This course deals with literary conventions, archetypes, stereotypes, and clichés in literary and non-literary genres. During the course we will examine linguistic, visual and narrative conventions and “automatisms”– from literary clichés to internet memes – and present theoretical tools for their critical examination. We will discuss a variety of theoretical approaches: some denounce the fixation of discourse in conventional patterns as a degenerating, politically dangerous process, while others highlight the positive aspects of conventionality, which enables various aesthetic affects, and functions as an essential ground for innovation. Thus, we will examine the crucial role of concepts such as “authenticity”, “originality”, “repetition” and “imitation” in 20^th and 21^st century thinking about language and literature.