World Literatures 177 - Journeys in World Literature: Epic Worlds

From the earliest Chinese poetry to the latest Arabic Internet novels, comparative literature makes available new worlds—and “newly visible” old worlds. To become “world-forming,” one must realize one’ belonging to a given world or worlds, as well as one’s finitude. To rethink the relationship between literature and world, each section of this course focuses on a given genre, movement or theme. Through topics such as “Epic Worlds,” ”The Short Story” and “Literature and Medicine,” we consider the creation of worlds through words. May be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 20: A comparison of the first literary works to emerge from oral story-telling traditions among several ancient, medieval and modern peoples to express their highest ideals and sense of collective identity: the Mesopotamian "Gilgamesh," the Indian <"Mahabharata," the Old Irish "Táin Bó Cúailnge," the Medieval Welsh "Four Branches of the Mabinogi," the Finnish "Kalevala" and the Nyanja (Congolese) "Mwindo." We explore these epics as sites of cultural formation and moral contest, and especially seek to understand their world-views, value systems and trajectory of human history through time as these are revealed in the life-struggles of vividly imagined heroes and heroines.