Picking up the fragments: literary theory and the teaching of literature in English in a "Letras" course

Abstract

The teaching of literature in English at the University is a problematic issue. Complaints from both teachers and students seem to be much more frequent than expressions of enjoyment of the process of teaching and studying literature. Moreover, during departmental meetings, colleagues discuss the relevance of each other’s disciplines, acting out something like a battle for a rise in the number of hours allocated for them in the curricula.