Program Overview

English Language and Literature Program

The English Language and Literature program at the University of Waterloo offers a comprehensive and engaging curriculum that explores the formal and thematic dimensions of modernist American literature. The program is designed to appeal to undergraduate students who are curious about the connections between historical texts and current issues.

Program Description

The program delves into the world of modernist American literature, examining the implications of technological change and disruption on human experience. Students will engage with texts that cover a range of genres and authors, including Nella Larsen, Zora Neal Hurston, Sophie Treadwell, Jean Toomer, and John Dos Passos. The program also explores nonfiction excerpts from W.E.B. Du Bois and Gertrude Stein, as well as poetry by Mina Loy, Marianne Moore, Ezra Pound, Walt Whitman, and William Carlos Williams.

Course Offerings

• ENGL 344: Modern American Literature
  • This course explores the connections between modernist-era texts and present-day technology keywords, including data, network, surveillance, and automation.
  • Students will analyze texts that reflect the technological landscape of the early twentieth century and its relevance to contemporary issues.

Program Requirements

The program is open to all students at the 2A level or above, or by permission of the instructor. Students will have the opportunity to develop their critical voice and engage with historical texts in the context of current issues.

Research Areas

The program focuses on the following research areas:

• Modernist American literature
• Technological change and disruption
• Formal and thematic dimensions of literature
• Connections between historical texts and contemporary issues

University Acknowledgement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of its work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The university is committed to reconciliation and community building through research, learning, teaching, and community engagement.