32 Questions
What is the central argument of Susan Bassnett's definition of Comparative Literature?
It involves the study of texts across cultures and is interdisciplinary
According to George Steiner, what is the inherent action involved in reading?
To compare
What is the term used by Goethe to describe the vast, open space of literature?
Weltliteratur
Why is Comparative Literature considered both natural and constructed?
Because it involves bringing political, historical, and cultural pre-dispositions to the comparison
What is the relationship between reading and understanding literature?
Reading is contingent on understanding multiple works of literature
What is the role of the reader in Comparative Literature?
To bring a whole set of political, historical, and cultural pre-dispositions to the comparison
What is the primary focus of Comparative Literature?
The study of texts across cultures and time
What is the underlying idea behind the concept of Comparative Literature?
Literature exists comparatively
What is comparative literature according to Goethe's vision?
A literature that reveals itself everywhere and at all times
Where did the term 'comparative literature' originate from?
A series of French anthologies
What is the primary focus of comparative literature?
Comparing literature across different nations
Who first used the term 'comparative literatures' in the plural?
Matthew Arnold
What does the comparative method involve?
Comparing literature across different nations and cultures
What is the significance of Goethe's quote in 1827?
It defined a new territory, a literature without boundaries
What is the significance of Matthew Arnold's Inaugural Lecture at Oxford in 1857?
It emphasized the importance of comparative literature
Who is credited with coining the term 'vergleichende Literaturgeschichte'?
Moriz Carrière
What is comparative literature, according to the provided definition?
A humanistic ecology, a literary worldview
What was the title of René Wellek's paper presented at the ICLA conference in 1958?
The Crisis of Comparative Literature
Why was comparative literature accused of elitism?
Because it studies high, canonical literary texts
What was one of the limitations of comparative literature in its early stages?
It was only concerned with European literatures
What is one of the criticisms of comparative literature's object of study, according to Spivak?
It is too Eurocentric
What is a consequence of the instability and fluidity of the term 'comparative literature'?
The announcement of its 'death' as a discipline
What is a criticism of comparative literature's approach to literary study?
It imposes elitist literary values
What is a characteristic of comparative literature in its early stages?
An intense degree of specialization
What does the term 'comparative' in English imply about the comparison of literatures?
That the distinction between object and observer is blurred
What is the main argument against comparative literature, according to Benedetto Croce?
That it is a non-subject, and research in this area is arid
What does François Jost argue is the limitation of national literature?
That it has an arbitrarily limited perspective
What does the French term 'littérature comparée' suggest about the comparison of literatures?
That the comparison has already happened
What is the main argument for comparative literature, according to François Jost?
That it represents more than an academic discipline
What does Benedetto Croce suggest should be the proper object of study instead of comparative literature?
Literary history
What is the tone of the debate around comparative literature?
Strongly passionate, both for and against
What is the implication of the German term 'vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft'?
That the comparison is ongoing
Study Notes
Definition of Comparative Literature
- "To read is to compare." (George Steiner)
- "It could almost be argued that anyone who has an interest in books embarks on the road towards what might be termed comparative literature." (Susan Bassnett)
- Comparative literature involves the study of texts across cultures, is interdisciplinary, and is concerned with patterns of connection in literatures across time and space (Susan Bassnett)
Nature of Comparative Literature
- Literature exists comparatively, and there is no text in history that is truly self-sufficient
- To read and write is to work within an existing framework of characters, conventions, plots, and premises
- Knowledge itself is comparative, and the more we know, the more we contextualize and compare
History of Comparative Literature
- Goethe's vision of literature as a universal possession of mankind, revealing itself everywhere and at all times (1827)
- The term "comparative literature" originated from a series of French anthologies published in 1816, titled "Cours de littérature comparée"
- The German version of the term, "vergleichende Literaturgeschichte", first appeared in a book by Moriz Carrière in 1854
- The earliest English usage is attributed to Matthew Arnold, who referred to "comparative literatures" in the plural in a letter of 1848
Criticisms and Debates
- Benedetto Croce argued that comparative literature was a non-subject, dismissing the suggestion that it might be seen as a separate discipline (1903)
- François Jost claimed that national literature cannot constitute an intelligible field of study because of its arbitrarily limited perspective, and that comparative literature represents a more comprehensive view of literature (1974)
- The crisis of comparative literature, as presented by René Wellek, lies in the lack of a discipline-specific object of study and method (1958)
- Comparative literature has been accused of elitism and Eurocentrism, particularly in its early stages when it focused on European literatures only, ignoring non-European cultures
Challenges and Controversies
- The instability of the term, its fluidity, Eurocentrism, and elitism have led some critics to announce the "death" of comparative literature as a discipline
- The problem with comparative literature, according to Spivak, lies in its Eurocentric object of study
Explore the definition and nature of comparative literature, including its interdisciplinary approach and focus on connections across cultures and time.
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