These courses introduce students to the global diversity of literary forms and genres while acquainting them with the methods of comparative literary study. Comparative Literature normally deals with And even writers who knew nothing of one another may show fascinating similarities and differences; a poem by Stphane Mallarm and a poem by Emily Dickinson throw each other into startling relief. However, one big part of studying comp lit is to try to understand what gets lost in translation. As faculty members, students specializing in a national literature may be called on to teach comparative courses or courses in general or world literature. The PDF will include all information unique to this page. and educational thought the problems of literary history and concepts like In this program, you will have the opportunity to explore these and related questions., The opportunity to move from the familiar Euro-American literary canons into the fresh but less well-known worlds of African and Asian literature is what attracts most students to this popular MA. test of time - Elements of Time, World Literature deals with time and world-honoured literary production of National Literature, Bharathi and Walt Whitman - Comparative Literature, There are authors writing in the 2nd. Literatureis about thedifferences,World Comparative Literature and General Literature, Unlike other forms of literary study, comparative literature places its emphasis on the interdisciplinary analysis of social and cultural production within the "economy, political dynamics, cultural movements, historical shifts, religious differences, the urban environment, international relations, public policy, and the sciences".[2]. considered literature cause their written in English. How much responsibility and power do translators have in this regard? [1] While most frequently practised with works of different languages, comparative literature may also be performed on works of the same language if the works originate from different nations or cultures in which that language is spoken. After World War II, the discipline developed to a large extent owing to one scholar in particular, Peter Szondi (19291971), a Hungarian who taught at the Free University Berlin. relationship only two countries, or two authors of different nationality - What kinds of shortcomings in translation might have an impact on the readers understanding of the culture being described? One attractive aspect of the Comparative Literature major is its flexibility. At the same time you will have the opportunity to take courses listed or cross-listed under the Comparative Literature rubric (XL) that further hone your skills as a comparatist, such as Gender and Literature, Literary Translation, Theory of the Novel, or Literature and Empire.. between Comparative Literature and General Literature: Comparative Literature- that which is universal and common to allliteratures. What might the political implications of this be? It may be an incident or a device or a formula. The In the French School of Comparative Literature, the study of influences and mentalities dominates. Prior to the advent of the American School, the scope of comparative literature in the West was typically limited to the literatures of Western Europe and Anglo-America, predominantly literature in English, German and French literature, with occasional forays into Italian literature (primarily for Dante) and Spanish literature (primarily for Miguel de Cervantes). enduring quality, literature), 2. In the area of comparative studies of literature and the other arts see Linda Hutcheon's work on Opera and her A Theory of Adaptation. It is a discipline built on pursuing connectionsconnections between different aesthetic forms, cultural traditions, and ideas. Szondi welcomed, among others, Jacques Derrida (before he attained worldwide recognition), Pierre Bourdieu and Lucien Goldman from France, Paul de Man from Zrich, Gershom Sholem from Jerusalem, Theodor W. Adorno from Frankfurt, Hans Robert Jauss from the then young University of Konstanz, and from the US Ren Wellek, Geoffrey Hartman and Peter Demetz (all at Yale), along with the liberal publicist Lionel Trilling. different nations, Difference between National and If you love learning, speaking, reading, and writing in multiple languages but also find yourself fascinated by what gets lost in translation, this may be a great field of study for you. Comparative literature raises the question of whether you can ever truly study a single, national literature without knowing the foreign languages that influenced it. Students of Comparative Literature trace the transformations and travels of literary genres and texts across time and space. same language but belong to different nations, T S Eliot - an American-born concept of Weltliteratur in several of his essays in the early decades of the Tracing those connections wherever they lead is what we mean by comparison, whether we are following a theme across national and linguistic borders, studying filmic adaptations of literary texts, or inquiring into the places where disciplines intersect. The secondary field in Comparative Literature prepares them to do so by introducing them to basic issues in the field.. One way to prevent a single culture from dominating (e.g. Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (Nigeria), Kafka Yes, I would like to be contacted about special events, newsletters and program information. Canadian scholar Joseph Pivato is carrying on a campaign to revitalize comparative study with his book, Comparative Literature for the New Century eds. problems involving two different literatures: Literature, 1. At the core of the concentration in Comparative Literature are courses introducing Western, East Asian, Middle Eastern and South Asian literary traditions in comparative perspective. regardless of the citizenship of the author, Classification is essential to distinguish range of works from around the world in excellent translations, and since the In this program, we approach literature as a cultural medium from a comparative, theoretical perspective. literary works in Europe, including works of non-Western origin, Goethes disciple Johann Peter This eclecticism has led critics (from within and without) to charge that comparative literature is insufficiently well-defined or that comparatists too easily fall into dilettantism because the scope of their work is, of necessity, broad. and World Literature, WhileComparative on the Shore, Haruki Murakami (Japan), [5] There are many learned journals that publish scholarship in comparative literature: see "Selected Comparative Literature and Comparative Humanities Journals"[6] and for a list of books in comparative literature see "Bibliography of (Text)Books in Comparative Literature". It was introduced by the famous American comparatist, Harry Levin. Students who are already interested in studying foreign languages, or already have competence in at least one, can choose to pursue a concentration in that language. How can you really read Ulysses without French, Thomas Mann without Italian?. Viktor Zhirmunsky, for instance, referred to Veselovsky as "the most remarkable representative of comparative literary study in Russian and European scholarship of the nineteenth century" (Zhirmunsky qtd. Both are basically different but modern literary critics use them as interchangeable terms. Comparative Literature is a flexible program, allowing students to take courses in a variety of departments in the College. General Literature is devoted to developments in Traditionally, too, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern literatures (when they were studied at all) were long relegated to the rubric of Area Studies. were translated and discussed abroad, especially in France, Goethe made a famous statement in 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02215 the author lives. Although many comparative works from this period would be judged chauvinistic, Eurocentric, or even racist by present-day standards, the intention of most scholars during this period was to increase the understanding of other cultures, not to assert superiority over them (although politicians and others from outside the field sometimes used their works for this purpose). For example, the Tamil literature, written in Tamil books are nationalliteratures. Comparative Literature from National Literature, General Literature, and World Some question whether this breadth affects the ability of PhDs to find employment in the highly specialized environment of academia and the career market at large, although such concerns do not seem to be borne out by placement data, which shows comparative literature graduates to be hired at similar or higher rates than English literature graduates.[3]. The interdisciplinary nature of the field means that comparatists typically exhibit acquaintance with sociology, history, anthropology, translation studies, critical theory, cultural studies, and religious studies. The curriculum in comparative literature has two major objectives: while training students in one literary tradition, it also requires them to be seriously interested in at least two other literatures as well as in the historical, critical, and theoretical problems raised by the study of literature., The Department of Comparative Literature offers Comparative Literature as a secondary field in GSAS to enrich the education of PhD students in other departments who seek to do research and teach across the institutional boundaries of national languages and literatures. Its also to determine how translation plays into the way these narratives are received. Things the Westernization of the world) is to perpetuate and preserve other cultures through foreign language learning. circulation of works into the wider world beyond their country of origin, Often used in the past primarily for Today, the French School practices the nation-state approach of the discipline although it also promotes the approach of a "European Comparative Literature". This will include advanced work in at least one foreign language and its literature and a series of interrelated courses of your choice. Unlike strict discussions over the accuracy of the translations, comparative literature discussions would address what might have been lost in cultural meaning from one text to another. If youre already a lover of languages, chances are you have a deep appreciation for different cultures as well. Not only will literature be better for it, but so will politics, philosophy, sociology, gender studies, and the arts. For example, folklores have a common motif of a ugly woman becoming a charming princess. They might then read English translations of texts by Latin American immigrants and compare those texts to their original Spanish versions. Fill in the form below and well contact you to discuss your learning options and answer any questions you may have. While in the West comparative literature is experiencing institutional constriction, there are signs that in many parts of the world the discipline is thriving, especially in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bertolt Brecht (Germany), Difference between Comparative by citizens of a particular nation. national traditions. spoke with Eckermann about the excitement of reading Chinese novels and Persian The publications from this school include, La Littrature Compare (1967) by C. Pichois and A.M. Rousseau, La Critique Littraire (1969) by J.-C. Carloni and Jean Filloux and La Littrature Compare (1989) by Yves Cheverel, translated into English as Comparative Literature Today: Methods & Perspectives (1995). Most comparative literature curricula teach texts that have been translated into English, while encouraging students to reach foreign texts in the original language alongside their primary reading list or minor in a foreign language. Comparative Literature has many languagesthis is what distinguishes it from the study of traditional national literatures such as English, French, or Spanish, writes comparatist Joseph Pivato in his 2018 essay The Languages of Comparative Literature. Current trends in Transnational studies also reflect the growing importance of post-colonial literary figures such as J. M. Coetzee, Maryse Cond, Earl Lovelace, V. S. Naipaul, Michael Ondaatje, Wole Soyinka, Derek Walcott, and Lasana M. Sekou. elements, General literature is the study mean much at present, it is time for the era of world literature and everybody The core courses train students to appreciate the variety of meanings that texts acquire in different institutional and philosophical contexts and different socio-political frameworks. From the early part of the 20th century until WWII, the field was characterised by a notably empiricist and positivist approach, termed the "French School", in which scholars like Paul Van Tiegham examined works forensically, looking for evidence of "origins" and "influences" between works from different nations often termed "rapport des faits". Another common motif is bemoaning of the bygone past in lyrics. National Literature treats questions confined diverseliteratures in their relations with one another./ Comparative The undergraduate program in Comparative Literature welcomes students interested in the study of literature from theoretical, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and global perspectives. Literature Elements of Space, Comparative Literature Comparative literature is an interdisciplinary field whose practitioners study literature across national borders, time periods, languages, genres, boundaries between literature and the other arts (music, painting, dance, film, etc.
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