English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature

In all the literary texts we will read in this course, there is a fictional voice or a character who acts as a translator. We will analyze the means they use for translating words across time, places, and cultures. Some of the fictional translators we will meet end up losing—or gaining—something in the passage between languages. Some simply refuse to translate. Others use more creative strategies, such as generating multiple meanings, asking for collaboration, or producing a fake translation. In most cases, their choices and interactions challenge the ways in which we normally understand texts. In our discussions and exercises, we will explore some of these challenges.

The course satisfies the second half of UC Berkeley’s Reading and Composition requirement. You must use your comparative interpretations of the assigned texts as the basis for your writing exercises. You will have the opportunity to develop your critical-thinking and composition skills as you gain practice in the different stages of the academic writing process. Starting with in-class writing exercises, drafts, and revisions, you will gradually work towards the completion of a short essay and a final research paper.