Home

Comparative Literature

View courses in

  • CAS XL 386: Africa on Screen
    Discussion of African films in their social and historical contexts and specificities of production practices. Primary topics of interest include traditional values, practices and social change; education; popular culture and urban life; politics; migration; the youth; sexuality and gender relations.
  • CAS XL 387: The Holocaust Through Film
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - An examination of film using the Holocaust as its central topic. What are the political and cultural effects when genocide is represented through film? Can feature films portray history, and if so, what are the consequences for an informed society? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS XL 396: World Cities: Berlin
    This course explores Berlin's urban imaginary, investigating cinematic, written and visual texts, architecture and urban planning to witness the complex, exciting, and sometimes tragic history of Berlin and to understand how people make sense of cities in general. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS XL 397: World Cities: Istanbul
    An examination of Istanbul in the global imaginary as it transformed from the Capital of the Ottoman Empire to the cultural capital of the Republic of Turkey through critical analysis of visual and literary texts. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS XL 398: World Cities: Tokyo
    Explores the past and present of the vibrant city of Tokyo through literature and visual culture. Includes hand-on experiences mapping literary spaces. Reading and discussion in English. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS XL 401: Senior Independent Work
    Senior independent work.
  • CAS XL 402: Senior Independent Work
    Senior independent work.
  • CAS XL 420: Queer Theory
    Surveys major texts and arguments in queer theory from Butler's Gender Trouble to contemporary discussions of cisnormativity, homonationalism, affect, pinkwashing, crip theory, and queer-of-color critique. Explores different uses of queer theory in legal debates, literary analysis, and cultural criticism. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • CAS XL 441: 1001 Nights in the World Literary Imagination
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: two literature courses or consent of instructor and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - What is The Thousand and One Nights? How has this ever-expanding collection appealed to its diverse audiences? Focus on Nights' structure and themes, notable translations and offshoots in western literature and art, and later appropriations by Arab and Muslim writers. Also offered as CAS LY 441. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS XL 460: Haruki Murakami and His Sources
    Students read works by Haruki Murakami and by writers who shaped him or were shaped by him, reflect on the nature of intertextuality, and gain a perspective on contemporary literature as operating within a global system of mutual influence.
  • CAS XL 470: Topics in Comparative Literature
    May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
  • CAS XL 479: WLL Senior Seminar
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing majors in WLL, or consent of instructor. First Year Wr iting Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Through discussions of intercultural reading and translation, bibliographic assignments, student presentations, workshops, and work with a faculty language mentor, seniors majoring in WLL use this course to develop their final project: a substantial scholarly paper, translation, or creative work in a foreign language. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS XL 491: Directed Study: Comparative Literature
    Application form available in department.
  • CAS XL 492: Directed Study: Comparative Literature
    Application form available in department.
  • CAS XL 530: Marxist Cultural Criticism
    An introduction to Marxist cultural criticism that examines the transformation of concepts in classic Marxism (Marx, Lukacs, Althusser, Adorno, and Gramsci) into contemporary debates about race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, modernity, and language (Said, Zizek, Spivak, and others). Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • CAS XL 540: Translation Seminar
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: proficiency in a second language. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: proficiency in a second language. - Translation seminar where students produce substantial literary translations into English from their language of choice with the guidance of the instructor and language-specific mentors. Students hone their translation skills, read, and discuss articles about practical issues of translation.
  • CAS XL 541: Translation Today
    Weekly lectures and discussions with prominent literary translators from Boston and elsewhere. Students engage with a variety of languages and several genres: poetry, drama, essay, fiction, and more. Focus on concrete, practical translation issues arising from the speakers' work. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS XL 550: Topics in Literary Criticism
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: two literature courses. - Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit if topic changes. Topic for Spring 2023: This course is an introduction to Marxist cultural criticism that examines the transformation of concepts from classic Marxism (Marx, Lukacs, Althusser, Adorno, and Gramsci) into contemporary debates about race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, modernity, and language.
  • CAS XL 556: Topics in Literature and Culture
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: two literature courses or consent of instructor. - Topic for Fall 2011: Literature of the Migrant. Eleven novels that all bear on human migrations. Besides examining major issues, focuses on how these books were made. Some texts are translations, but most are written by American authors. Also offered as CAS EN 584.
  • CAS XL 560: Topics in Religion and Literature
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing and one course in literature or religion, or consent o f instructor. - Topics vary. May be repeated for credit if topic is different.

Related Bulletin Pages

Beyond the Bulletin