Comparative Literature at Williams

The discipline of Comparative Literature has been taught for several decades at Williams College, in most of the language and literature departments, as well as under the name of "Literary Studies." Beginning in 2001, the interdisciplinary Program in Literary Studies changed its name officially to Comparative Literature and expanded its majors and offerings. This change signals a renewed interest in and commitment to the study of literature in an international context at Williams among both students and faculty.

What is Comparative Literature?

Students motivated by a desire to study literature in the broadest terms, as well as those interested in particular examples of literary comparison, will find their intellectual home in Comparative Literature. The Program in Comparative Literature at Williams gives students the opportunity to develop their critical faculties through the analysis of literature in its international and multicultural context. By crossing national, linguistic, historical, and disciplinary boundaries, students of Comparative Literature learn to read texts for the ways they make meaning, the assumptions that underlie that meaning, and the aesthetic elements evinced in the making. Students of Comparative Literature are encouraged to examine the widest possible range of literary communication, including the metamorphosis of genres, forms, and themes.

Whereas specific literature programs-for example in English, French, Ancient Greek, or Russian-allow the student to trace the development of one literature in a particular culture over a period of time, Comparative Literature juxtaposes the writings of different cultures and epochs in a variety of ways. In order to do this, the Program sponsors four different types of core courses: Literary Genres, Literary Movements, Literature and Theory, and Cultural Studies. Through courses devoted to these four basic approaches to literature, students gain exposure to a broad range of the world's literature and to a variety of critical methods. Because interpretive methods from other disciplines play a crucial role in investigating literature's larger context, the Program offers courses intended for students in all divisions of the college and of all interests. These include courses that introduce students to the comparative study of world literature and courses designed to enhance any language or literature major in the Williams curriculum.