Discusses the problem of criticizing students' interpretations of poetry. Argues that faulty interpretations should only be ignored for artistic reasons, but should be called mistakes for factual and experiential reasons. (MM)

Suggests an approach to literature (derived from post-structuralism and deconstructionism) which goes beyond the concept of "teacher as authority," without totally abandoning form or structure. Demonstrates this approach in a discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" and Philip Larkin's poem "High…

Argues that students and teachers of literature should begin the study of literary texts with the emotional immediacies and humanistic sympathies that the texts evoke, rather than with an examination of literary critical theories. (MM)

Argues that survey courses can teach students about values underlying syllabi and show that literary interpretations are political. Suggests four ways to change the survey course syllabus, and discusses the effects of these changes on classroom discussions. Emphasizes the need to undermine the patriarchal authority of the traditional literary…

Considers the issue of literary canons, raised in the context of a week-long series of lectures and discussions on "the Victorians" in an Elderhostel program, with participants for whom these texts were the product of their parents' generation and of their own childhood reading. Raises substantive questions about the meaning of a…

Describes the widening gulf between high school and college practices of teaching literature, with high school students trained in reader response entering college courses based on analysis (traditional or nontraditional) of texts and requiring skills they do not possess. (SR)