Course Catalog

Home>Academic Catalog 2024-2025>

Course Catalog

ENGLISH LITERATURE SINCE 1800 (CL2052)

From the Romantic period, covers major examples of: prose - the transition from the 19th century models to Modernist experimentation; poetry - the development of modern poetic form and the fortunes of European hermetic influence in an increasingly politicized century; and drama - examples of absurdist and left-wing drama which have dominated the British stage since the 1950s.

MODERN LATIN AMERICAN & SPANISH LIT. (CL2054)

Traces modern continental and Latin American literature from the Molieresque comedy of Moratin to the magical realism of Garcia Marquez. Readings include Spanish authors (fiction by Galdos, Unamuno, Cela, Goytisolo), Spanish-American writers (poetry of Neruda, Paz and tales by Borges, Rulfo), and one Brazilian writer (Clarice Lispector). Conducted in English. Written work accepted in English or Spanish.

RISE OF THE HERO & THE POET IN FRENCH LIT (CL2057)

Engages with the canonical texts and counter-texts of French literature across its long span, from the Middle Ages to the present. French literature was the first vernacular literature to emerge on the European scene and until relatively recently it remained the most influential.

This panoramic overview of French literature is anchored in bilingual editions, inviting participants to interact closely with the French originals and their facing English translations (including The Song of Roland, François Villon, Voltaire’s Candide, a Beckett play). Depending on the individual student’s needs, supporting readings will be recommended in French or English. Written work may be submitted in either language. French is not a requirement, but the better the student’s level, the more he or she will benefit from the course.

Fulfills the Medieval period requirement for the major in Comparative Literature. Original language option.

TALES FROM CENTRAL EUROPE (CL2059)

The end of the Cold War raised numerous questions concerning the boundaries of what had once been known as Mitteleuropa—a large swath of territory at the geographic heart of Europe, much of which belonged to the multi-ethnic Habsburg Empire before World War I. For writers like Milan Kundera, “Eastern Europe” was a misnomer when used to refer to nations such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland, whose cultural heritage, during previous centuries, had been intimately bound to that of their western neighbors. In this course, we explore how the shared cultural legacy of this extraordinarily diverse region—diverse in its ethnicities, religions and languages—manifests in its literature. Topics discussed include history, black humor, music, irony, sexuality, the rise of ethnic nationalism, the fate of the region’s Jews, and the legacies of both the Holocaust and Soviet control. We also consider the dissemination of modernity in "peripheral" cities such as Warsaw, Budapest or Zurich.

A study trip to Vienna includes visits to legendary cafes, museums, and concert halls. This course may additionally feature guest appearances by authors and translators (in person or by Skype), as well as cinematic representations of themes explored in assigned texts.

THEATER IN PARIS (CL2075)

This course essentially happens in the theatres of Paris, exploring the city’s fabulous resources, exchanging with practitioners and scholars from other institutions. We see ways of integrating music, dance and “physical theatre,” innovative explorations of classics from European and non-European traditions, avant-garde masters and the brightest young experimental troupes. We have theatre that directly questions political dilemmas, collective theatre and director-driven theatre, machine theatre and theatre based around great individual actors. Papers done in French or English.
Course fee atttached.

DIGITAL POETICS (CL2083)

How do words change when we use them on and offline? What happens to writing and reading when we move between physical books and digital environments? What are the relationships between Literature and the Internet?  How do ‘traditional’ or ‘canonical’ literary works dialogue with social media, computer games and Google-generated poetry? What does it ‘mean’ to ‘read’ ‘books’ in the third decade of the twenty-first century? 

THEORY AND WRITING (CL2085)

Examines the major tenets, philosophical perspectives, and critical orientations of literary theory from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Students study critical texts from literary and non-literary disciplines, schools, and voices that have come to impact the Western theoretical canon, including psychoanalysis, Marxism, Russian formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, feminism, queer theory, new historicism, and post-colonialism.

TOPICS IN CL & FRENCH (CL2090)

Topics vary every semester.
Pre-requisite: FR 1200

TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (CL2091)

Topics vary by semester

FRENCH FICTION NOW: TRADUIRE LE ROMAN FRANCAIS CONTEMP. (CL2094)

Ce cours introduira les étudiants aux techniques et aux problématiques de la traduction littéraire par le cas particulier des traductions en anglais de romans contemporains écrits en français. La traduction sera discutée comme un transfert culturel : en observant comment des écrivains représentatifs (Houellebecq, Djebar, Gavalda…) ont été reçus aux USA, et en GB, et en faisant le commentaire de trois traductions récentes. L’essentiel du cours sera consacré à l’expérience collective et individuelle de la traduction d’un livre non encore traduit.