Course Overview

Course Code: EL116

Pre-requisite:

Course Objectives:

This course focuses on critical issues in contemporary and popular world literature and genres. It
aims for students to establish a connection between literature in relation to contemporary, popular, and
emerging cultures and explore the various genre in popular literature classification. It also identifies the
characteristics of popular literature, its forms, and emerging themes in popular literary works and
analyze the historical, social, political, and literary dynamics which foster the development of a specific
genre of popular literature or of a specific theme manifest in popular literature. In this course, students
will work on themes and concerns which define the genre, reflect the culture, characterize the history of
the genre, extend across cultures, and/or appeal to a given culture or subculture. They are expected to
identify, analyze, and discuss ways the popular genre affects the target audiences and impacts the
development of mainstream literature.

Course Requirements: Completion of all print/nonprint academic requirements posted along

the term.

Course content

PRELIM
o Overview of the Course
o Nature, Essence, and significance of contemporary and popular literature.
o Key concepts, terminology, and methodologies in the analysis of popular and
contemporary literary works
o What is 21st Century Literature and who are the 21 st Century readers?

MIDTERM
o Genres in Popular/Contemporary Literature

A. Action/Adventure

 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

 Life of Pi by Yaan Mantel

B. Classics

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 C. Comic/Graphic Novels

 The Walking Dead: Compendium One by Robert Kirkman

D. Detective/Mystery

 And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

E. Fantasy

 The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

F. Historical Fiction

 Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur

G. Horror

 The Bird Box by Josh Malerman

SEMI-FINALS
H. Literary Fiction

 Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

I.Romance

 Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

J.Science Fiction

 The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

K.Suspense Thriller

 The Guardians by John Grisham

L. Biographies/Autobiographies

 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

M. Poetry

 The Sun and her Flowers by Rupe Kaur

N. Drama/ Romance Comedy

 Mr. Sunshine – Korean Drama

 Goblin- Korean Romance-Comedy

FINALS
o Other Forms of Emergent Literature ( 6 Popular 21 st Century Genres)

A. Illustrated Novels
  The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
 The Arrival by Shaun Tan

B. Digi-Fiction

 The 39-clues
 Skeleton Creek
 Level 26

C. Graphic Novels

 Claire and the Bakery Theif by Janice Poon

 Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage

D. Manga

 Shakespeare’s Hamlet: The Manga Edition by Adam Sexton and Tintin Pantoja

 Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: manga Edition by Adam Sexton and Yali Lin

E. Doodle Fiction

 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

 Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles by Karen Romano Young

F. Blog, E-mail, and IM Novels

 Goblin- Korean Romance-Comedy