This course aims to provide an updated and in-depth understanding of some of the major theoretical schools in modern literary theory and ideas that shaped the twentieth century intellectual landscape. The course traces major developments within the history of literary criticism from formalism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, Feminism, post-colonialism to post-structuralism. Starting with a general understanding of what reading a literary text with a theoretical lens entails, it proceeds to engage with particular issues such as authorship, subjectivity, class, ideology, gender, race, and sexuality using the theoretical texts. During this course students will learn to apply the ideas encapsulated in each major theory to read and critique selected literary texts.