Comparative Literature Introduction

/Comparative Literature
Definition
 Comparative literature can be simply defined as the
study of texts across cultures.
 It’s said to be interdisciplinary.
 It’s concerned with patterns of connection in
literatures across both time and space.

Source Studies
 Tracing,
for example, Shakespeare’s
source materials through Latin or
Spanish ones.
 Borrowing from other writers

Appearance of the Term
 In 1816, a series of French anthologies entitled cours de
litterature comparee used for teaching literature were
published.
 From that time and on, comparative literature carried this
name.
 In 1857, Matthew Arnold mentioned the term in the plural
form “ comparative literatures” in a lecture at Oxford.
 1854, the term first appeared in Germany when it was
mentioned in a book by Moriz Carriere.
? A discipline or a field of study
 It has been clearly debatable whether comparative

literature is a discipline or is it simply a field of
study. (crises of CL) Rene Wellek
 In her book, Bassnett frankly mentions that
comparative lit. is a field of study.
 According to Croce, it is neither a subject nor a
separate discipline.
 From his point of view, comparative literature
is a process since he considered it as a
process of exploring alterations and
developments of literary ideas across
literatures.
?Who is the comparatist
 There are some nice definitions of the comparatist:

 While art is generally thought of as an instrument of universal
harmony, the comparatist is simply the one who is responsible
for disseminating that harmony.
 comparatively speaking, the comparatist resembles an
“international ambassador working on the comparative
literatures of united nations.”
Theory or Practice
 HarryLevin complained that we spend far too

much of our energy talking about the theory
and not enough in comparing the literature’
 In
the late 1970s new programmes in CL
began to emerge in China, Japan and other
Asian countries.
Comparative Literature and Nationalism
 In India, comparative literature has been “used to

assert the national cultural identity.”
 A shift of perspective took place there.
 While it used to start with Western literature and
then look outwards, nowadays comparative
literature especially in India is following a completely
opposite method: starting with India’s own literature
then looking outwards.
Terry Eaglton
 English Lit is in Crisis.

 How should we look at other literatures
written in English from all parts of the world

(by Africans, or Arabs)
 The work of Edward Saied (orientalism) has
provided critics with new vision about the

Orient and the Other in postcolonial
literature.
 How to view Shakespeare or Milton?
 Treat him comparatively by comparing his work

with reference to Indian culture and literature.
 CL declining in the west but rising in the east
(in India, Latin America, Africa…)due to rise of
nationalism.
 Emergence of PCL in 1990 as another name of
CL.
Impact of Translation Studies on CL
 Translate to Arabic (activity) from Stylistics

slides
 Relationship bet CL and translation studies.

 Relationship bet linguistics and semiotics
 Bassnette remarks that KL appears les like a

discipline and more like a branch of
something else.
How CL Came into Being
 First appearance of the term was in
 France 1816
 Germany 1854
 England 1848 Mathew Arnold
 Influence studies (influence and imitation)

 How to perceive influence: as borrowing or
appropriation or theft. (forgery, plagiarism,

attribution)
The Imperial Perspective
 Colonial writers usually underestimate the value of
other literatures, Africans, Arabs…etc.
 How to classify the works of African writers living

in England and writing in English..a vexed
question…(Altayab Saleh)
 Edward Fitzgerald’s attack on Persian Lit. Racist
and absurd one in the eyes of our author. This

reflects the superiority of western culture which is
part of the politics of imperialism.
The paradox of early CL
 Cultural Colonialism was also a form of Cl where
native writers were evaluated negatively in
comparison.
 Even in Europe itself, French scholars advocate the
superiority of French culture and lit. ( Cultural

Chauvinism )
 Establishment of Chairs of CL France (1897) and in
the US at Harvard Un in 1890. A chair of CL at the

Un of Colombia for Edward Saied.
 Journals of CL were then founded in Europe.
Different Schools
There has come to be two obviously
different schools of comparative literature:
the French and the American

Different Schools
 The French school was too narrow and relied too heavily
on factual evidence.
 It argued that Comparative literature ought to involve the
study of two elements ( two different languages).
 Therefore, a study involving French and Germany was
acceptable, but one including Beowulf and Paradise Lost
was not.
 The French CL tended to focus more on the products of
the human mind, whereas the German CL were more
concerned with the roots or spirit of the nation.

 Paul Van Tiegham tried to solve the problem of
the term by distinguishing bet cl, general lit and
world lit. he is in favor of the assumption that CL
should involve the study of two languages……
binary study bet two literatures (restricted
approach) linguistic barrier…..
 Should we consider authors like Yeats and Shaw
as English or Irish….
 Wellek attacks the French schools regarding it as
a cause of the crisis of CL.

Different Schools
 The American school, however, was completely
different. It was a lot more liberal. Henry Remak.
 According to it, anything could be compared with

anything else, regardless even of whether that was
literature or not. Interdisciplinary and universal.
 Unlike the French one, the American school will

even allow you to compare a poem with a song.
 Melting pot theory p33
Post-Colonial Approaches 1960
 To assert two needs
 The need to involve politics in CL
 Theneed to start from home culture ( as a

model or center of excellence) and to look
outwards.
The decline of Classical education and the
1990 Rise of English
 Decline of Greek and Latin languages .

Spread of English as the new world of
commerce and market place.
 Names of Dept of Cl in the West
 Concept of Placing
 Ibsen and Chekov in London
CL and Cultural Studies 1990s
 Language and Culture

 Lit and Culture.
 Edward Saied and his famous book Culture and

Imperialism
?What is the comparatist’s job
Simply speaking, a comparatist is normally

expected to
A. read the two texts to be compared.
B. highlight the similarities
C. find out the differences
D. make clear the idea of influence
The end

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/Comparative Literature

 Comparative literature can be simply defined as the

study of texts across cultures.

 It’s said to be interdisciplinary.

 It’s concerned with patterns of connection in

literatures across both time and space.

 Borrowing from other writers

 It has been clearly debatable whether comparative

 There are some nice definitions of the comparatist:

 HarryLevin complained that we spend far too

 In India, comparative literature has been “used to

 English Lit is in Crisis.

written in English from all parts of the world

provided critics with new vision about the

 Treat him comparatively by comparing his work

 Translate to Arabic (activity) from Stylistics

 Relationship bet CL and translation studies.

 Bassnette remarks that KL appears les like a

 Influence studies (influence and imitation)

appropriation or theft. (forgery, plagiarism,

 How to classify the works of African writers living

and absurd one in the eyes of our author. This

superiority of French culture and lit. ( Cultural

the US at Harvard Un in 1890. A chair of CL at the

the French and the American

a cause of the crisis of CL.

 According to it, anything could be compared with

 Unlike the French one, the American school will

 The need to involve politics in CL

 Theneed to start from home culture ( as a

 Decline of Greek and Latin languages .

 Language and Culture

 Edward Saied and his famous book Culture and

Simply speaking, a comparatist is normally

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