The Literary Imagination (ENG-0138)

Fall 2026 · ENG 0138 · Tufts University · 3 credits · Undergraduate

Examination of the nature and function of the imagination in literary creation and reception, from antiquity through contemporary fiction. Interdisciplinary exploration of how writers and readers construct imaginary worlds, drawing on philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and writers' reflections. Topics include theories of imagination from Plato through Romanticism to cognitive science; genre and world-building in fantasy, horror, and science fiction; and the relationship between imagination and empathy, childhood, and moral reasoning. Authors may include Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien, William Blake, Jorge Luis Borges, H.P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, Stanislaw Lem, Stephen King, and theoretical texts from classical to contemporary sources. Emphasis on close reading, collaborative discussion, and critical analysis through in-class writing and examinations.

Course codes: ENG-0138, ENG 0138, ENG0138, ENG-138, ENG 138, ENG138

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