Introduction to Comparative Literature: History and Methodology

 Comparative Literature 500A

Introduction to Comparative Literature: History and Methodology

September-December 2001

SCHEDULE

Week Topic

September 10 Comparative Literature: Definitions. Its many faces. Methods.

* Wellek, R. “The Name and Nature of Comparative Literature”. Discriminations: Further Concepts of Criticism. New Haven: Yale UP, 1970.

* Chevrel, Yves. La littérature comparée (selections).

* Pageaux, La littérature générale et comparée . Paris: Armand Colin, 1994. (selections).

* Texts from J. Texte, B. Croce, Gayley, Baldensperger, and Van Tieghem from Vega y Carbonell: La Literatura Comparada: Principios y Métodos.

* Bassnett, Susan. Comparative Literature. A critical introduction . Oxford: Blackwell, 1993. (selections).

September 17 Classical texts in literary criticism: The critical tradition

* Calvino, I. Why read the classics? (selections).

* Richter, The Critical Tradition (selections from Plato, Aristotle, Longinus, * Nietzsche, Tolstoy, Eliot, Heidegger, Sartre, Frye, and Auerbach).

September 24 The Western Canon and Comparative Literature. The literary tradition.

* Curtius, E. European Literature and The Latin Middle Ages (selections).

* Bloom, H. The Western Canon (selections).

October 1 Comparative Literature and World Literature

* Birus, H. “Main features of Goethe’s concept of World literature” in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory.

* Kirby, John T. The Comparative Reader: A Handlist of Basic Reading in Comparative Literature, 1998.

October 8 THANKSGIVING DAY - No classes

October 15 What do we do when we read?

* Manguel, A.: “Ways of reading: From St. Augustine to computers” in A History of Reading.

* Blanchot. L’espace littéraire (selections).

* Godzich, W. “Caution! Reader at work!” in Paul de Man, Blindness and Insight.

* Proust, M. Sur la lecture.

* Bourdieu, P. “Lectura, lectores, letrados, literatura” en Cosas Dichas (in translation).

* Bloom, H. How to read and why (selections).

* Levi-Strauss, Lire...

October 22 Culture in the 900. INTERDISCIPLINARY READING

* La cultura del 900.

* Culler, J. “Literature and cultural studies”, in Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction.

* Serres, M. and Latour, B. Conversations on Science, Culture and Time. University of Michigan Press (selections).

October 29 Comparative Literature and crisis. Identity and travel: possible ways of defining the search of the comparatist. Comparative Literature as a field between Myth and Heresy.

* Wellek, René. “The Crisis of Comparative Literature”. Concepts of Criticism. New Haven: Yale U. P., 1963.

* Remak, “CL: Its definition and function” (1961).

* Fokkema: “CL and the new paradigm” (1982).

* Ruprecht: Littérature comparée et rationalité teorique” (1986)

* Laurette: La LC et ses fantômes théoriques” (1986).

* Philips, J. “The myth”, inContested Knowledge .

* Culler, J. “What is literature and does it matter?” in Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction.

November 5 J. L. Borges as a comparatist ESSAY PROJECT DUE

* “Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote” en Ficciones; Arte Poética.

* “El escritor argentino y la tradición” en Discusión.

* “Kafka y sus precursores” y “Sobre los clásicos”, en Otras Inquisiciones.

* “La poesía”, en Siete Noches (in translations).

November 12 HOLIDAY IN LIEU OF REMEMBRANCE DAY -- No clases

November 19 Comparative Literature and Literary education

* Felman, Sh. “Education and crisis, or the vicissitudes of teaching” in Testimony . Crisis of witnessing in literature, psychoanalysis, and history.

* Borges, J. L.: His classes.

November 26 Comparative Literature Today: Theory and practice. Challenges.

* S. Totosy de Zepetnek, From CL Today toward Comparative Cultural Studies (on-line) , “An introduction to CL now” in Comparative LIterature Now. Theories and practice ; and Comparative Literature. Theory, Method, Application (Selections).

* Guillén, C. The challenge of Comparative Literature . Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1993. (selections).

* Chaitin, “Otherness” (1989-1997)

* Chevrier, “Les litteratures africaines dans le champ de la recherche comparatiste”.

* Ashcraft and others, The empire writes back.

December Examination on selected terms from: Cuddon, Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory

ESSAY due on Friday 4, January 2002.

THE PROGRAM IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Comparative Literature 500a

Fall Term 2001: Introduction to Comparative Literature: History and Methodology

Information for Students

a) Instructor

Dr. Daniel H. Scarfo Office: Buchanan Tower 720

Assistant Professor Phone: 604-822-4679

Office Hours: By appointment e-mail: scarfo@interchange.ubc.ca

Chat hours: To be determined

b) The Course

The course is designed to introduce students to the discipline of Comparative Literature and provide practical exercise in its methodology. Both its potential and its problem areas will be highlighted. Students will be required to present exposés on representative research areas of the discipline, apply a specific interdisciplinary approach to a text of their choice, and produce an essay focusing on the inter-cultural factors affecting the detailed comparative analysis of a number of texts.

The course aims at stimulating a creative spirit and a critical outlook in the students. The course mission is to present a field and an object of study defined by the supranational and transdisciplinary; to study literature in relation to other artistic expressions and discursive formations; to offer the students a preparation that will help them to identify the innovative without ignoring the weight of tradition.

The course is open to graduate students from other programs and departments.

c) Marking Scheme (Term I)

Essay project (2 pages) = 25 (due Wednesday, 31 October 2001).

Essay (8 pages) = 150 (due Friday , 4 January 2002).

Interdisciplinary reading of a text = 150

In class participation and exposés = 50

On-line participation (chat, discussions) = 25

December Exam on literary terms = 100

Total = 500/5 = 100 (- number of absences)

Each absence results in a one-point deduction from the Final Grade for the term. Minimum attendance requirement to pass the course: 7 classes out of 10: 70%.

d) Participation

All members of the class are encouraged to participate actively in on-line and off-line discussions and debates. Such participation is an important part of your performance. Please come to class with written notes, your questions and thoughts about the possible meanings of the texts your have read. What strikes you? What paragraphs or points seem to you to be the most significant or enigmatic? Why? Students will be asked to read these notes and make very short (5 minutes) exposés on the spot that will count as part of their participation mark.

e) On-line Resources

Research Guide

http://www.library.yale.edu/rsc/complit/index.html

http://clcwebjournal.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb99-3totosy99.html

Selected Internet Resources

http://kokopeli.library.yale.edu/rsc/complit/intsrcs.html

Online Journals

http://www.library.yale.edu/rsc/complit/journals.html

http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/clcwebjournal/library.html

Basic links

http://rrpac.upr.clu.edu:9090/~humanity/litcomp.htm

http://rrpac.upr.clu.edu:9090/~humanity/litcomp/enlaces.htm

THE PROGRAM IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Comparative Literature 500a

Fall Term 2001: Introduction to Comparative Literature: History and Methodology

Some Other Cultural and Historical Interpretation and Approaches

Auerbach, Mimesis.

Bernheimer, Ch. Comparative Literature in the Age of Multiculturalism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1995.

Chaudhary, Angraj. Comparative Aesthetics, East and West. New Delhi: South Asia Books, 1991.

Guillén, Claudio. Múltiples Moradas: Ensayo de Literatura Comparada.

Other Theories of Literature and Books on Literary Theory

De Man, Paul. Resistance to Theory.

Eagleton, T. Literary Theory: An introduction.

Jefferson, Ann, and David Robey, eds. Modern Literary Theory: A Comparative Introduction. 2nd ed. London: Batsford, 1986.

Marshall, Donald G. Contemporary Critical Theory: A Selective Bibliography. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1993. A fundamental resource in the field for English language books. An annotated bibliography with sections devoted to individual shcools/theories and theorists.

Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. 4th ed. New York: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1997.

Webster, Roger. Studying Literary Theory: An Introduction. 2nd ed. London; New York: Arnold, 1996. Essays on literary theory, including fundamentals and background. Includes a brief bibliography.

Wellek, Rene and Warren, Austin: Theory of Literature. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1956.