English 2025 is the new gateway course into the English major, required of all majors who
declare English in calendar year 2016 onward.

This course will introduce you to the joys of English study; the skills you will need to succeed inthe major; and the usefulness of your degree in your college life, your professional life, and
beyond. Majors should take this course as soon as possible -- for new English majors, English
2025 is a prerequisite for upper-division study in the department.

The field of English studies is capacious. In 2016, it encompasses literary and cultural analysis, rhetorical theory, persuasive composition, and effective communication via a range of technologies. In our class we will engage this rich field through an exciting range of readings and a challenging range of written, oral, and digital assignments.

The loose theme for the course will be “discovery and power”: Through literature we discover
ourselves and the world around us. The discoveries we make lead to power in many guises. In our class, we will read novels, plays, and poems that thematize the relationship between
discovery and power. We will consider, too, how the estimable art of rhetoric confers
power, allowing us to understand and influence the world. And at every step of the way we will investigate the value of English studies: Why be an English major? What can this field of study do for you? What can you do for it? Ideally, discovery and power do not just happen on the pages of the texts we will read – they also happen to you through your study of English. Accordingly, we will highlight the process of selfdiscovery and empowerment through English over the course of our class.