The Literature Major

Literature courses
Comparative Literature department home page

Director of undergraduate studies: Barry McCrea, Rm. 102, 451 College St., 432-4750, maryjane.stevens@yale.edu

FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LITERATURE MAJOR

Professors

Dudley Andrew (Chair) (Comparative Literature, Film Studies), Harold Bloom (Humanities), Kang-i Sun Chang (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Katerina Clark (Comparative Literature, Slavic Languages & Literatures), Paul Fry (English), Roberto González Echevarría (Spanish & Portuguese, Comparative Literature), Benjamin Harshav (Comparative Literature), Carol Jacobs (German, Comparative Literature), Pericles Lewis (Comparative Literature, English), Rainer Nägele (German, Comparative Literature), David Quint (English, Comparative Literature), Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature), Henry Sussman (German) (Visiting), Katie Trumpener (Comparative Literature, English)

Associate Professor

Ala Alryyes (Comparative Literature, English)

Assistant Professors

Alexander Beecroft (Comparative Literature, Humanities), Moira Fradinger (Comparative Literature), David Gabriel (Comparative Literature), Barry McCrea (Comparative Literature)

Senior Lecturer

Richard Maxwell (Comparative Literature, English)

Lecturer

Edward Barnaby

Senior Lector

Howard Stern

The Literature Major allows students to address fundamental questions about the nature, function, and value of literature in a broadly comparative context. Majors read and write about a wide variety of literary works across periods, genres, and national traditions. They investigate traditional and contemporary approaches to literary study, ancient and modern literary theory, and the relationship of literature to film and to other branches of the arts and sciences.

The Literature Major offers students the freedom to construct a program of study that reflects their intellectual goals. All students planning to major in Literature should register with the director of undergraduate studies, who will work with them to develop a coherent, well-focused sequence of courses suited to their individual interests.

The major offers a number of its own courses, which constitute the core of the program. Other courses are normally chosen from different language and literature programs, many of which offer courses on literature and film in translation. Among these programs are African American Studies, Classics, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, Film Studies, French, German, Italian, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Portuguese, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Spanish. Courses in film studies count toward the major in the same way as courses in literature. Students with a particular interest in film may wish to elect the film track within the Literature major, described below.

The experience of reading a foreign literature in the original language enables us to understand the nature of both language and literature more fully. Prospective Literature majors are strongly encouraged to begin the study of a foreign language as early as possible in their academic careers and to continue such study throughout their time at Yale. Students interested in graduate study in comparative literature should be aware that many programs require reading knowledge of two or three foreign languages.

Prerequisites. Completion of the Yale College foreign language distributional requirement is a prerequisite for entry into the major. Two specific courses are also prerequisites, LITR 120a, Introduction to Narrative, and 122b, World Poetry and Performance. These courses may be taken in either order, but at least one of them must be completed in either the freshman or the sophomore year.

The standard major. The Literature Major requires fourteen term courses, including two prerequisites, one required course, two core seminars, and the senior requirement. Students must take LITR 300b, Introduction to the Theory of Literature, in the sophomore or junior year. Students take an additional three courses in a foreign literature, in which they read the texts in the original language. Students may also elect to include in their major two courses in a related discipline that has direct bearing on their study of literature, such as English, history of art, philosophy, anthropology, music, or theater studies. One of these elective courses may be in creative writing. A third elective from a related discipline may be applied to the major with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.

Core seminars. In core seminars, LITR 400–480, students focus intensively on particular texts, films, literary and cultural issues, and theoretical problems. Students are required to take at least two core seminars, preferably one in the junior and one in the senior year. The seminars provide training in literary interpretation and theory, preparing students for the senior essay.

Pre-1800 course requirement. The Literature Major requires at least one course in literature before 1800. Because both genres and individual works of literature refer to, emulate, challenge, and rewrite older works and conventions, students benefit from acquiring a degree of historical perspective. All courses listed under "The Ancient World" and "Medieval and Early Modern Literature to 1800" in the printed YCPS fulfill the pre-1800 requirement. Courses from other departments may also fulfill the requirement.

Poetry or drama requirement. In addition to LITR 122b and the pre-1800 course, all students must take one course in poetry or drama. The course may be one offered in a program other than Literature.

All majors are required to take at least three additional term courses, beyond the foreign language distributional requirement, in an ancient or modern foreign literature, in which the literature is read in the original language. One or more courses can be taken at a basic literature level (normally equivalent to the third year of language study); however, at least one course must be taken at an advanced level (normally equivalent to the fourth year of language study or higher). Students are encouraged to continue developing their foreign language skills by taking advanced language courses and may, with permission of the director of undergraduate studies, substitute one language course at the L5 level for one of the three required foreign literature courses.

A literature course in translation is sometimes suitable as a foreign literature course. In such cases, Literature majors are expected to request additional assignments from their instructors that demonstrate they have engaged with the texts in the original language. They should fill out a form, signed by the instructor, attesting to their intent to do so. This form is available in the department office in Room 102, 451 College St.; students should submit it to the director of undergraduate studies along with their course schedule.

Nonnative speakers of English who are granted permission by Yale College to complete the foreign language distributional requirement by taking ENGL 114a or b, 120a or b, or 450b may take three additional English literature courses to fulfill the foreign literature requirement of the Literature Major, or they may fulfill the major requirements in a third language.

The senior essay. In the senior essay, required of all majors, students develop a research topic of their choice and work closely with a faculty adviser. Normally, the essay makes use of texts in the language of their original composition. Any exceptions must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Deadlines for the prospectus, the rough draft, and the completed essay are listed in the course descriptions of the senior essay course (LITR 491a or b and 492a or b, 493a or b).

The senior essay may be written over one term (LITR 491a or b) or over two terms (LITR 492a or b, 493a or b). Alternatively, students may fulfill the senior essay requirement within the context of a core seminar (the senior seminar essay). Because no more than five students per seminar may elect this option, students should petition the instructor promptly at the beginning of the term. It is understood that students choosing the senior seminar essay will work closely with the instructor throughout the term and produce a substantial paper, approximately thirty pages. Students earn one course credit for the seminar in which the essay is written; no additional course credits are awarded for the essay itself.

Students with an especially well-developed project may petition to write a yearlong senior essay. Interested juniors must apply to the curriculum committee by the last day of classes in the spring term. Students may count the second term of the essay as one elective course toward the total number of courses required for the major. Students expecting to graduate in May enroll in LITR 492a during the fall term and complete their essays in 493b in the spring term. December graduates enroll in 492b in the spring term and complete their essays in 493a during the following fall term. Students planning to begin their essay in the spring term should notify the director of undergraduate studies by the last day of classes in the fall term.

Film track. Students may elect to pursue a film-intensive concentration within the Literature Major. Students in the film track must fulfill the same requirements as those in the standard Literature track, with the following exceptions. Film-track students take LITR 143b, World Cinema, instead of LITR 122b as one of the prerequisites to the major. They take two foreign literature courses rather than three; neither may be substituted with an advanced language course. In addition, students in the film track must take one course in film theory and three electives in the field of film studies.

Intensive major. Students in the intensive major complete three courses in a second literature, in which literature is read in the original language, in place of three electives. If the additional literature is in English, intensive majors must demonstrate proficiency at the intermediate (L4) level in a second foreign language.

Year or term abroad. The Literature Major encourages students to consider spending a summer, a term, or a year abroad. Courses taken on international programs may, with permission of the director of undergraduate studies, be applied to the Literature Major's foreign literature requirement.

The following table lists languages in which advanced literature instruction is available at Yale, specifying courses that fulfill the basic and advanced literature requirements for the major. Courses with numbers higher than those listed also normally fulfill the requirement, providing that they focus on literature (rather than language) and that the literature is read in the original language.

Language	Basic Literature Course	Advanced Literature Course

Arabic	ARBC 150a, 151b	ARBC 165a or b or 166b

Chinese	CHNS 150a, 151b	CHNS 170a, 171b

French	FREN 170a or b	Courses in French numbered 200 or higher

German	Courses in German numbered 170 or higher	Courses in German numbered 200 or higher

Ancient Greek	GREK 131a or 141b	Ancient Greek courses numbered 400 or higher

Biblical Hebrew	HEBR 137a, 147b	HEBR 471a or b

Modern Hebrew	HEBR 151a	HEBR 151a

Italian	Courses in Italian numbered 200 or higher	Courses in Italian numbered 200 or higher

Japanese	JAPN 150a, 151b	JAPN 170a or 171b

Korean	KREN 150a, 151b	KREN 470a or 471b

Latin	LATN 131a or 141b	Latin courses numbered 400 or higher

Persian	PERS 150b	PERS 150b

Portuguese	By arrangement with instructor	By arrangement with instructor

Russian	RUSS 150a, 151b	Courses in Russian numbered 170 or higher

Spanish	SPAN 261a, 262b, 266a, or 267b	Courses in Spanish numbered 300 or higher

Other ancient and modern languages, including those from Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, may be suitable for the Literature Major if a qualified faculty adviser is available to supervise the major.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

Prerequisites: Both tracks—LITR 120a; completion of Yale College foreign lang distributional req; Standard track—LITR 122b; Film track—LITR 143b

Number of courses: Both tracks—12 term courses beyond prereqs (incl senior essay)

Required course: Both tracks—LITR 300b

Distribution of courses: Both tracks—1 course in lit before 1800; 1 course in poetry or drama; 2 core sems; Standard track—3 courses in 1 foreign lit, as specified; Film track—2 courses in 1 foreign lit, as specified; 1 course in film theory; 3 electives in film studies

Substitution permitted: Standard track—For 2 electives, 2 courses in another discipline, incl 1 in creative writing; a third course in another discipline for a lit elective, with DUS permission; 1 advanced lang course for 1 of 3 req foreign lit courses, with DUS permission

Senior requirement: Both tracks—One-term senior essay (LITR 491a or b); or two-term senior essay (LITR 492a and 493b, or 492b and 493a); or 1 core sem (LITR 400–480) with senior sem essay

Intensive major: 3 addtl lit courses in a second lang in place of 3 electives; demonstrated command of a second foreign lang