THE CLT MISSION
The study of literature and culture in a comparative context provides a rich environment
for the development of a perceptive, well-rounded reader, writer, and thinker. CLT
students learn to interpret and evaluate literary and cultural products from multiple
origins and in languages other than their own. They are trained to present persuasive
arguments, to master and use different theoretical and methodological tools, and to
engage in dialog with scholarly voices both within the field of Comparative Literature
and in other modern (and classical) language fields. CLT students undertake substantial
writing and original research projects in multiple linguistic traditions in preparation
for careers both within the academy and beyond.
WHAT IS COMPARATIVE LITERATURE?
Comparative Literature is dedicated to the study of literature in the broadest possible framework interlinguistic, intercultural, and interdisciplinary. Defined broadly, it is the study of "literature without walls." So its about making comparisons and connections between all sorts of literary and cultural realms. It is the study of literature
WHY STUDY COMPARATIVE LITERATURE?
You will enjoy studying comparative literature if you:
- enjoy reading
- like to question what you read and experience
- are interested in other languages, cultures, and ways of thinking
- prefer a program of study that allows you a maximum amount of flexibility and independence
A major or concentration in Comparative Literature is an excellent foundation for
further work at the graduate level in almost any field. It also prepares students
to work in any field where critical thinking, strong writing skills and foreign-language
competence and a sophisticated understanding of cultural difference and diversity
are called for. CLT also works very well as a double major. Since a double major allows
sharing of up to four courses (12 hours), certain combinations of majors (CLT and
English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages) may result in a reduction of the total
number of courses required for one of the majors. Moreover, because of the flexibility
of the program, your CLT major can be a complement to your other major, allowing you
to further investigate a topic that you are already focusing on in your other field,
from a different perspective or in the comparative mode. For example, an English student
who studied the works of James Joyce for senior novel could write a CLT thesis comparing
James Joyce and a German or French avant-garde writer. An art/CLT double major could
write their thesis on a connection between a work of art and a literary text or film.
Even fields of interest for which no courses are offered at the moment (e.g. Scandinavian
literature or Russian film) may be accommodated within the CLT major.
COMPARATIVE LITERARY TRADITIONS AT UD OUR REQUIREMENTS
Requirements for a Concentration:
- 2 international courses at the 3000-level (MCT 3309, the epoch courses, etc.)
- 3 more courses, any combination of international courses (at any level) or the survey courses MCTF3305, MCTG3305
*** Note that many CLT courses are cross-listed in other departments, and can be counted both for that major and for a CLT concentration or double-major. This is especially true for Modern Languages and English.
Requirements for the CLT major
The Thesis
The purpose of a senior or honors thesis in CLT is to allow students to reflect on intersections of either two different literary traditions, or intersections of literature and other arts, with the goal of synthesizing elements from several of their courses. Thus, the thesis asks students to focus explicitly on a comparative aspect of literary study. For example, they may choose to discuss the use of a common motif in two or more texts, examine the differences of a literary epoch in two linguistic traditions, analyze how a visual work of art is transposed into a poem or story, or show how music and text interrelate in an opera or in a poem set to music.
The senior thesis is preferably written in the first semester of senior year, or in the semester that they aren't writing another thesis for their other major. Students register for 3 thesis hours in that semester. The thesis may draw on, expand, or otherwise incorporate papers written in other courses, with the consent of the instructors and the thesis director. It must be comparative in nature, i.e. involve at least two different linguistic traditions or discuss interrelations of literature and other arts. As all papers, it must have a clear, sufficiently narrow focus and a well-defined and well-supported thesis.
The Comprehensive Exam
The comprehensive exam is an oral exam that should be taken in the last semester of the senior year. Its main goal is to function as a way for students to structure, to divide up, and to provide a narrative of, the unfolding of European literature in important comparative moments. The exam should reflect your course work and your personal interest, and can (and should) be closely linked to the focus of your thesis. Students are also encouraged to use the comps presentation to make connections between the various the courses they have taken at UD, including from other departments (e.g. philosophy or even science). The student will be asked to give a 15-20 minute presentation on either:
a) at least three comparative moments in 2 or more national literatures of his or her choice
b) one particular historical epoch, with consideration of at least 3 media (choosing from literature, music, visual arts, or film)
The students presentation will be followed by questions from the audience (professors and other CLT students).
The grade will be given based on the following criteria:
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