ENGL 290 - World Literature: Beyond Borders

Credit(s): 3
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): ENGL 112 or ENGL 192 /HONR 192 .
This course will study diverse literary texts (such as stories, drama, essay, and poetry) from around the world. In many cases the works studied will be English translations of material originally written in languages such as Japanese, Spanish, German, Russian, French, and more; or will be material originally written in English but from cultures not often included in the spectrum of traditional English literature, such as Native American writings. One goal of the course is for students simply to encounter literature out beyond the general borders that tend to encircle English literary studies. Another goal is for students to consider such questions that arise when we consider world literature in translation, questions such as: is studying world literature an effective means of developing cultural understanding, or is it a misguided act of cultural appropriation, exploitation, or fetishization? How can a literary text written in another language at another time and/or place from our own communicate with us? What complications emerge when encountering texts in translation, or when encountering cultural alterity in literature? What might we learn about the world, and about ourselves, from encountering world literature?