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Comparative LiteratureFaculty FacultyChairpersonProfessor Eileen Julien Distinguished ProfessorDouglas Hofstadter (Cognitive Science, Computer Science) Martha C. Kraft Professor of HumanitiesFedwa Malti-Douglas (Gender Studies) Chancellor's ProfessorAnya Royce (Anthropology) ProfessorsDavid Hertz (American Studies), Eileen Julien (French and Italian, African American and African Diaspora Studies), Bert Breon Mitchell (Director of Lilly Library), Mihály Szegedy-Maszák (Central Eurasian Studies) Associate ProfessorsBill Johnston (Second Language Studies, Polish Studies), Paul Losensky (Central Eurasian Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures), Herbert Marks (English, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Religious Studies), Rosemarie McGerr (Medieval Studies), Angela Pao Assistant ProfessorsAkinwumi Adesokan, Vivian Nun Halloran, Eyal Peretz, Miryam Segal (Jewish Studies) Acting Assistant ProfessorShun-Chang Tsai Adjunct ProfessorsMaryellen Bieder (Spanish and Portuguese), J. Peter Burkholder (Jacobs School of Music), Henry Cooper (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Karen Hanson (Philosophy), Dov-Ber Kerler (Germanic Studies, Jewish Studies), Barbara Klinger (Communication and Culture), Eleanor W. Leach (Classical Studies), Eric MacPhail (French and Italian),William Rasch (Germanic Studies), Jack Rollins (Hutton Honors College), Darlene Sadlier (Spanish and Portuguese), Suzanne Stetkevych (Ruth N. Halls Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures), H. Wayne Storey (French and Italian, Medieval Studies), Bronislava Volkova (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Marc Weiner (Germanic Studies), Steven Weitzman (Religious Studies, Director of Jewish Studies) Adjunct Associate ProfessorsPurnima Bose (English), Fritz Breithaupt (Germanic Studies), Michel Chaouli (Germanic Studies), Deborah Cohn (Spanish and Portuguese), Joan Hawkins (Communication and Culture), Rebecca Manring (India Studies, Religious Studies), Edith Sarra (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Rakesh Solomon (Theatre and Drama) Adjunct Assistant ProfessorsPatrick Dove (Spanish and Portuguese), Johannes Türk (Germanic Studies), Lin Zou (East Asian Languages and Cultures) Professors EmeritiSalih Altoma (Near Eastern Languages and Cultures), Willis Barnstone (Distinguished Professor, Spanish and Portuguese), Luis Beltran (Spanish and Portuguese), Ernest Bernhardt-Kabisch (English), Peter Boerner (Germanic Studies), Peter Bondanella (Distinguished Professor, French and Italian, West European Studies), Matei Calinescu (English), Gilbert Chaitin (French and Italian), Claus Clüver, Bruce Cole (Distinguished Professor, Fine Arts), Eugene Eoyang (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Harry Geduld (West European Studies), Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis (English), Roger Herzel (Theatre and Drama), Ingeborg Hoesterey (Germanic Studies), Yoshio Iwamoto (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Sumie Jones (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Oscar Kenshur (English, Philosophy), Gerald Larson (Religious Studies, India Studies), Merritt Lawlis (English), Rosemary Lloyd (Rudy Professor, French and Italian), Giancarlo Maiorino (Rudy Professor), James Naremore (Chancellor's Professor, Communication and Culture), Henry Remak (Germanic Studies, West European Studies), Ulrich Weisstein (Germanic Studies), Carl Ziegler (Germanic Studies) Director of Undergraduate StudiesAkin Adesokan, Ballantine Hall 906 Undergraduate AdvisorMatthew Colglazier, Ballantine Hall 914; (812) 855-7070 IntroductionThe curriculum of the Department of Comparative Literature (CMLT) introduces students to the study of literature in different ages and across national, linguistic, and cultural boundaries. Courses explore texts, themes, literary types, and intercultural relations as well as the methods and theories of comparative literary study. Courses also investigate relationships between literature and the visual arts, film, music, and other performance arts as well as other disciplines such as philosophy, history, and religious and cultural studies. Majors may tailor their course work to suit their particular interests by selecting from a wide range of course offerings. Major in Comparative LiteratureRequirements
Students must also complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Recommendations for All MajorsEspecially recommended for complementary study are courses in English and foreign language literatures, African studies, African American and African diaspora studies, Asian studies, folklore, history, history and theory of art, history and theory of music, linguistics, philosophy, religion, theatre and drama, and West European studies. It is recommended that majors continue work in a foreign language and literature through three consecutive years, regardless of their proficiency when entering the program. Students intending to do graduate work in comparative literature are advised to begin a second foreign language. Minor in Comparative LiteratureRequirementsStudents wishing to complete a minor (minimum of 15 credit hours) with the Department of Comparative Literature must complete five courses in Comparative Literature. Four courses must be at the 200 level or above with at least two at the 300 level or above. (C146 may be used to fulfill requirements for the minor.) Comparative Arts MinorRequirements
Note: Students who minor in comparative literature may not also minor in comparative arts. Comparative literature majors may obtain the minor in comparative arts but may not count the same courses for both the major and the comparative arts minor. Departmental Honors ProgramMajors who have maintained a high level of academic achievement and who have taken at least one 300-level comparative literature course are eligible for the honors program. Students may qualify for graduation with honors in comparative literature in one of three ways: by completing three honors tutorials, by writing an honors paper, or by completing an honors project. An undergraduate senior seminar in comparative literature may be substituted for one of the honors tutorials. Interested students may obtain detailed information from the director of undergraduate studies. Overseas StudyAll majors in comparative literature are encouraged to participate in one of the university's foreign study programs, where students can continue to make progress toward their degrees and apply financial aid to program fees. For information about study abroad, contact the Office of Overseas Study, Franklin Hall 303, (812) 855-9304. Secondary Teacher CertificationStudents majoring in comparative literature and planning to teach at secondary schools may earn a teacher certificate for English or another language. Students considering teacher certification should consult with an advisor in the School of Education as early as possible for further information. Course DescriptionsGeneral, Methods, and Theory CoursesC100 Freshman Seminar (3 cr.) A & H Analysis and discussion of selected major works of literature and art illustrating historical and stylistic problems related to specific themes, artists, or genres. C155 Culture and the Modern Experience: An Interdisciplinary and International Approach (3 cr.) A & H, CSA This course, which is interdisciplinary in method and international in scope, introduces students to an inclusive study of major cultural parallels, contrasts, and developments across the arts and beyond national and continental divides. Syllabi and selections of course materials will reflect the specialties of individual instructors. C200 Honors Seminar (3 cr.) A & H Selected authors and topics, ranging from traditional to modern (for example, Athens and Jerusalem: The Origins of Western Literature). Traditional or current debates and issues of a critical, theoretical, or historical nature. Comparative methodology, interdisciplinary approach. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic. C205 Comparative Literary Analysis (3 cr.) A & H Introduction to basic concepts of literary criticism through comparative close readings of texts from a variety of literary genres—fiction, poetry, drama, essay—from diverse traditions. I Sem., II Sem. C305 Comparative Approaches to Literature: Theory and Method (3 cr.) A & H P: C205. Introduction to modern critical theory based on the study of literary texts and of critical and theoretical works. C400 Studies in Comparative Literature (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Specific problems concerning the relationship of two or more literatures or of literature and another area in the humanities. May be repeated twice. C405 Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature (3 cr., 6 cr. max.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Selected topics treated in seminar fashion. Recommended for majors. May be repeated once with different topic. Genre CoursesC216 Science Fiction, Fantasy, and the Western Tradition (3 cr.) A & H Historical and comparative survey of science fiction and fantasy narrative from antiquity to the present. The origin of scientific narrative in ancient Greek literature, its relation to ancient myths, and its history and development. Emphasis on philosophical, cognitive, and scientific aspects of the genre. C217 Detective, Mystery, and Horror Literature (3 cr.) A & H Origins, evolution, conventions, criticism, and theory of the detective and mystery story; history of the Gothic novel; later development of the tale of terror; major works of this type in fiction, drama, and film. C219 Romance and the Western Tradition (3 cr.) A & H Origins, evolution, conventions, criticism, and theory of the romance, from antiquity to the present; representative texts from Apuleius to modern pulp fiction. C311 Drama (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Analytical and historical study of various forms of dramatic literature emphasizing differences between drama and other literary genres. Survey of periods and dramatic conventions, close reading of selected plays, some concern with theoretical problems. C313 Narrative (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Historical and analytical study of various forms of narrative literature. Examination of narrative as a primary literary genre and analysis of such diverse forms as myth, folktale, epic, romance, gospel, saint's life, saga, allegory, confession, and novel. C315 Lyric Poetry (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Close reading of exemplary poems with an emphasis on interpretation and on the interplay between literal and figurative language. Topics will include the way poems are shaped, their ambiguous status as private and public statements, and their relation to tradition, to their readers, and to one another. C318 Satire (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Historical and analytical study of forms, techniques, and scope of satire from antiquity to the Internet. Consideration of the role of ridicule in defending or attacking institutions, values, and beliefs. Credit given for only one of C218 or C318. C415 Medieval Lyric (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Comparative study of religious and secular lyric poetry in medieval Europe. Exploration of cultural contexts and formal concerns, such as the development of medieval rhetorical theory. The continuation and transformation of classical poetic conventions, and the interplay of musical and verbal texts. C417 Medieval Narrative (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Comparative analysis of traditions of narrative in medieval Europe. Works studied within their cultural contexts and in reference to narrative theory. Topics and works vary, but may include the allegorical narrative, romance, fabliaux, saint's life, and dream vision. Period CoursesC320 World Literature before 1500 (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Survey of selected genres of literature from earliest written texts through the end of the Middle Ages, covering the major centers of world civilization—the Mediterranean, India, and East and West Asia. C321 Medieval Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Study of works from the major genres of medieval European literature: epic, romance, allegorical narrative, lyric poetry, and drama. Topics may include the relationship of secular and religious traditions, the role of multilingual communities in shaping medieval literature, and the influence of social context on literary production. C325 The Renaissance (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Prose fiction, long narrative poems, lyric poems, essays, tracts, and plays written between 1350 and 1650 in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and England. Authors such as Petrarch, Boccaccio, Chaucer, Machiavelli, More, Castiglione, Rabelais, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Hobbes. C329 The Eighteenth Century (3 cr.) A & H, CSB R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. The dominant literary and intellectual trends of the eighteenth century, such as neoclassicism, rococo, Enlightenment, and preromanticism. Authors such as Pope, Swift, Montesquieu, Richardson, Voltaire, Diderot, Kant, Rousseau, Lessing, and Sterne. C333 Romanticism (3 cr.) A & H, CSB R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. The rise of romantic tendencies in eighteenth-century Europe; the romantic revolution in early nineteenth-century Western literature. Authors such as Goethe, Chateaubriand, Wordsworth, Byron, Novalis, Hoffmann, Hugo, Pushkin, and Poe. C335 Realism, Naturalism, and Symbolism (3 cr.) A & H, CSB R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. The rise of realism in nineteenth-century fiction and its development into naturalism and impressionism; the symbolist reaction in poetry; the reemergence of the drama as a major genre. Authors such as Dickens, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Mallarme, Ibsen, Hauptmann, Strindberg, Chekhov. C337 The Twentieth Century: Tradition and Change (3 cr.) A & H, CSB R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Authors such as Thomas Mann, Proust, Rilke, Pirandello, Joyce, Kafka, Pound, Eliot, Valery, Lorca, Brecht, Faulkner, Borges, Beckett, and Robbe-Grillet. The search for new forms and a new language to express the twentieth-century writer's views of art and reality. C338 Literature Today: 1950–Present (3 cr.) R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. An exploration of major literary movements, styles, or currents shaping literature after World War II, such as the theatre of the absurd, postmodernism, magical realism, cyberpunk, postcolonialism, and transnationalism. Comparative ArtsC151 Introduction to Popular Culture (3 cr.) A & H, CSB Explores the scope and methodologies for the serious study of entertainment for mass consumption, including popular theatre and vaudeville, bestsellers, mass circulation magazines, popular music, phonograph records, and popular aspects of radio, film, and television. Provides the basic background to other popular culture courses in comparative literature. C251 Lyrics and Popular Song (3 cr.) A & H, CSB Survey of popular songs of Europe and the Americas, including modern ballads, cabaret songs, Spanish flamencos, Mexican rancheras, Argentine tangos, country western, and rock lyrics. Discussion of literary qualities of lyrics in context of musical setting and performance and independently as literature. C252 Literary and Television Genres (3 cr.) A & H Comparative study of popular literary and television genres, such as farce, domestic comedy, melodrama, biography, mystery, adventure, western, the picaresque. Theoretical, technical, and ideological contrasts between the literary and television media. C255 Modern Literature and Other Arts: An Introduction (3 cr.) A & H, CSB Analyzes the materials of literature, painting, and music and the ways in which meaning is expressed through the organization of the materials. Investigates similarities and differences among the arts. Examples selected from the past 200 years. No previous knowledge of any art required. I Sem., II Sem. C256 Literature and Other Arts: 1870–1950 (3 cr.) A & H, CSB P: C255 or consent of instructor. Interaction of the arts in the development of Western literature, painting, and music in movements such as impressionism, symbolism, constructivism, expressionism, dada, and surrealism. C257 Asian Literature and Other Arts (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Selected literary texts of China, India, or Japan studied in the context of the art forms and cultures of these countries. Concentration on one culture each time course is offered. May be repeated once with different topic. C261 Introduction to African Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Oral and written poetry, epic, fiction, drama, and film from around the continent with reference to historical and cultural contexts, and debates on language choice, "authenticity," gender, and European representations of Africa. C355 Literature, the Arts, and Their Inter-relationship (3 cr.) A & H P: C255 or consent of instructor. Discussion of theoretical foundations for study of the relationship of the arts; detailed analysis of specific works illustrating interaction of literature with other arts. C357 The Arts Today: From 1950 to the Present (3 cr.) A & H, CSB P: C255. R: C256. Shared trends in literature, the visual arts, music, dance, and theatre. The heritage of the grotesque and the absurd, dada and surrealism, and constructivism; the new realism. New materials; mixed media and multimedia; environmental and participatory art; happenings; minimal art, conceptual art, antiart. C358 Literature and Music: Opera (3 cr.) A & H, CSB P: Two courses in literature, theatre, or music history. Selected opera libretti from various periods. Comparison of libretti with their literary sources; emphasis on specific problems connected with the adaptation of a literary work to the operatic medium. Evaluation of representative libretti as independent literary works. C361 African Literature and Other Arts (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. A focus on critical issues in the field of African letters, such as transnationalism, the question of orality, choice of language, the economics and politics of publishing—both within and outside the continent, and their impacts on cultural forms including new, non-literary media. Authors such as Achebe, Aidoo, Armah, Boris Diop, Head, Kunene, Ngugi, p'Bitek, and Soyinka. Cross-Cultural StudiesC262 Cross-Cultural Encounters (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Encounters between different cultures explored in the literature, art, film, and music resulting from various forms of cultural contact (travel, colonization, religious diffusion, print and electronic technologies). Topics include transformation of cultural institutions, processes of cross-cultural representation, globalization of the arts and culture, development of intercultural forms. Historical and regional focus may vary. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. C265 Introduction to East Asian Poetry (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Major forms of East Asian poetry in a comparative context, with attention to issues such as poetics, gender, Zen, historical development, and interactions with other literary genres. Authors such as Bei Dao, Li Bo, and Bashō. C266 Introduction to East Asian Fiction (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Readings from the major novels of East Asia, such as Monkey, Story of the Stone, The Tale of Genji, and The Cloud Dream of the Nine, along with shorter fictional forms (both vernacular and classical). Exploration of issues such as self and society, desire and enlightenment, the relationship between fictional and other genres, historical development of fiction, and comparison with Western conceptions of narrative. C301 Special Topics in Comparative Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Special topics concerning two or more literary traditions or literature and other areas in the humanities. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. C340 Women in World Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Study of literature by women from different ages and societies. Consideration of issues such as the relationship to literary tradition and cultural context, the creation of an authoritative voice, or the representation of women in literature. Course may focus on one genre or mode (such as drama, lyric, autobiography, or satire). C360 Diasporic Literatures (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Study of literature by writers of different regional and religious diasporas, with particular attention to issues relating to cultural identity and location. Consideration of closely related categories and concepts such as immigrant, ethnic minority, hybridity, and deterritorialized cultures. C363 Black Paris (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. The common and divergent experiences of African American, Afro-Caribbean, and African travelers to the "City of Light," from 18th-century New Orleans Creoles to 21st-century youth of African descent, as seen through literature, performance, film, and other arts. Issues of colonization, expatriation, immigration, exile, the Harlem Renaissance and "negritude," race and diaspora, transnationalism. Credit given for only one of CMLT C363 or AAAD A304. C364 The Caribbean: Literature and Theory (3 cr.) R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Poetry, fiction, drama, musical lyrics, travel literature, and prose from the Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanophone, and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. Discussion of major currents affecting literary production and interpretation. Topics such as immigration, diaspora, Rastafarianism, Voudoun, tourism. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. C365 Japanese-Western Literary Relations (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Japanese influences on Western poets and dramatists: color prints, haiku, and Noh plays. The Western impact on Japanese literature: the Japanese adaptation of movements such as romanticism, realism, naturalism, and symbolism, with special emphasis on the Japanese traits that these movements acquired. C375 Imagining China, Translating China (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Topics may include comparison of Chinese and European philosophical traditions, Western representations of China, East-West contact in the larger historical context, and the translation of literary works across cultures. Readings by authors such as Marco Polo, Voltaire, Pound, and Sigrid Nunez. C377 Topics in Yiddish Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Selected topics focusing on Yiddish fiction and drama (1810–1914) or twentieth-century Yiddish fiction, drama, and poetry. Taught in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours for any combination of C377, GER E351, and GER Y300. C378 Topics in Yiddish Culture (3 cr.) A & H, CSA P: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Selected topics on history of Ashkenazic Jews; Old Yiddish and premodern Yiddish folklore and popular culture; history and sociology of Yiddish; modern Yiddish culture; and centers of modern Yiddish culture. Taught in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours for any combination of C378, GER E352, and GER Y350. C464 French Language Literature of Africa and the Americas (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Literary texts and films, their poetics and historical contexts. Particular consideration of the tension surrounding the use of French language in Africa and the Caribbean and the creation of French language literatures, their relationship to local oral traditions and metropolitan French literature. Course will be conducted in French. Themes in Literature; Literature and IdeasC145 Major Characters in Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSB Comparative analysis of characters who reappear in literature from different periods and cultures. These include the quester, the lover, the artist, the trickster, the rebel, and the outsider. Readings come from diverse genres and national traditions. Fulfills half of College of Arts and Sciences composition requirement, if taken with ENG W143 (1 cr.). I Sem. C146 Major Themes in Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSB Comparative analysis of themes and motifs that reappear in literature from different periods and cultures. These include friendship, madness, self-sacrifice, the relationship of parents and children, the relationship of men and women, and the relationship of individuals and society. Readings come from diverse genres and national traditions. Fulfills half of College of Arts and Sciences composition requirement, if taken with ENG W143 (1 cr.). II Sem. C147 Images of the Self: East and West (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Such considerations as the individual in society, the outcast as hero, and the artistic sensibility examined in selected works of Western and Eastern literature from ancient to modern times. C347 Literature and Ideas (3 cr.) A & H, CSB R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Historical interrelations between literature and philosophy. Recent topics have included free will and the problem of evil; mysticism, criminality, and suffering; existentialism and the literature of the absurd. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. C445 Traditions of Christian Literature I (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Imaginative literature of the Christian culture from the second to the twelfth century; relationship to Jewish and classical cultural traditions; emergence of new genres; development of early medieval themes and forms and their transformation in the High Middle Ages. C446 Traditions of Christian Literature II (3 cr.) A & H, CSB P: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Religious literature of the later Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the baroque, and the transformation of its themes and forms in more recent writings. Close reading of individual texts as well as consideration of their cultural and theological contexts. FilmC291 Studies in Non-Western Film (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Emphasis on non-Western film in relation to literary and cultural texts. Films may be studied as adaptations of literary works, as reworkings of generic or ideological traditions, and in their engagement with the aesthetics of non-Western theater and Hollywood. Focus on one regional tradition (African, Asian, Middle Eastern) each time the course is offered. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. C310 Film and Literature (3 cr.) A & H R: C205 or 3 credit hours of literature. Analysis of the processes and problems involved in turning a literary work (novel, play, or poem) into a screenplay and then into a film. Close study of literary and film techniques and short exercises in adaptation. C490 Individual Studies in Film and Literature (1–3 cr.) P: Consent of chairperson of film committee. May be repeated once with a different topic. I Sem., II Sem., SS. C492 Comedy in Film and Literature (3 cr.) A & H Evolution, styles, and techniques of film comedy in America and Europe from the beginnings of cinema to the present. Theories of comedy and humor; relationship of film comedy to comedy in fiction, drama, pantomime, circus, and vaudeville. Work of leading film comedians. Individual StudiesC495 Individual Readings in Comparative Literature (2–3 cr., 6 cr. max.) P: Consent of chairperson. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours. I Sem., II Sem., SS. C496 Foreign Study in Comparative Literature (3–8 cr.) P: Consent of chairperson. May not be repeated for credit. C499 Studies for Honors (2–6 cr.; 12 cr. max.) P: Consent of departmental honors committee. Independent reading and research in conjunction with an advanced course in comparative literature or an honors paper or project. I Sem., II Sem. SS.
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