241. Topics in Comparative Literature. Comp. Lit. 240 recommended.
(3). (HU).
Section 001 – Fatal Attractions in Ancient and Modern Tragedy. This
course focuses on fatal attractions and violent clashes between men and women, cultures, families, and nations, as represented in ancient and tragic
drama and performed in twentieth-century theater, opera, dance, and film.
We will ask what tragedy is, and how it is recreated as spectacle within
a variety of contexts, ranging from experimental theater to African ritual, from feminist revisions to gospel. We will read selected classical plays
and consider modern performances alongside some critical reflections on
tragedy and representation. Requirements: regular attendance and lively
participation in discussion sections, two short papers, one final exam.
Cost:2 WL:2 (Prins)
490. Comparative Cultural Studies. Junior standing. (3). (Excl).
May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Section 001 – Post-Colonial Literature of the Anglophone Diaspora. This
course aims to introduce some of the fundamental concepts of post-colonial
culture as it is produced in the metropolitan centers of the world, especially
London. Just as canonical works of high modernism, such as those of Joseph
Conrad and Virginia Woolf, were marked by the colonial enterprise, the literature
produced in contemporary metropolitan centers is also marked by the obvious
presence of post-colonial writing in the metropolis, especially by "non-native"
writers. This course will try to define the various agendas that mark this
kind of cultural production, its proliferation across a number of genres, and the numerous attempts in the last decade to define this new kind of
literature. We shall study texts by Sam Selvon, Salman Rushdie, Hanif Kureishi, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Victor Headley. The course will consider issues of:
(1) cultural racism; (2) the place of identity politics in the anti-racism
struggle; and (3) the status of a "national" literature. Cost:3
WL:2 (Farred)
496. Honors Thesis. Comp. Lit. 495 and Honors concentration in Comp. Lit. (3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
In the Honors Thesis course the Honors student typically develops the seminar work done in Comp. Lit. 495 (Senior Seminar) into a longer, more thorough study under the auspices of a faculty thesis director. Students who need help in arranging for a thesis director should contact the Comparative Literature office. Independent study; permission of instructor required.
498. Directed Reading. Permission of instructor. (1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
This course is intended for Comparative Literature concentrators. It offers a student the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member associated with Comparative Literature on a comparative topic chosen by the student in consultation with the professor. Together they will develop a reading list; establish goals, meeting times, and credits (within the range); and plan papers and projects which the student will execute with the tutorial assistance of the instructor. The student will be required to submit a written proposal of his or her course to the Program office. For further information, contact the Program in Comparative Literature, G411 Mason Hall. Independent Study; permission of instructor required.
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