Approaches to Comparative Literature
Literature and Critical Theory
Introduction to literary criticism and theory with an emphasis on comparative, translingual approaches. We begin with questions of mimesis and early definitions of “world literature,” and move on to consider critical/political thought in times of crisis, technology and virtuality, approaches to temporality, “high” theory and New Criticism, the interventions of psychoanalysis, queer theory, and postcolonial criticism, ending with more recent works on affect theory and contemporary interventions. Readings include works by Auerbach, Goethe, Lukacz, de Stael, Bakhtin, Benjamin, Adorno, Derrida, Kristeva, deMan, Johnson, Ngai, Jameson, Sedgwick and others. Designed to be helpful to graduate students in literary disciplines with comparative interests, and to provide an introduction to graduate study for students in Comparative Literature.