ENGL 389 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is a special topics course.
UMGC describes it as an in-depth introduction to literary works written by a specific author or authors, representative of a literary movement, or produced in a specific time or place, with assignments that include advanced reading and research.
It carries one to three credits, depending on the offering, and students may receive credit for a given topic only once across ENGL 289 and ENGL 389.
Because the topic changes from term to term, there is no single ENGL 389 syllabus. One section might focus on a single novelist, another on modernism, another on literature of a particular region or period.
What stays constant is the level: this is upper-level literary study, so the course expects close reading, contextual understanding and research-based argument rather than plot summary.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | ENGL 389 |
| Credits | 1 to 3, depending on the offering |
| Level | Upper-level undergraduate |
| Topic | Varies: an author, a literary movement, or a time and place |
| Credit rule | A given topic counts only once across ENGL 289 and ENGL 389 |
| Typical work | Discussion posts, close-reading essays, a researched literary analysis |
What ENGL 389 Covers
| Type of offering | What you study | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Single author | Several works by one writer | How do themes and techniques develop across the career? |
| Literary movement | Works representative of a movement | What shared ideas and forms define the movement, and where do writers depart from them? |
| Time and place | Literature from a specific period or region | How do historical and cultural conditions shape what is written and how? |
Read your section's syllabus carefully in the first week: it defines the reading list, the assignment sequence and any required critical approach.
Key Skills Explained
Close Reading
Close reading means analyzing how specific words, images, structure and sound create meaning. The best evidence is a short quotation followed by detailed commentary.
Example: Rather than saying a poem is "about loss", a close reading might note that the speaker shifts from present to past tense in the final stanza, that the closing lines break the regular meter established earlier, and that the repeated image of an empty chair moves from literal to symbolic. Together these choices enact the experience of loss rather than simply describing it.
An Arguable Thesis
A literary thesis makes a claim a reasonable reader could dispute and that the essay proves through evidence.
Weak: The novel uses many symbols.
Arguable: The novel's recurring images of locked rooms present domestic space as a form of confinement, suggesting that the heroine's apparent security is itself the source of her loss of agency.
Context and Criticism
Context (biographical, historical, cultural) explains why a text takes the shape it does. Literary criticism shows how scholars have read it. In a research essay, use critics to support, extend or challenge your argument, not to replace it.
Researching a Literary Paper
The catalog says assignments include advanced research, so expect at least one paper that uses secondary sources. Start in UMGC Library's literature databases, where you can find peer-reviewed criticism on most canonical and many lesser-known authors. The MLA International Bibliography is the standard index for literary scholarship.
Read criticism after you have formed your own reading of the text, not before; otherwise your essay can become a summary of what others said. Then look for a critical conversation you can join: a point where critics disagree, or a reading you can extend to a passage they ignored.
Cite in MLA style unless your instructor specifies otherwise, and keep quotations short and integrated into your sentences.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion posts | Engagement with the reading | Focus on one passage and make a specific interpretive point |
| Close-reading essay | Analysis of language and form | Choose a short passage and analyze it line by line in support of a thesis |
| Researched literary analysis | Argument supported by criticism | Build your thesis from the text, then position it among critics |
| Comparative essay | Connections across works | Compare on a clear basis such as theme or technique, not plot |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Plot summary. Assume your reader knows the text; spend your words on analysis.
- Quotations left to speak for themselves. Every quotation needs commentary explaining how it supports your claim.
- Unfamiliar periods. Read a short historical overview of your section's period or movement early.
- Heavy reading loads. Plan reading across the term, especially for long novels.
Study Tips for ENGL 389
- Annotate as you read, marking passages that connect to the course's central topic.
- Keep a quotation bank with page numbers for use in essays.
- Discuss your thesis with your instructor before drafting the research paper.
- Read your essay aloud to catch summary that has crept in.
How We Help with ENGL 389
Send the assignment prompt, the rubric, the texts or reading list for your section and any draft. A writer with an English literature background can help you develop a thesis, find and use criticism, prepare a custom essay on your topic, or edit your draft for argument, analysis and MLA style.
Our critical analysis essay guide covers the method in more depth. Your submitted work must be your own under UMGC's academic integrity policy. GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with UMGC.
Write a Sharper Literary Analysis
Share your ENGL 389 prompt, texts and draft. A literature writer gives custom analysis and detailed feedback.
Start My ENGL 389 HelpFree revisions · Full refund if late · Written from scratch for your order
Frequently Asked Questions
The topic varies by offering: a specific author or authors, a literary movement, or literature from a specific time or place. Your section's syllabus defines it.
UMGC lists it at 1 to 3 credits, depending on the offering.
UMGC says students may receive credit for a given topic only once across ENGL 289 and ENGL 389, so a different topic may be possible. Check with an advisor.
Literature courses usually use MLA style, but follow your instructor's requirements.
Make each paragraph begin with an analytical claim, use short quotations, and explain how the language supports that claim.
Yes. We can suggest scholarly sources on your author or movement and show how to use them in your argument.