The following courses deal with individual foreign literatures in English translation. They are offered by the departments of African Languages and Literature, Classics, East Asian, French, German, Hebrew and Semitic Studies, Italian, Languages and Cultures of Asia, Scandinavian, and Slavic Languages, for students not having a command of the foreign language who may wish to acquaint themselves with the best in those literatures. They do not carry credit as a foreign language; neither do they carry credit toward a major or minor in comparative literature. However, they do count toward the humanities literature requirement.
All classes listed in the course descriptions section will be offered regularly unless otherwise noted. Please check with the department office for information on specific courses.
201 Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I. I; 3 cr (L-E). Pushkin to Tolstoy; reading and lecture in English. P: Open to Fr.
202 Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II. II; 3 cr (L-E). Dostoevsky to the present, reading and lecture in English. P: Open to Fr.
203 Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I. I; 4 cr (b-L-E). Pushkin to Tolstoy; reading and lecture in English; 4th hour discussion section for Communication-B credit. P: Open to Fr.
204 Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II. II; 4 cr (b-L-E). Chekhov to the present; reading and lecture in English; 4th hour discussion section for Communication-B credit. P: Open to Fr.
205 Women in Russian Literature in Translation. (Crosslisted with Women St) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). P: So st or cons inst.
206 Women in Slavic Literature in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-E). Gender issues in works by and about women in Polish, Czech, Serbian, and Croatian literature. P: Open to Fr.
208 The Writings of Vaclav Havel: Crtitique of Modern Society. Irr.; 3 cr (L-E). Survey and critical analysis of the writings of Vaclav Havel from the 1960s through the 1990s: plays, philosophical and dissident essays, selected speeches as president. Readings in English. P: Open to Fr.
209 Masterpieces of French Literature and Culture. I or II; 3 cr (L-E). The entire span of French literature from the Middle Ages to the present as well as selected Francophone writers. Emphasis on literary movements and their cultural settings. Major authors will include Montaigne, Voltaire, Stendhal, Proust, de Beauvoir. P: Open to Fr.
210 Lit in Translation: French & Italian Jewish Writers of the 20th Century. (Crosslisted with Jewish) I or II; 3 cr (L-E). An examination of cultural differences as they are revealed in literary texts written by Jews in French and Italian during the twentieth century and understood by North American historians writing about France and Italy.
211 Modern Indian Literatures in Translation. I; 3 cr (L-I). Introduction for intermediate and advanced students to the systematic study of the literatures of India produced since about A.D. 1800, using a selection of poetry, fiction, drama, and/or nonfictional prose in translation from representative literary languages of the subcontinent. P: Open to Fr.
212 Classical Indian Literatures in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Presents a critical overview of literatures written in India's classical languages: Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil over a period of two thousand years. P: Open to Fr. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 312.
214 Literatures of Central Asia in Translation. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-I). Critical survey of the development of medieval and modern literatures of the peoples of Central Asia from pre-Islamic times to the present with selected readings in English translation. P: Open to Fr.
215 Polish Literature in Translation: 14th to the Mid-19th Century. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-E). The Beginnings, Baroque, Enlightenment and Romanticism. P: Open to Fr.
216 Polish Literature in Translation: Late 19th and 20th Centuries. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-E). A survey of the main currents in Polish literature since 1863. P: Open to Fr.
217 Islamic Mystical Poetry in Translation. (Crosslisted with Cen Asia, Relig St) I; 4 cr (L-E). Critical analysis and discussion of Islamic mystical (Sufi) masterworks (in English translation) originally in languages such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto, and Sindhi from the Qur'an to premodern times. P: Open to Fr.
219 The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia in Literature. I; 3 cr (L-E). Examines the concept of the Yugoslav (South Slavic) imagined community from the perspective of its literature and culture. Issues of cultural differences, multiculturalism and ethnic particularism are examined through the course materials. P: Open to Fr.
220 Chekhov in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). P: So st.
221 Gogol in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). P: So st.
222 Dostoevsky in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). Major works, lecture in English. P: So st or cons inst.
223 Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings. (Crosslisted with English) Alt yrs.; II; 3 cr (L-I). The major novels of Vladimir Nabokov studied in the context of Russian and American literatures. Nabokov as a quintessential artist in exile, whose work explores loss of language, country and home. P: So st or cons inst.
224 Tolstoy in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). Major works, lecture in English. P: So st or cons inst.
225 The Jew in Russian Literature in Translation. (Crosslisted with Jewish) Alt yrs.; 3-4 cr (L-E). Investigation of the image of the Jew in 19th and 20th-century Russian literature in works written by both Jewish and non-Jewish authors.
226 Introduction to Luso-Afro-Brazilian Literature. I or II or SS; 3 cr (b-L-I). Introduction to the cultural and literary practices of the Portuguese-speaking world. Readings include novels, short stories, and poetry from Portugal, Brazil, and Lusophone Africa. All readings and lectures in English. P: Open to all Undergrads.
227 Introduction to Biblical Literature (in English). (Crosslisted with Jewish, Relig St) I; 4 cr (L-I). Introduction to the literature and literary history of the Old Testament, Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Talmud, and Midrashim. P: Open to Fr. Not recom for Grads.
228 Survey (in English) of Hebrew Literature: Medieval to Modern Periods. (Crosslisted with Jewish) I or II; 3 cr (b-L-I). Hebrew secular literature and poetry of medieval Spain and Europe, the Renaissance, the rebirth of modern Hebrew literature, contemporary Hebrew short stories and poetry. Meets with Hebrew Studies 342. P: Open to Fr.
229 Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Cultures. (Crosslisted with Jewish) I or II; 3 cr (L-I). The image and representation of the "Jew" and Jews in the literatures and cultures of the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia. Both pre- and post-Holocaust texts will be read and critically examined. P: Open to Fr with cons inst.
233 Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917). I; 3-4 cr (L-I). Prerevolutionary Russian visual arts, architecture, music and cinema; provides an inside view of life in prerevolutionary Russia with the help of selected readings in Russian literature. P: Open to Fr.
234 Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917). II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Postrevolutionary Russian and Soviet visual arts, architecture, music and cinema; provides an inside view of life under socialism with the help of selected readings in Soviet literature. P: Open to Fr.
235 The World of Sagas. I; 3 cr (L-E). The Icelandic sagas viewed in their social, cultural, and literary contexts. An introduction to one of the greatest bodies of vernacular literature of the early Middle Ages. P: Open to Fr.
236 Bascom Course—In Translation. I, II, SS; 3 cr (b-L-E). A low-enrollment course developing skills in critical reading, logical thinking, use of evidence, and use of library resources. Emphasis on writing in the conventions of specific fields. P: Successful completion of or exemption from Com A requirement. Open to Fr.
237 Biblical Poetry in Translation. (Crosslisted with Hebr St, Jewish, Relig St) I or II; 3 cr (L-E). A study of the poetry of the Hebrew Bible as literature within the context of other ancient Near Eastern poetry. Influence of biblical poetry on the Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament, medieval Hebrew poetry, and Jewish and Christian liturgies. P: Open to Fr.
239 Russia Today in Literature and Film in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (H-I). Students will learn about changing Russian society, as reflected in Russian literature and film from 1985 through the present day. P: Successful completion of Com A or equiv. Open to Fr.
240 Soviet Literature in Translation. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-D). Lecture in English. P: So st or cons inst.
241 Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe. I; 3 cr (L-E). Introduction to the literature, culture, and art of Eastern Europe. P: Open to Fr.
242 Polish Culture and Literature (in Translation). Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-I). An exploration of individual works of literature in a variety of genres, placed in the historical and cultural context of Poland. P: Open to Fr.
247 Topics in Slavic Literatures in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-E). Exploration of periods, genres, individual writers, themes, problems, etc., in Russian and Eastern European literature. P: Open to Fr.
248 The Vampire in Literature and Film. Alt yrs.; I; 3 cr (L-E). Explores the image of the vampire in literature and visual arts as a metaphor for Eastern Europe and the Slavic world. Begins with folklore and moves through literary texts to film and television. P: Open to Fr.
249 Literature in Translation: Nineteenth-Century French Masterpieces. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). P: So st or cons inst.
250 Literature in Translation: Twentieth-Century French Masterpieces. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). P: So st or cons inst.
251 Literature in Translation: French Women Writers of Today. (Crosslisted with Women St) I or II; 3 cr (b-L-I). P: So st or cons inst.
253 Literature in Translation: Dante's Divine Comedy. (Crosslisted with Relig St, Medieval) I; 3 cr (L-I). P: So st or cons inst.
254 In Translation: Lit of Modern Italy—Existentialism, Fascism, Resistance. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). P: So st or cons inst.
256 Lit in Translation: Images of the Individual in the Italian Renaissance. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Introduction to the Renaissance concepts of the individual and individualism through major literary texts, including Boccaccio's Decameron, Machiavelli's Prince, and Cellini's Autobiography. P: So st.
258 Trends in Russian Literary Criticism: Age of Pushkin Today in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (H-D). Not a literature course. P: So st.
261 Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation. I; 3 cr (L-E). A critical introduction to the literature of China throughout the ages. Most representative traditional and modern works of Chinese poetry, fiction and drama. Two semesters may be taken independently. P: Open to Fr.
262 Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation. II; 3 cr (L-E). Continuation of 261. P: Open to Fr.
263 Survey of Japanese Literature in Translation. I; 3 cr (L-E). A historical introduction to the important literary works of Japan. The first semester: the literary tradition before the restoration of 1868; the second semester: the literature of Japan during the last century. These two semesters may be taken independently. P: Open to Fr.
264 Survey of Japanese Literature in Translation. II; 3 cr (L-E). Continuation of 263. P: Open to Fr.
265 Modern Central and East European Narrative in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
268 French Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century. I or II or SS; 3 cr (L-E). Representative texts of French women writers from Marie de France, the women troubadours, and Christine de Pizan to Madame de Stael and George Sand, in historical, social, and cultural context. P: Open to Fr.
269 Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe (in Translation), 1850-1930. (Crosslisted with Jewish) I; 3 cr (L-E). Yiddish literature, music, art and theatre in Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. P: Open to Fr.
270 German Women Writers in Translation. (Crosslisted with Women St) Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). P: Open to Fr; not open to stdts who are taking or have taken German 302 or above.
271 In Translation: Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature, Middle Ages-1900. I; 3-4 cr (L-E). P: Open to Fr. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only.
273 Urdu Prose Fiction in India and Pakistan in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Major trends in Urdu fiction from the 1880s to the present, with emphasis on literary movements, narrative modes and techniques, stylistics and aesthetics. P: Open to Fr. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 373.
274 In Translation: Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature—the 20th Century. II; 3-4 cr (L-E). Continuation of 273. P: Open to Fr. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only.
275 In Translation: The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-E). P: Open to Fr. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only.
276 German Classics in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). P: Open to Fr; not open to stdts who are taking or have taken German 302 or above.
277 Topics in Twentieth-Century German Literature (in Translation). Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). Discussion of major twentieth-century literary texts from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria by such authors as Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Anna Seghers, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Gunter Grass, Christa Wolf. Possible areas of emphasis: identity formation; technology and culture; literary representations of fascism. P: Not open to stdts who have taken or are taking German 302 or above. Open to Fr.
279 Yiddish Literature in America: The Presence of the Past. (Crosslisted with Jewish) II; 3 cr (e-L-I). Exploration of Yiddish literature brought to the United States by Eastern European Jews. P: Open to Fr.
301 Modern Indonesian Literature in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Representative novels, short stories and essays from early 20th century to the present are placed in the literary and cultural context of Indonesia. P: So st or cons inst. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 401.
303 Southeast Asian Literature in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). Introduction to Southeast Asia through modern literature in its cultural and political context, focusing on the mainland (Vietnam and Thailand) in the fall semester and on the islands (Indonesia and the Phillipines) in the spring. P: So st or cons inst. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 403.
304 Southeast Asian Literature in Translation. II; 3 cr (L-I). See Literature in Translation 303. P: So st or cons inst. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 404.
312 In Translation: Topics in Scandinavian Literature Taught in English. I or II; 1 cr (L-I). Concentrated study of a literary topic. P: Jr st or cons inst. Not for Grad stdts.
313 Turkish Literature in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). Lyric poetry and mystic romance of the Ottoman era, memoirs, fiction and poetry of the modern period. P: So st or cons inst. LCA majors & all Grads register for LCA 413.
319 Scandinavian Children's Literature. (Crosslisted with LIS) Alt yrs.; 3-4 cr (L-I). Forms and themes of Scandinavian children's literature from the nineteenth century to the present. Exploration of the dominant concerns of authors, adult and non-adult audiences. Film adaptations and Scandinavian-American materials included. P: Jr st or cons inst.
326 Topics in Dutch Literature in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Study of an author or theme in modern Dutch/Flemish literature, presented by the current Dutch/Flemish writer in residence. P: At least one intermed-level crse in lit.
328 Classical Rabbinic Literature in Translation. (Crosslisted with Hebr St, Jewish, Relig St) II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Introduction to the literature of the Classical Rabbinic or Talmudic period of Judaism (2nd to 7th centuries CE). Historical and intellectual background; the interrelation of liturgy, legal and non-legal literature. P: Open to Fr.
331 In Translation: Scandinavian Topics in Depth. I or II; 1-2 cr (A). Penetrating study of an important Scandinavian literary or cultural topic. Content will vary with each offering. P: Jr st or cons inst.
332 Prophets of the Bible. (Crosslisted with Hebr St, Relig St, Jewish) I or II; 4 cr (L-E). An introduction to the thought, literature, and history of the prophets of ancient Israel (in English). P: Open to Fr.
334 In Translation: The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-I). Blixen's tales and biographical fiction. P: Jr st or cons inst.
335 In Translation: The Drama of Henrik Ibsen. (Crosslisted with Theatre) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
336 In Translation: The Drama of August Strindberg. (Crosslisted with Theatre) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
337 In Translation: 19th Century Scandinavian Fiction. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
338 In Translation: Knut Hamsun and the 20th Century Norwegian Novel. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
339 In Translation: Kierkegaard and Scandinavian Literature. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
340 In Translation: Contemporary Scandinavian Literature. I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
342 In Translation: Mythology of Scandinavia. (Crosslisted with Folklore, Medieval, Relig St) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
343 In Translation: The Woman in Scandinavian Literature. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st.
345 In Translation: The Scandinavian Tale and Ballad. (Crosslisted with Folklore, Medieval) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-I). P: Jr st or cons inst.
346 In Translation: The Icelandic Sagas. (Crosslisted with Folklore, Medieval) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
347 In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore. (Crosslisted with Folklore) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-A). P: Jr st or cons inst.
349 In Translation: Modern Scandinavian Drama. (Crosslisted with Theatre) I or II; 4 cr (L-I). Examination of the theater of Scandinavia in the wake of Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg that places modern Nordic theater in a wider European context. P: Jr st.
350 Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context. Alt yrs.; I, II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Examines the European context of literary decadence (Baudelaire, Huysmans, Wilde) and how it inspired some of Scandinavia's most important writers (Strindberg, Hamsun, Jacobsen). P: Jr st or cons inst.
360 French and Italian Renaissance Literature Online. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). A web-based course comprising 15 week-long units, organized as a virtual journey through Renaissance Italian and French cities. Each unit includes a lecture and readings from main literary texts and cultural documents associated with the city or region. P: Open to all Undergrads.
367 Israeli Fiction in Translation. (Crosslisted with Jewish) I or II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Major writers, trends and themes in Israeli fiction from pre-State period to present. Meets with Hebrew Studies 343. P: Open to Fr. 4th credit earned by prosmr meetings & research paper.
368 Modern Japanese Fiction. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Intensive study of novels and stories of three or four writers of the present century, such as Soseki, Tanizaki, Kawabata, and Mishima. Translations of high quality are main texts, but students of Japanese are encouraged to read as much as possible in the original. P: Not open to Fr.
372 Classical Japanese Prose in Translation. I or II; 3 cr (L-D). An examination of the major prose genres of Japanese literature to 1600. A primary focus on Heian women writers, including the Tale of Genji. No knowledge of Japanese required. P: Jr st or cons inst.
373 Topics in Japanese Literature. I or II; 3 cr (L-I). Traces the evaluation of a given idea through the course of Japanese literature. Possible topics: women in Japanese fiction, the effect of Buddhism on Japanese literature, and reflection of everyday life in Japanese literature. Texts: English translations, but students of Japanese urged to read in the original. P: So st or cons inst.
443 Masterpieces of Russian Drama in Translation. Irr.; 3 cr (L-I). Main Russian dramatists and plays from the end of the eighteenth century to the present. P: Jr st.
450 Lit in Translation: Structuralist & Post-Structuralist Thought in France. I or II; 3 cr (L-A). P: Jr st. Intro lit course or Com Arts 350, or cons inst.
454 History of Serbian and Croatian Literature. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-D). Major literary movements of Serbian and Croatian literature from the medieval period until the formation of the Yugoslav state in 1919. Readings in English. P: So st.
455 Modern Serbian and Croatian Literature in Translation. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-D). Continuation of Slavic 450, from 1919 until the present. Study of major twentieth-century writers. Readings in English. P: So st.
471 Polish Literature (in Translation), Middle Ages to 1863. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-A). Intensive study of major writers such as Kochanowski, Krasicki, and Mickiewicz. Readings in English. P: Jr st or cons inst.
473 Polish Literature (in Translation) since 1863. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (L-A). A comprehensive survey of Polish literature and its historical background from 1863 to the present. Readings in English. P: Jr st or cons inst.
549 Modern Indian Theatre. (Crosslisted with LCA, Theatre) Irr.; 3 cr (H-I). Study of drama, dramatic theory, and performance in modern India. Course considers interpenetration of Indian and Western systems of dramaturgy, relation between colonial and postcolonial institutions, socio-cultural and political contexts, and major modern dramatic genres. P: Jr st or cons inst.