This course examines literary texts about crime, punishment, and justice from around the world in order to explore how questions of right, wrong, and fairness have been and are understood in various cultures and historical periods. Students will read literary texts that question the psychological and social causes of crime, philosophies of law, the varieties and purposes of punishment, and what justice might mean in any given context. Critical and writing skills will be enhanced through close analysis of texts and the application of basic literary concepts and methods of interpretation.