Comparative Literary Studies

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Program Director: Dr. Ioanna Chatzidimitriou, Associate Professor of French
Advisory Board: Dr. Francesca Coppa, Dr. Daniel Leisawitz, Dr. Marcia Morgan, and Dr. Mirna Trauger

Comparative Literature (or Comparative Literary Studies) is an established discipline in literary studies. Its defining characteristics are its comparative methodologies, its theoretical approach to literary study (psychoanalytic, eco-critical, post-colonial, post-humanist, feminist, queer, etc.), and its interdisciplinarity. Often, comparative literary studies require fluency in more than one language but that is not always the case. At Muhlenberg, we are lucky to have robust literary programs in both English and a number of other linguistic traditions (Spanish, French, Italian, Hebrew, etc.), which allows us to offer our multilingual students the possibility of exploring literary texts in their original language.

Minor Requirements

The new minor in Comparative Literary Studies will have two tracks to accommodate both students with elementary skills in their L2 (or no L2 skills at all in some cases) and truly multilingual students: a Literature in Translation track and a Comparative Literature track (prerequisite for the Comparative Literature Track: completion of Intermediate II course in L2 or equivalent for all languages). Both tracks require 6 courses for completion of the minor.

Students in either track will have to take CLS 201 Introduction to Comparative Literary Studies and one Books Without Borders class. CLS 201 offers a critical overview of the field and its comparative methodologies, and Books Without Borders classes serve as models of theoretical (and therefore intentionally interdisciplinary) approaches to literature.

- Literature in Translation students will take 4 additional courses at the 300- or 400-level (and, exceptionally, the 200-level) from a list of pre-approved courses in English equally split between any two linguistic traditions or regions.

- Comparative Literature students will take 4 additional courses at the 300- or 400-level (and, exceptionally, the 200-level) from a list of pre-approved courses equally split between any two linguistic traditions/regions where all reading and writing will be completed in the original language.

The four additional courses to be chosen in consultation with the Director include, but are not limited to, this list of courses:

CLS 210, 211 - Books Without Borders: Arab Women Writers Course unit(s): 1
CLS 212 - Books Without Borders: Reading the Body: Medical Literature & the Female Body Course unit(s):
CLS 213 - Books Without Borders: Travel Literature Course unit(s): 1
ENG 253 - Modern Jewish Writers Course unit(s): 1
ENG 315, 316 - The Renaissance Imagination Course unit(s): 1
ENG 257, 258 - Shakespeare Reproduced Course unit(s): 1
ENG 323, 324 - Renaissance Plays in Process Course unit(s): 1
ENG 328 - Staging the Restoration Course unit(s): 1
ENG 329, 330 - Nineteenth Century British Fiction Course unit(s): 1
ENG 331, 333 - English Romanticism Course unit(s): 1
ENG 347, 348 - Modern British Fiction Course unit(s): 1
ENG 349, 350 - Modern American Fiction Course unit(s): 1
ENG 352, 353 - Modern Poetry I: 1889-1945 Course unit(s): 1
ENG 354, 355 - Modern Poetry II: 1945-2000 Course unit(s): 1
ENG 360 - Gay and Lesbian Theatre & Film Course unit(s): 1
ENG 365, 366 - Contemporary Poetry Course unit(s): 1
ENG 391, 392 - Decadence: The Literature of the 1890s Course unit(s): 1
ENG 393, 394 - Literary Remix Course unit(s): 1
ENG 395, 396 - Literature & Film of the Cold War Course unit(s): 1
ENG 397, 398 - Gender, Sensation, & the Novel Course unit(s): 1
FRN 305 - Topics in French and Francophone Studies: North and Sub-Saharan Africa Course unit(s): 1
FRN 306 - Topics in French and Francophone Studies: The Black Diaspora Course unit(s): 1
FRN 307 - Topics in French and Francophone Studies: Understanding France Course unit(s): 1
FRN 308 - Topics in French and Francophone Studies: Francophone North America Course unit(s): 1
FRN 330 - Introduction to Francophone Studies Course unit(s): 1
FRN 333 - France & Asia Course unit(s): 1
FRN 335 - The Francophone Arab World Course unit(s): 1
FRN 337 - The French Revolutionary Spirit Course unit(s): 1
FRN 341 - French & Francophone Cinema Course unit(s): 1
FRN 343 - Family, Sexuality, & Gender in the Francophone World Course unit(s): 1
ITL 313 - Italian Theatre Course unit(s): 1
ITL 315 - Eatalians: An Exploration of Italian Culinary Culture Course unit(s): 1
ITL 321 - Italian Cities in Italian Cinema Course unit(s): 1
ITL 323 - Jewish Italy Course unit(s): 1
LLC 215 - Contemporary Latin American & Latinx Drama Course unit(s): 1
LLC 410 - Spanish Drama in Translation Course unit(s): 1
SPN 320 - Civilizations of Spain Course unit(s): 1
SPN 322 - Civilizations of Latin America Course unit(s): 1
SPN 327 - Public Health in Practice: Panamá Course unit(s):
SPN 410 - Heroes and Sinners Course unit(s): 1
SPN 411 - Don Quijote Course unit(s): 1
SPN 412 - Text and Stage Course unit(s): 1
SPN 413 - From the Golden Age to the Silver Age Course unit(s): 1
SPN 414 - Spanish Identity in Times of Change Course unit(s): 1
SPN 415 - The Literature of Conquest & Colonization in Spanish America Course unit(s): 1
SPN 416 - Postcolonial Realities in Spanish American Literature Course unit(s): 1
SPN 417 - Contemporary Spanish American Novel Course unit(s): 1
SPN 418 - Hispanic Literature & Film Course unit(s): 1
SPN 419 - Border Crossings Course unit(s): 1
SPN 420 - Human Rights Literature in the Americas Course unit(s): 1