Meets:  TR 9:30-10:45    BH 209

The course presents a survey of prominent theoretical paradigms
operative in contemporary literature studies today. It introduces
graduate students to the methodological debates on the nature of
literary and cultural discourse in the 20th century with emphasis on
the practice of comparative literature today.  The course will
examine foundational theories and approaches developed by Barthes,
Foucault, Derrida, Lacan, Kristeva, Althusser, Bahktin, Voloshinov,
Williams, Bourdieu, de Certeau, Baudrillard, Said, Spivak, Hall,
Mohanty and Suleri. Readings will be structured as a series of
critical engagements among these writers and others.  In particular
we will be interested in investigating how well these
theories “travel” - across time, space, genre and medium.

Assignments:  there will be a series of short papers (4-5 pages)
evaluating the positions theorists have taken in regard to one
another’s work, the presentation of two of these papers in class, a
final 12-15 page paper that applies one or more approaches to a
literary text chosen by the student.

Note:
•C501 is required for Comparative Literature M.A. and Ph.D. majors
•C502 explores the various approaches which constitute the practice
of comparative literature at Indiana University.
•C502 is required for majors, optional for Ph/D. minors
•C502 meets Wednesdays at 3:35-4:25 p.m. in BH 138.