World Literature Courses

WL 100 - What is World Literature? (3)

Explores how texts travel beyond their cultures of origin, influence other cultural contexts and ideas, and become works of world literature. Introduces the concepts of cross-cultural literary criticism and translation. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 101W - Writing in World Literature (3)

Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

WL 103W - Early World Literatures (3)

Introduces ways of comparing early world literatures across time and space. May explore fundamental themes such as love, heroism, or the underworld. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

WL 104W - Modern World Literatures (3)

Introduces ways of comparing modern world literatures across time and space. May explore topics such as revolution, technology, or existentialism. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

WL 105W - World Literature Lab (3)

Incorporates academic and creative writing assignments through hands-on exploration of language, literacy, and literature across cultures. Includes translation exercises and writing workshops. Additional language fluency highly recommended but not required. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

WL 200 - How to Do Things with World Literature (3)

Introduces major theoretical approaches to literature and fundamental techniques of literary analysis. Develops students' critical skills for analytical writing about literature in comparative, cross-cultural contexts. Prerequisite: six units in World Literature, including one W course.

WL 201 - East/West Encounters (3)

Explores the relationship between Eastern and Western narratives. The focus may include the mutual influence of Eastern and Western cultural traditions and modernities, the construction of the 'East' in the West and of the 'West' in the East, theories of Orientalism and Occidentalism, and forms of East/West syncretism. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 202 - North/South Intersections (3)

Investigates cross-cultural interactions between European or North American traditions and those of the "global South." May explore themes such as empire, globalization, and modernity, or examine how the artistic achievements of Africa, Oceania, Latin-America, or South Asia influence other traditions. This course may be repeated once for credit when different tonics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 203 - Subversive Genres (3)

Explores the destabilizing potential of literary and artistic genres as they move across cultural lines. Focuses on genres that have traveled widely, such as Gothic horror, utopian fantasy, science fiction or ecocriticism and environmental literature. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 204 - Rights and Activism in Literature (3)

Focuses on literary responses to political oppression, censorship, displacement, terrorism or warfare. Thematic interests may include human rights, gender inequality, racism or class exploitation. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 300 - How Ideas Travel (4)

Explores the counterpoint of Western and non-Western approaches to world literature. May draw from disciplines including comparative literature, history, anthropology, and semiotics to focus on how concepts of world literature are imported and transformed in new cultural contexts. Builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in WL 200. Prerequisite: 45 units, including WL 200.

WL 301W - Writing and Research (4)

Helps students develop more advanced critical thinking and writing skills through a selected topic in world literature. Explores specific literary research methods such as formulating a research question, engaging with secondary sources, and creating a strong authorial voice. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units in World Literature. Writing.

WL 303 - Global Culture and Its Discontents (4)

Explores the tendencies of globalization in the cultural realm, which while sparking cross-border communication, also tends to flatten identities into a coercive global norm. Focuses on writing in contexts of political oppression, digital communities, censorship, cultural displacement, terrorism and/or warfare. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 304 - Exile and Migration (4)

Explores the culture of peoples and individuals displaced by force or migrating by choice. May focus on the literary cultures of exiles and emigres or on the depiction of refugees, immigrants or exiles. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 305W - Sages and Poets (4)

Showcases the insights, visions, and struggles of sages and poets across the ages in world literature. Focuses on how these figures push the limits of language, embark on mystical quests, explore ideas of faith, or create supernatural worlds. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

WL 306 - Transnational Literary Rebellions (4)

Investigates cross-cultural literary movements that challenge the status quo. Focal points might include romanticism, modernism, existentialism, or other cultural and political tendencies, with attention to how such styles or movements gain impetus in new national/regional settings. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 307 - Creative Writing in World Literature (4)

A creative writing workshop focusing on students' production of original works, translingual writing, and/or literary translation. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 308 - Travel and Trade (4)

Explores how travel and trade contribute to literary history and the exchange of ideas across space. May focus on chronicles of discovery, travel writing, accounts of religious pilgrimage, mythical quest narratives, or other literary texts dealing with the traveler's experience of cross-cultural encounter. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 309 - Empire and Resistance (4)

Juxtaposes the narratives of imperial conquest and colonial resistance. May focus on one particular imperial history or compare several. May feature narratives of rebellion and independence, national and/or postcolonial identity, or imperial nostalgia. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 320 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to World Literature (4)

Intermediate seminar on the intersections between World Literature and other modes of cultural expression, or other academic disciplines. May focus on different methodological approaches to World Literature, for instance gender, cultural, or performance studies. Alternatively, may explore literature in relation to music, theatre, film, the visual arts, or digital humanities. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

WL 330 - Special Topic in World Literature (4)

Seminar on a topic in World Literature. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units.

WL 340 - Directed Studies (1)

Independent reading and research on a topic selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Reserved for World Literature honours, major and minor students. Prerequisite: Admission is by permission of the Instructor and Director.

WL 345 - Directed Studies (2)

Independent reading and research on a topic selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Reserved for world literature honours, major and minor students. Prerequisite: Admission is by permission of the Instructor and Director.

WL 350 - Directed Studies (3)

Independent reading and research on a topic selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. A research essay is required. Prerequisite: Two 100-level world literature courses, two 200-level world literature courses, and two 300-level world literature courses. Reserved for world literature honours, major, and minor students. Admission is by permission of the instructor and Director.

WL 360 - National Literature as World Literature (4)

Maps out national literatures’ contributions to the world’s cultural heritage, whether in the form of one of the great authorial voices of a national tradition, a particular period or movement, or a defining theme. This exploration will tease out the ways in which these contributions are inscribed in a dynamic global matrix wherein cultures are negotiated and transformed through on-going dialogue. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units or permission of the department.

WL 400 - Early Literary Cultures (4)

Explores ancient literatures and text networks. May focus on the themes of heroism, war, the rise of ethical systems, love and sexuality from pre-history to the 7th century CE. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in World Literature, English, and/or Humanities.

WL 401 - Early Modernities Beyond the Medieval (4)

In regions the world over, classical civilizations covering large territories separated over time into more locally defined cultures. This course examines the transitions from cosmopolitan literatures characterized by lingua francas (e.g. Latin, Sanskrit) to popular, vernacular literatures and cultures from the 8th century CE to 1500. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in World Literature, English, and/or Humanities.

WL 402 - Stories of Modernity (4)

Modernity, defined as “rapid, traumatic change across social, political, technological and artistic realms,” has arguably occurred the world over at various times. This course examines how literature has reflected and inflected the emergence of modernity in two or more cultures since the 14th century. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in World Literature, English, and/or Humanities.

WL 403 - Contemporary World Literature (4)

Explores literary texts and movements emerging since the second half of the twentieth century. May focus on responses to modernism, hybrid genres, digital media or contemporary themes. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in world literature, English, and/or humanities.

WL 404W - Literature and Translation (4)

Explores the translation of texts into new cultural contexts, their reception, and the theory and practice of literary translation. May compare several texts or focus on a single work that has been reconceived in several cultures. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in world literature, English, or humanities. Writing.

WL 410 - Selected Topic in World Literature I (4)

Advanced seminar on a topic in World Literature. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in world literature, English, and/or humanities.

WL 450 - Directed Readings in Language and Literature (4)

Independent study of literature in a language other than English. Prerequisite: Admission by permission of the instructor and department.

WL 460 - Directed Studies (4)

Independent reading and research on a topic selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. A research essay is required. Prerequisite: Two 100-level world literature courses, two 200-level world literature courses, and two 300-level world literature courses. Reserved for world literature honours, major, and minor students. Admission is by permission of the instructor and Director.

WL 480 - Research Seminar for Honours Essay (4)

Examines the methods and methodologies of world literature by focusing on case studies of influence, reception and translation. The case studies will be chosen in relation to students' approved topics for honours essays. Students, meeting regularly with their advisors, will perform extensive preparatory research for WL 490 and show solid evidence of this preparation by the end of the semester. Prerequisite: Lower division and language requirements for the World Literature major plus 12 units of upper division requirements including WL 300. Open only to students who have been accepted into the World Literature honours program. Admission is by permission of the Instructor and the Department.

WL 490 - Honours Graduate Essay (4)

Examines the methods and methodologies of world literature by focusing on case studies of influence, reception and translation. The case studies will be chosen in relation to students' approved topics for honours essays. Honours students will meet regularly with their supervisors, building upon the research work completed in WL 480 in order to complete a final draft of their research essay. Students will present their research essay in a public forum at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: Lower division and language requirements for the World Literature major plus 12 units of upper division requirements including WL 300. Open only to students who have been accepted into the World Literature honours program. Admission is by permission of the Instructor and the Department.