Of love, French literary theorist Roland Barthes once wrote, “The lover’s fatal identity is precisely this: I am the one who waits.”

But what do we do while we wait and how do we shorten that wait? Some men pretend to be feminists and some women pretend not to be. Some men post online and some have their jaws surgically broken and reconstructed. Some women ruin friendships and some ruin reputations.

In this section of Comparative Literature 122, we will read and watch a range of contemporary texts that ask what it means to “wait” for love. From Fleabag to Scott Pilgrim and from Mary Gaitskill to reporting on incels and #MeToo, we will examine how gender and genre complicate stories of attraction plagued by lack of reciprocity, misunderstandings, persistent longing, and questions of consent. Through our exploration of unrequited literary love, we will also ask: What is the relationship between writing and love? What is the relationship between the self and love? What is the relationship between the self and writing?

Course Requirements:

This course requires regular attendance and participation, timely completion of readings and writing assignments, and active involvement in writing workshops. Writing assignments for this class will vary in genre (close readings, creative responses, first-person writing, argumentation, etc.) but will always foreground analysis and raising questions. Students can expect to write weekly pass/fail freewrites, two longer papers in multiple drafts which will be workshopped in small groups, and a creative final project. There will be no exams.

Intended Audience:

This course is intended for first and second-year students; it is open to undergraduates across all departments and programs. Students who are interested in contemporary literature, popular culture, and expanding their ideas of what it means to write an essay and make an argument are encouraged to take this class.