340 is intended to serve as an introduction to contemporary scholarly discourse. This course weaves itself around four words, Theory, Modern, Post-Modern, and Performance. Our aim, however, will be less about concrete definitions and more about fluid conversations. The first half of the course is designed to explore the way in which modernism and post-modernism inform one another, pairing readings that speak to both aesthetics each week. The second half of the course will serve as an introduction to the field of Performance Studies and will analyze gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality through the lens of performance.