Woman reading by Louai Kayyali
What is Comparative Literature?
Literature and language are inextricably linked in every culture. As soon as a text “travels” either through translation or simply by being read within a different culture, the text changes. Every reader’s cultural background, historical knowledge and specific language enrich the text with a new reading. This reading across cultures and time periods also illuminates the similarities and mutual influences among literatures and cultures. This approach to reading has changed over many years and today’s concept of Comparative Literature has, at its core, the goal to break through national, cultural and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative Literature wants to explore the relationships between literary cultures and languages. The discipline has the ability to adapt to an evolving world and its ability to be open to various disciplines, languages, media, genres and cultures means that it is an intellectually stimulating and engaging area to study. The comparative focus also reflects on the nature of textuality, and as a result it interrogates such diverse fields as art and architecture, music, sports and urban planning. The layout of a medieval village or a modern town can be viewed as a "text" in which the disposition of buildings and churches forms part of its meaning. Similarly, an ancient battle or a modern soccer or baseball game unfolds as a kind of narrative and the phenomena of mass attendance at sports events, Roman gladiatorial fights or a rock or classical music concert create "texts” replete with social and political meaning.
The Comparative Literature and Culture Program at Western
The Comparative Literature and Culture program at the University of Western Ontario engages in many of these debates about textuality and language. While taking courses and interacting with faculty and peers, students will be confronting various ideas associated with the discipline. One of the major questions in this regard is what form literature can take, in addition to novels, poems and plays. This study of genre and form also requires an examination of how and when to read critically. Questions of adaptation are important to Comparative Literature because film, visual art, philosophy and music can use literature as source material. These media, in turn, also inspire literature. The “Culture” section of the program title means that the way political, historical, cultural and social movements have evolved through time has an important impact on the study of literature. While learning about other cultures and their literatures, the students will be thinking about their own culture through the lens of others. The issue of language permeates all of these questions and issues. The program’s place within the Department of Modern Languages allows for students to take advantage of the ability to learn multiple languages, which is an important skill in today’s globalized world.
Student Opportunities
The program will be a good fit for students who are interested in literature and language. If a student already has a background in the study of another language or hopes to improve or learn a new language, the program will allow him or her to incorporate their language study into the study of Literature and Culture in the Specialization and Major streams. If a student has an interest in literary studies that are transnational and not confined to one region or language, the program can open the doors to undiscovered avenues of study that other literature departments cannot.
Language in Today’s World
Our changing world, with its mass media, instant communication and international community, is only just beginning to come closer together. Recent political changes like the emergence of the European Union, and the importance of postcolonial and transatlantic perspectives all point toward the need for cross-cultural understanding. The program allows students to develop skills to adapt to these trends because of the opportunity to study various languages and literatures.
Exciting Courses
Click the link to see some exciting examples of courses offered this year. “From Homer to Picasso: Western Culture Across the Ages” is the program’s introductory course which takes the student on a journey through Western culture that incorporates the study of Medieval Church Architecture, Renaissance Art, the Enlightenment, Modernism and Twentieth Century art and music into a larger study of texts like Dante’s Inferno, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
Some examples of upper year courses include “The Work of Art and its Texts” (which will examine how texts inspired important iconographic images), “Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages,” “International Children’s Literature,” as well as courses associated with the study of Italian, Spanish or German national literatures, three very active research areas within the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
Important Learning Skills
The program’s close connections to other departments through faculty and courses also ensure that there are opportunities for students to customize the program to their special interests in language and culture. These benefits mean that the Comparative Literature and Culture program will provide students with a very well rounded education in the Humanities. Some of the skills to be gained in this regard are the ability to present original ideas to an audience, argumentative writing, research skills, critical thinking, translation, interpretation, analytical skills and cross-cultural communication. The possibility to study abroad in the course of undergraduate studies also adds a “real world” occasion to interact with other cultures and languages.
Great Opportunities for the Future
The skills and knowledge gained in this program will offer students with many opportunities for the future. A Major in Comparative Literature and Culture may allow for a further academic career in graduate school. The program can also open up the way for other professional fields such as Education, Library Science, Business, Journalism and Law. Many other career areas depend on people who have experience in working with various texts and languages. Some examples include publishing, translation, international relations, foreign affairs, sociology, political science, intelligence analysis, social work, customs and immigration, policy analysis, advertising and human resources. Other positions may include foreign correspondent, communication specialist, judicial interpreter, diplomatic aide, airline customer service, conference interpreter, foreign travel advisor, ESL teacher, government worker and hotel manager.
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