ENGL 238 - Sport Literature

Credit(s): 3
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): ENGL 112 or ENGL 192 /HONR 192 .
Sport is arguably the most popular cultural sphere in contemporary society. Sport means so much to so many yet so few have come to terms with the meaning of sport. This course will explore, among other things, the ways that we make meaning of sport through narrative conventions. Students will consider: What is sport? What is literature? And how do these distinct cultural spheres interact and inform one another? Why do we tell stories about sport? Why does sport so readily offer itself to storytelling? Are there unique and/or dominant narrative trends or concerns that appear in literary texts that address sporting subjects? How have literary representations of sport changed through time? Do certain sports lend themselves more readily to literature than others? Do certain sports inspire certain types of literature? Through exploring these and other such questions, students will consider the power, meaning, and relevance of sport, and of sport literature.