This dissertation dealt with the preparation, designing, teaching, and evaluation of a course in literary theory. The course examined the following areas of literary study: definition, perception, description, explication, interpretation, and evaluation. It is centered on the following theses: (1) in literary pursuits criticism is teaching and teaching is criticism; (2) no definitive interpretation-explication is possible on great works of literature; (3) criticism should center on the work itself; (4) knowledge of several critical approaches benefits both the critic and the reader; and (5) the discipline of English needs the direction of a comprehensive theory of literature. A central effort of the course was the development of a working definition of "literary theory," such as (1) being philosophical about literature and its commentaries, histories, analyses, and judgments; (2) a view of literature from outside, from above; (3) a concern with principles, categories, devices, systems, standards of literature and criticism; (4) a conceptual approach to the study of literature; (5) establishing paradigms for the study of literature; and (6) the presuppositions and evaluations of criticism. (Author/DI)