert colonial assumptions about genre, gender, class, and race.
Prerequisite: Six credits of first-year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent AND completion of 45 credits OR permission of the instructor or department Chair
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4510 The Beat Writers (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine such literary movements as Naturalism, Realism, Imagism, Impressionism, Vorticism, and Modernism. This course may be taken more than once, provided the content is different each time. Since the content of this course varies, please visit the English and Modern Languages web pages, pick up a booklet of course offerings, or contact the English Department to request more information.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4600 American Poetry of the First Half of the Twentieth Century (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine major poets, themes, and movements between 1900 and 1950.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4610 American Poetry From the Mid-Twentieth Century to the Present (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students examine major poets, themes, and movements from 1950 to the present.
Prerequisite: Any two of: ENGL 1100 or ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1120 or ENGL 1140 or ENGL 1210, Completion of 45 credits, or permission of the instructor
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4760 Editing and Publishing (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
In this Capstone course for the English Major program, students will have an opportunity to hear invited speakers, for example Indigenous and non-Indigenous creative non-fiction writers. Students will develop practical skills in editing and publishing, with a focus on publishing peer authors' work, both academic and creative. They will gain hands-on experience editing and communicating with authors who have submitted their work to the Proceedings of the TRU Undergraduate Research and Innovation Conference, and they will also compose, revise, and edit their own creative non-fiction piece, as well as critique and copy-edit their peers' creative non-fiction. Students will learn about the publication process by working together to produce an online student creative writing publication. The course will be useful for literature students, creative writing students, and anyone else contemplating a career in publishing or teaching.
Prerequisite: 6 credits of first-year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent AND completion of 45 credits OR permission of instructor or department Chair.
For more information, search for this course here.
ENGL 4770 Studies in Literature (3,0,0)
Credits: 3 credits
Delivery: Campus
Students explore literary topics, themes, or issues within the discipline. Topics may vary depending on faculty and student interest and current developments in the field.
Prerequisite: 6 credits of first-year English (with the exception of ENGL 1150) or equivalent and completion of 45 credits or permission of instructor or department Chair.
For more information, search for this course here.
