Comparative Literature: 2008-2009
Description
The study of comparative literature situates literature in an international perspective, examines connections between literary history, literary criticism, critical theory, and poetics, and works toward an understanding of the sociocultural functions of literature. Interpretive methods from other disciplines that interrogate cultural discourses also play a role in the comparative study of literature; among these are philosophy, history, religion, classical and area studies, Africana studies, gender studies, cultural studies, music, and the history of art.
Comparative literature students are required to have a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language adequate to the advanced study of literature in that language. Some comparative literature courses may require reading knowledge of a foreign language as a prerequisite for admission. Students considering graduate work in comparative literature should also study a second foreign language
Advisory Committee
At Haverford College:
Barbara Riley Levin Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature Israel Burshatin, Chair,
William E. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature Deborah Roberts,
Associate Professor of Spanish Roberto Castillo Sandoval
Associate Professor of English Maud McInerney
Associate Professor of German Ulrich Schönherr
Associate Professor of French David Sedley
Assistant Professor of Philosophy Jerry Miller
Assistant Professor of Religion Travis Zadeh
At Bryn Mawr College:
Fairbanks Professor in the Humanities and Professor of German and Comparative Literature Azade Seyhan
Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature Elizabeth C. Allen
Professor of Spanish María Cristina Quintero
Associate Professor of French Francis Higginson
Associate Professor of History of Art Homay King
Associate Professor of English Bethany Schneider
Assistant Professor of Italian Roberta Ricci
Teaching Faculty
At Haverford College:
Francis B. Gummere Professor of English and Professor of Africana Studies Kimberly Benston
Ruth Marshall Magill Professor of Music Curt Cacioppo
Professor of English C. Stephen Finley
Professor of Music Richard Freedman
Professor of Philosophy Ashok Gangadean
John R. Coleman Professor of Social Sciences and Professor of History and East Asian Studies Paul Smith
Professor of Philosophy Kathleen Wright
Associate Professor of French and Africana Studies Koffi Anyinéfa
Associate Professor of Anthropology Laurie Kain Hart
Associate Professor of English Rajeswari Mohan
Associate Professor of Spanish Graciela Michelotti
Associate Professor of Anthropology Zolani Ngwane
Associate Professor of French David Sedley
Assistant Professor of Classics Brett Mulligan
Assistant Professor of English Debora Sherman
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy Emmanuela Bianchi
Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing Alisa Hartz
Visiting Associate Professor of German Heidi Schlipphacke
Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Fine Arts John Muse
At Bryn Mawr College:
Professor of French Grace Morgan Armstrong
Professor of English Peter Briggs
Professor of English E. Jane Hedley
Professor of English Joseph E. Kramer
Professor of Philosophy Michael Krausz
Professor of History of Art Steven Z. Levine
Professor of Italian Nicholas Patruno
Professor of Spanish María Cristina Quintero
Professor of Spanish Enrique Sacerio-Garí
Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies Linda-Susan Beard
Associate Professor of English Michael Tratner
Senior Lecturer in the Arts Program Mark Lord
Major Requirements
Comparative Literature 200: Introduction to Comparative Literature, normally taken by the spring of the sophomore year; six advanced literature courses in the original languages (normally at the 200 level or above), balanced between two literature departments (of which English may be one): at least two of these (one in each literature) must be at the 300 level or above, or its equivalent as approved in advance by the advisor; one course in critical theory; two electives in comparative literature; Comparative Literature 398: Theories and Methods in Comparative Literature; and 399: Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature. Courses in comparative literature may be drawn from a variety of departments. A listing of current courses appears each year in the Bi-College Course Guide. Students interested in pursuing a comparative literature major should discuss their preparation and program of courses with the comparative literature chairperson early in their first or second year at the college.
Minor Requirements
Comparative Literature 200 and 398, plus four advanced literature courses in the original languages (normally at the 200 level or above) divided between two literature departments, of which English may be one. At least one course of these four must be at the 300 level. Students who minor are encouraged to choose their national literature courses from those with a comparative component.
Requirements for Honors
Students who, in the judgment of the Advisory Committee in Comparative Literature, have done distinguished work in their comparative literature courses and in the Senior Seminar will be considered for Departmental Honors.
Courses
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200 Introduction to Comparative Literature HU
U.Schoenherr
203 Writing the Jewish Trajectories in Latin America HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
G.Michelotti
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of the instructor.
204 The European Bildungsroman HU
A.Hartz
Explores the popular 19th C form of the novel known as the Bildungsroman, or the novel of character development. We will read French, British, and German novels that focus on a character's search for self-fulfillment, asking, among other things, what role the Bildungsroman plays in the history of the novel. Authors may include Goethe, Dickens, Flaubert, Eliot, Hardy, and Gide.
205 Legends of Arthur HU (Cross-listed in English)
M.McInerney
Prerequisite: Freshman Writing
207 Fictions of Spanish American History HU (Cross-listed in Spanish)
R. Castillo Sandoval
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of the instructor.
209 Classical Mythology HU (Cross-listed in Classical Studies)
B.Mulligan
Typically offered in alternate years.
211 Introduction to Postcolonial Literature HU (Cross-listed in English)
R.Mohan
Typically offered in alternate years.
212 The Classical Tradition in Western Literature HU (Cross-listed in Classical Studies)
D.Roberts
Offered occasionally.
213 Inventing (the) English HU (Cross-listed in English)
M.McInerney
Prerequisite: Freshman Writing
214 Writing the Nation: 19th-Century Literature in Latin America HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
R.Castillo Sandoval
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of instructor.
215 Tales of TroyHU (Cross-listed in Classical Studies)
B.Mulligan
Offered occasionally.
218 The Western Dramatic Tradition HU (Cross-listed in English)
K.Benston
Typically offered in alternate years.
220 The Epic in English HU (Cross-listed in English)
M.McInerney
221 The Ancient Novel HU (Cross-listed in Classical Studies)
R.Germany
222 Rethinking Latin America in Contemporary Narrative HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
A.Gomez Unamuno
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of instructor.
228 The Logos and the Tao HU (Cross-listed in Philosophy)
K.Wright
Prerequisite: One 100 level course or its equivalent, or consent.
232 Inquiring Minds: Inquisition, writing, and the early modern subject HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
I. Burshatin
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of the instructor.
235 Spanish American Theater HU (Cross-listed in Spanish)
G. Michelotti
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent of the instructor.
240 As the World Turned: Milton and Early Modern Revolutions HU (Cross-listed in English)
D.Sedley
Prerequisite: Freshman writing.
241 Anthropology of the Mediterranean SO (Cross-listed in Anthropology and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
L.Hart
Prerequisite: One course in anthropology or Global History. Typically offered in alternate years.
242 Representing HU (Cross-listed in Spanish)
A. Saad-Maura
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or consent.
243 Trans-Atlantic Exchanges: Conversion & Revolution in Britain HU (Cross-listed in English)
L.McGrane
Typically offered in alternate years.
248 The Quran HU (Cross-listed in Religion)
T.Zadeh
250 Quixotic Narratives HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
I.Burshatin
251 Music, Film, and Narrative HU (Cross-listed in Music)
R. Freedman
Prerequisite: Music 203 or equivalent knowledge of music theory.
255 Cinéma Français/Francophone et Colonialisme HU (Cross-listed in French and African and Africana Studies)
K.Anyinefa
(Satisfies the social justice requirement.)
258 Re-imagining the City: Berlin and Vienna in Literature and Film HU (Cross-listed in German)
H.Schlipphacke
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
262 The Male Body in Contemporary Cinema HU (Cross-listed in German and Gender and Sexuality Studies)
H.Schlipphacke
289 Children's Literature HU
D.Roberts
This course investigates the beginnings, selected historical developments, and some of the varieties of literature for children, and asks questions about the distinctiveness of such literature, its aims and its presumed readership, and the applicability of particular theoretical approaches to children s books. We will look at folk tale and fairy tale, early examples of literature specifically for children, some particularly influential texts, and examples from several sub-genres of children s literature; we will also spend a week each on picture books and poetry for children. Discussion will focus both on the texts themselves and on critical issues of various kinds. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Preference to COML majors, ENGL majors, and those minoring in EDUC or Teacher Cert Pgm.
293 Translation and other Transformations: Theory and Practice HU (Cross-listed in Classical Studies)
D.Roberts
An exploration of the theory and practice of translation (both historical and current) and of other forms of rewriting. Theoretical readings include works by Dryden, Schleiermacher, Arnold, Benjamin, Venuti, and others; examples of translation will be drawn from a variety of texts in different languages. Students will have the opportunity to work on translation projects of their own. Prerequisite: Students must be at least at the intermediate level in at least one language other than English.
295 Interpretation and the Other: Meaning, Understanding and Alterity HU (Cross-listed in English)
D.Dawson,S.Finley
Offered occasionally.
302 Speaking in Tongues HU (Cross-listed in English and Gender and Sexuality Studies)
M.McInerney
Prerequisite: Two 200-level courses in English.
306 Of Monsters and Marvels: Wonder in Islamic Traditions HU (Cross-listed in Religion)
T.Zadeh
Prerequisite: Consent
308 Mystical Literatures of Islam HU (Cross-listed in Religion)
T.Zadeh
312 Advanced Topics HU (Cross-listed in French and African and Africana Studies)
K.Anyinefa
320 Spanish American Colonial Writings HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
R. Castillo Sandoval
Prerequisite: A 200 level course or consent of the instructor.
321 Topics in German Literature: Literature and New Media: From the Gutenberg-Galaxy to Cyberspace HU (Cross-listed in German)
U.Schönherr
322 Politics of Memory in Latin America HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
A. Gómez Unamuno
Prerequisite: Spanish 200 level, or consent of the instructor.
334 Gender Dissidence in Hispanic Writing HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Gender and Sexuality Studies and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
I.Burshatin
Prerequisite: A 200 level course or consent of the instructor. (Satisfies the social justice requirement.)
343 The Latin American City and its Narratives HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
G.Michelotti
Prerequisite: A 200 level course, or consent of the instructor.
352 Evita and Her Sisters HU (Cross-listed in Spanish and Gender and Sexuality Studies and Latin American and Iberian Studies)
G. Michelotti
Prerequisite: A 200 level course or consent of the instructor.
359 Music - Text - Performance HU (Cross-listed in German)
U.Schönherr
Prerequisite: One 200-level course in the Humanities.
377 Problems in Postcolonial Literature HU (Cross-listed in English)
R.Mohan
Prerequisite: Two courses in English at the 200 level or permission of instructor (Satisfies the social justice requirement.)
381 Textual Politics: Marxism, Feminism, and the Deconstruction HU (Cross-listed in English and Gender and Sexuality Studies)
R.Mohan
Prerequisite: Two 200-level courses in Engl or consent.
382 On the Sublime HU (Cross-listed in English)
D.Sherman
Prerequisite: Two courses in English at the 200 level or permission of instructor
385 Apocalyptic Literature: Visions of the End HU (Cross-listed in English)
M.Mcinerney
Prerequisite: Two courses in English at the 200 level or permission of instructor
388 Problems in Narrative: Obsession, Trauma, Hysteria, Oblivion, Bliss HU (Cross-listed in English)
K.Benston
Prerequisite: Two courses in Engl at 200 level or consent.
389 Problems in Poetics: The Interpretation of Lyric HU (Cross-listed in English)
K.Benston
Prerequisite: Two courses in English at the 200 level or permission of instructor
398 Theories and Methods in Comparative Literature HU
I.Burshatin
Advanced work in the history and problems of comparative literature. Prerequisite: Open only to students majoring or minoring in Comp Lit. Occasionally open, with permission, to Jr. Comp Lit majors who plan to study away Typically offered yearly in alternation with Bryn Mawr.
399 Senior Seminar HU
R.Castillo Sandoval,A.Seyhan
Oral and written presentations of work in progress, culminating in a senior thesis and comprehensive oral examination.INTERMEDIATE LEVEL COURSES:
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These courses require one course at the 100 level or its equivalent, or consent of the instructor.
230 Beauty, Rhetoric, Aesthetics, Philosophy HU (Cross-listed in Independent College Programs)
J.Muse
COURSES OFFERED AT BRYN MAWR COLLEGE:
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200 Introduction to Comparative Literature
209 Philosophical Approaches to Criticism (Also called German 209)
210 Women and Opera (Also called Italian 210)
211 Primo Levi, the Holocaust, and its Aftermath (Also called Italian 211, Hebrew 211)
212 Borges y sus lectores (Also called Spanish 211)
213 Approches théoriques (Also called French 213)
215 La literatura afro-hispánica (Also called Spanish 215)
216 Interpreting Myths (Also called Classical Studies 210)
222 Aesthetics/Nature/Experience of Art (Also called Philosophy 222)
229 Movies and Mass Politics (Also called English 229)
230 The Poetics of Desire in the Lyric Poetry of Renaissance Italy and Spain (Also called Italian 231 and Spanish 230)
231 Cultural profiles modern exile (Also called Anthropology & German 231)
234 Postcolonial Literature in English (Also called English 234)
245 Women's Narratives of Migrancy and Exile (Also called German 245, Anthropology 245, and Growth and Structure of Cities 245)
279 Introduction to African Literature (Also called English 279)
283 The Urban Novel (Also called English 283)
298 Cultural Politics of Memory (Also called English 298)
306 Film Theory (Also called English and History of Art 306)
308 Spanish Drama of the Golden Age (Also called Spanish 308)
318 The Matter of Troy (Also called English 318)
323 Culture and Interpretation (Also called Philosophy 323)
325 Etudes avancés de civilisation (Also called French 325)
333 Queer Theory/Queer Literature (Also called English 333)
343 Translating America (Also called English 343)
350 Voix médiévales/ échos modernes (Also called French 350)
352 Romanticism and Interpretation (Also called English 352)
398 Theories & Methods in Comparative Literature