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2020/2021

Comparative Literature

Code: 100271 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500239 Art History FB 1 2
2500240 Musicology FB 1 2
2500245 English Studies FB 1 2
2500248 Spanish Language and Literature FB 1 1
2501801 Catalan and Spanish FB 1 2
2501902 English and Catalan FB 1 2
2501907 English and Classics FB 1 1
2501910 English and Spanish FB 1 2
2501913 English and French FB 2 2
2502533 French Studies FB 1 2
2502758 Humanities FB 1 1
2503998 Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics FB 1 2
2504012 Spanish and Chinese Studies: Language, Literature and Culture OB 2 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Pere Ballart Fernández
Email:
Pere.Ballart@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Teachers

Antonio Penedo Picos
Elena Ritondale
Germán Cánovas Hernández

Prerequisites

Since the students have duely given evidence of having acquired the basic competences of the subject, they will need to be able to express properly their ideas both in oral and in written form. Spelling mistakes will be marked down. Coursework will have to be original work and plagiarism either partial or total will be penalised with a failure (0) in the final assessment. The students are expected to be acquainted with the basic rules of academic language and presentation, and also follow the instructions and conventions indicated by the teacher.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The course is a general introduction to the study of literary works from a theoretical and comparative perspective, and it makes available to its students a selection of the most appropriate concepts and procedures for the analysis and interpretation of the literary text in an immanent sense, namely, regardless of its historical circumstance and national differences. The reflection on problems related to the definition of the nature of the literary work will be completed, in the second part of the program, by a characterization of its main generic varieties (poetry, narrative and drama), and a study of the conventions that in each case determine their reading, understanding and evaluation.

Competences

    Art History
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Musicology
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    English Studies
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Spanish Language and Literature
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Catalan and Spanish
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    English and Catalan
  • Analysing the lexical, phonetic, phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of natural languages.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    English and Classics
  • Analysing the lexical, phonetic, phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of natural languages.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    English and Spanish
  • Analysing the lexical, phonetic, phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of natural languages.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    English and French
  • Analysing the lexical, phonetic, phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of natural languages.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    French Studies
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Humanities
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics
  • Interpret literary texts from a philological and comparative viewpoint.
  • Interpret the thematic and symbolic content of narrative, poetic and theatrical texts in accordance with the main analytical methodologies and according to their textual and pragmatic strategies.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
    Spanish and Chinese Studies: Language, Literature and Culture
  • Comment on literary texts in Spanish and in Chinese, situate them historically and relate them to the literary trends to which they belong.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Accurately drawing up normative texts.
  2. Analyse literary texts using the different concepts and methods of comparative literature.
  3. Apply different analytical tools to several types of literary works.
  4. Apply different instruments of analysis to different kinds of literary works.
  5. Apply the various instruments of analysis to different types of literary works.
  6. Applying different analytical tools to several types of literary works.
  7. Argue a case regarding several literary topics and problems arising from different works and evaluate the results.
  8. Argue about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
  9. Arguing about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of different works and assessing the results.
  10. Arguing about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
  11. Assess the deficiencies in linguistic behavior of the speakers from the analysis and study of preferences.
  12. Assess the results related to the argumentation about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of several works.
  13. Assessing the results related to the argumentation about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of several works.
  14. Carrying out a planning for the development of a subject-related work.
  15. Comment on literary texts, apply the acquired tools and take into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  16. Comment on literary texts, applying the instruments acquired, taking account of the historical and sociocultural context.
  17. Comment on literary texts, using the instruments acquired, with regard to the historical, social and cultural context.
  18. Commenting on literary texts, applying the acquired tools and taking into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  19. Critically interpret literary works take into account the relationships between different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  20. Critically interpret literary works, taking into account the relationships between the different areas within literature and their relationship to humanistic, artistic and social areas.
  21. Critically interpreting literary works taking into account the relationships between the different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  22. Evaluate the result with the argumentation on different topics and literary problems with regard to different works.
  23. Evaluate, with regard to different works, the results of reasoned argument on various literary topics and problems.
  24. Explain the basic characteristics of comparative literary texts.
  25. Identificar i explicar les característiques bàsiques dels textos literaris
  26. Identify and explain the basic characteristics of literary texts.
  27. Identify and explain the basic characteristics of the interpretation process.
  28. Identify and explain the basic features of literary texts
  29. Identify and explain the basic features of the interpretation process.
  30. Identify and explain the basic structures of literary works.
  31. Identify relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  32. Identify the different literary elements and their insertion in different texts and discursive styles.
  33. Identify the key elements in the Western cultural tradition from the nineteenth century to the current day.
  34. Identify the key elements of Western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day.
  35. Identify the key elements of the Western cultural tradition from the nineteenth century to the present
  36. Identify the relationship between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  37. Identify the relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  38. Identifying and explaining the basic characteristics of literary texts.
  39. Identifying and explaining the basic structures of literary works.
  40. Identifying and explaining the basic structures of the interpretation process.
  41. Identifying the key elements of the Western culture from the 19th century to the present.
  42. Identifying the relationships of literature with history, art or other cultural movements.
  43. Interpret literary works critically taking into account the relations between the different areas of literature and its relation to human, artistic and social areas.
  44. Present work in formats adapted to demands and personal styles, both individual and in small groups.
  45. Resolve tasks about authors, methods and trends in comparative literature, relating to it knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  46. Resolve tasks on authors, methods and trends in comparative literature by drawing on knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  47. Solve problems about authors and currents of comparative literature, connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  48. Solve problems about writers, methods and currents of comparative literature, connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  49. Solve problems related to the methods of studying different literatures.
  50. Solving problems about authors and currents of comparative literature, connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  51. Solving problems about writers, methods and currents of comparative literature, and connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  52. Solving problems about writers, methods and currents of comparative literature, connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  53. Solving problems autonomously.
  54. Summarising acquired knowledge about the origin and transformations experienced in its several fields of study.
  55. Use suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  56. Use the adequate terminology in the construction of an academic text.
  57. Use the appropriate terminology in the construction of an academic text.
  58. Use the appropriate terminology when writing an academic text.
  59. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.

Content

I. LITERARY STUDIES AND THEIR DISCIPLINES

0. An aesthetic approach to the literary phenomenon

1. The place of theory of literature and comparative literature in literary research.

II. THE LITERARY SYSTEM

2. The notion of "literature".

3. Literary communication: author, text, reader, context.

4. Intertextuality.

5. Literary genres.

III. GENRES, FORMS AND TOPICS

6. Poetry

7. Narrative.

8. Drama.

IV. THE LITERARY TRADITION AND THE CANON

9. The "classics." Tradition and modernity. The notion of canon.

 

Methodology

The subject combines the format of the master class, always on the basis of the theoretical texts, with the seminar to discuss creation texts, in which the student's collaboration is necessary. Periodically, students will be invited to perform several exercises (from the review to the monographic work) on certain aspects of the syllabus.

 

The learning of this subject by the students is distributed as follows:

 

Directed activities (35%). These activities are divided into master classes and seminars and classroom practices led by the faculty, in which theoretical explanation is combined with discussion of all types of texts.

 

Supervised activities (10%). These tutorials are programmed by the teacher, dedicated to correcting and commenting on problems at different levels of literary analysis.

 

Autonomous activities (50%). These activities include both time devoted to individual study and production of papers and analytical comments written, as well as oral presentations.

 

Evaluation activities (5%). The evaluation of the subject will be carried out through written tests.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes and sessions of seminars and practices led by the teaching staff 52.5 2.1 6, 10, 13, 18, 59, 40, 38, 21, 52
Type: Supervised      
Programmed tutorials 15 0.6 6, 10, 18, 59, 21
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous work 75 3 6, 13, 18, 59, 40, 38, 21

Assessment

According to a continuous conception of evaluation, students must adopt the skills achievement of the course through the elaboration of two mandatory final exams with a proportional value of 40% each: a theoretical one, with questions of a thematic nature, and another practical, focused on the commentary of specific texts.

The remaining 20% may be obtained as a result of a practical, written, literary analysis and interpretation exercise (genre to be determined), which will be requested mid-semester. Also, the final grade may be susceptible to an upward correction, as long as the student has actively participated in the sessions of the course. The student who does not take any of the two mandatory final tests will be considered "Not evaluable".

Only students who have obtained the minimum grade that the teacher must determine at the beginning of the course and have previously submitted the two mandatory final exams  will have the right to be re-evaluated in the subject (which will take place at the end of the semester and will consist of a single test).

The revision of the exercises will take place in the teacher's office, after convening a date and time. Students who having submitted the exercises requested throughout the semester, do not attend any of the two final exams, will be considered as "not evaluable".

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

In the event that tests or exams (or their revision) cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Oral presentations and written appraisals Periodical assessment of the acquisition, collective and individual, of concepts and analytic strategies 7.5 0.3 2, 6, 3, 5, 4, 10, 8, 7, 9, 13, 12, 23, 22, 11, 18, 15, 16, 17, 1, 14, 24, 59, 57, 55, 58, 56, 32, 41, 35, 34, 33, 40, 29, 27, 38, 25, 28, 26, 39, 30, 42, 31, 37, 36, 21, 19, 20, 43, 44, 53, 49, 47, 52, 45, 51, 50, 48, 46, 54

Bibliography

Apart from the study and commentary of the texts included in the course dossier and those that will be introduced periodically in class, the following references allow to cover partially or totally the subject's syllabus

 

1. Blocks I-II and V

ABELLAN, Joan; BALLART, Pere; SULLÀ, Enric. 1997. Introducció a la teoria de la literatura, Manresa, Angle Editorial.

AGUIAR E SILVA, Vítor Manuel de.1972. Teoría de la literatura, tr. Valentín García Yebra, Madrid, Gredos.

BRIOSCHI, Franco i DI GIROLAMO, Costanzo.1988. Introducción al estudio de la literatura, tr. Carlos Vaíllo, Barcelona, Ariel.

CESERANI, Remo. 2004. Introducción a los estudios literarios, tr. David Roas, Barcelona, Crítica.

COMPAGNON, Antoine. 2015. El demonio de la teoría. Literatura y sentido común, Barcelona, El Acantilado.

2015. El demonio de la teoría. Literatura y sentido común, Barcelona, El Acantilado.

CULLER, Jonathan. 2000. Breve introducción a la teoría literaria, tr. Gonzalo García, Barcelona, Crítica.

DOMÍNGUEZ CAPARRÓS, José.2009. Introducción a la Teoría Literaria, Madrid, UNED.

EAGLETON, Terry.1988. Una introducción a la teoría literaria, tr. José Esteban Calderón, Mèxic, FCE.

2013 El acontecimiento de la literatura, Barcelona, Península.

ESTÉBANEZ CALDERÓN, Domingo.1996. Diccionario de términos literarios, Madrid, Alianza Editorial.

VILLANUEVA, Darío (coord.). 1994. Curso de teoría de la literatura, Madrid, Taurus.

_________________ 2016. Lo que Borges enseñó a Cervantes. Una introducción a la literatura comparada, Madrid, Taurus.

WELLEK, René i WARREN, Austin. 1979. Teoría literaria, tr. José Mª Gimeno, Madrid, Gredos.

2. Block III

BALLART, Pere.1998. El contorn del poema, Barcelona Quaderns Crema, 1998 (versión española: Barcelona, El Acantilado, 2005).

GRILLO TORRES, María Paz. 2004. Compendio de teoría teatral, Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva.

LODGE, David.1998. L'art de la ficció, tr. Montserrat Lunati i Jordi Larios, Barcelona, Empúries.

NÚÑEZ RAMOS, Rafael. 1992. La poesía, Madrid, Síntesis.

PAVIS, Patrice. 1980. Diccionario del teatro, tr. Fernando de Toro, Barcelona, Paidós, 1999.

SULLÀ, Enric (ed.).1985. Poètica de la narració, Barcelona, Empúries.

WOOD, James. 2009. Los mecanismos de la ficción. Cómo se construye una novela, tr. Ana Herrera, Madrid, Gredos.