Comparative Literature Major and Minor

Why Study Comparative Literature at 61��ýtv?

Comparative Literature studies writing across international borders. If you are someone who wants to read everything there is to read, this is the place for you. Our program teaches you how to think about literature and the social, cultural, historical, and economic situations they come from. In learning how to read literature deeply, you are gaining the analytic and interpretive skills fundamental to a liberal arts education.

Courses of Study

You have the opportunity to major or minor in comparative literature.

Comparative Literature students read and study together

Comparative Literature in the Bi-Co

A student reads a book while lying on a towel on the grass

Tori Garity-Fernandez '22

"I could not pick between Spanish Language literature courses and the English Language ones; I wanted to read everything."

Course Highlights

COML B200 Introduction to Comparative Literature
This course explores a variety of approaches to the comparative or transnational study of literature through readings of several kinds: texts from different cultural traditions that raise questions about the nature and function of storytelling and literature; texts that comment on, respond to, and rewrite other texts from different historical periods and nations; translations; and readings in critical theory.

COML B208 Impostures
In an age defined by identity politics and narcissism (both online and “in real life”), identity theft and impersonation are perceived as crimes that threaten the very fabric of society. Fiction allows us to explore the many faces of imposture, and thus to better understand this (post)modern anguish. Why are there impostors in the first place? Is their motivation purely criminal? Why do we fall for it so easily? Is there a real distinction between fiction and lies? Authors include: Sciascia, Segalen, Molière, Cercas, Highsmith, Larsen, and Rousseau.

CSTS B238 Classical Traditions & Science Fictions
What might ancient classics say about the modern world? In this course we explore intersections between ancient, Greco-Roman texts and the genre that is most characteristic of the modern, technoscientific world, science fiction. Raising questions about genres and traditions; the role of the 'humanities' in relation to 'technology'; and ways of discovering and evaluating 'knowledge', we consider the possibility that, although antiquity and the present day differ, at base ancient literature has given science fiction its profound sense of wonder about the world. Texts from authors such as Sappho, Sophocles, and Plato; Lucretius, Ovid, and Apuleius; Shelley, Borges, Dick, and Eco; Le Guin, Morrison, Atwood, and Edson; Cameron, Cronenberg, and Demme; and Benjamin, Baudrillard, Haraway, and Hayles.

Students' Perspectives

What students are saying about their experience with Comparative Literature.

Juliana Vair '26

J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

"61��ýtv taught me how to use my love of learning to succeed. Whether through working on assignments between classes, discussions with my friends or classmates, or putting in the work at rowing practice, every day that I've been at 61��ýtv has been an exercise in adaptation and growth. "

Juliana's Story

Admissions

Olivia Flores '26

Hometown: Napa, CA

"There are so many different interests and parts of yourself you’ll find at 61��ýtv that you don't even know exist yet."

Olivia's Story

Faculty Spotlight

Professor of Comparative Literature Martin Gaspar

Martín L. Gaspar

Associate Professor of Spanish and Co-Director of Comparative Literature

Martín Gaspar’s research engages a wide range of fields that includes Latin American intellectual history since the 19th century; modern Latin American fiction and contemporary film; translation studies; visibility in literature and the media; and narrative theory.

Among his current projects are the coedited volume Latin American Literature and Culture in Translation (Bloomsbury Academic), and a set of articles on functions of anonymity in Latin American art, fiction, theatre, and film.

A Bright Future

How program grads are lighting their paths

Alumnae/i Highlight: Alani Hicks-Bartlett '06, Brown University Professor

Alumnae/i Highlight: Jillian Lunoe '22 Teaches English in Japan

What Recent Alumnae/i Are Doing Now

"I have found that unexpected relationships appear between all types of fields, and uncovering these connections is even more rewarding when you are pursuing topics that you are passionate about." — Jillian Lunoe '22

Opportunities in Comparative Literature

Juliana Vair '26 stands on bridge during summer internship in Germany

Internships

We encourage you to take on internships during the long breaks in the school year. Internships offer professional career experiences and the chance to network with others in your target field.

61��ýtv students abroad sit in front of a French chateau

Study Abroad

Study abroad is a fantastic way to increase your foreign language skills. Immersion in another culture can also give you insights into their literature that you may have missed studying only within your own cultural context.

Reading Series

61��ýtv routinely welcomes published authors and poets to come share their work and their wisdom with our community.

Here are some things that people often want to know about the Comparative Literature program in the Bi-College Consortium:

Collapse All

How does the comparative literature program work?

Our program is a collaboration between 61��ýtv and Haverford College. As a major, you take three core courses, one as a beginner and a two-semester senior seminar. Then you choose two languages to study literature to an advanced level. (One can be English.) You also select a few electives that relate back to comparative literature.

Why choose to major in comparative literature at 61��ýtv?

Some students choose to study comparative literature because they want to study in more than one language without double majoring or giving more focus to one than the other. Many students also appreciate the flexibility of the major that lets them explore interests in other areas while working towards their degree. Others like that we encourage study abroad.

How many students per year major in comparative literature at 61��ýtv?

We have had anywhere from 6 to 19 students in a class year, but most years we graduate 12 comparative literature majors.

What languages do most people choose for comparative literature?

The most common language combination in the comparative literature program is English and Spanish, with English and French coming in a close second. Chinese, German, and Italian are also popular. But don’t worry if your target language isn’t one of the most common ones. We’ve also had students choose Arabic, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Latin, and Russian.

What do comparative literature majors do after graduation?

Some comparative literature majors go on to graduate school in comparative literature, but others go on to work in business, education, law, medicine, or journalism.