This blog task is about Assignment writing on Understanding Comparative Literature: An Introduction
Table of contents:-
Personal Information
Assignment Details
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Beginning of Comparative Literature
History and Evolution of Comparative Literature
Various Schools of Comparative Literature
National Identity and Comparative Literature
Colonialism and Comparative Literature Important dimensions of comparative literature
Views of Rene Wellek
Comparative Literature and Translation Studies
Conclusion
References
Personal Information:-
Name:- Divya Bharatbhai Jadav
Batch :- M.A.sem 4 ( 2023- 2025)
Email Address:- divyajadav5563@gmail. com
Roll number:- 7
Assignment Details:-
Topic:-Understanding Comparative Literature: An Introduction
Paper:-207: 22415 Paper 208: Comparative Literature & Translationslationslation Studies
Subject code:- 22415
Submitted to:- Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar
Date of Submission:- 17 April 2025
About Assignment:- In this assignment I will try to define’ Understanding Comparative Literature: An Introduction
Abstract:-
There are many ancient and modern methods of studying literature and culture. With these methods, literature has been explained in its own way through the science of literature, Linguistics, Aesthetics. The method of study of comparative literature has been in vogue since the nineteenth century. Along with this, literature has been understood through the methods of sociology, psychology, structuralism etc. A new form of literature emerges from these methods, so comparative literature has also given a new understanding of the form of literature. Therefore, we are trying to understand this discipline in detail
Keywords:-
Comparative Literature,History and Evolution of Comparative Literature,Various Schools of Comparative Literature,National Identity and Comparative Literature
Introduction:-
Comparative literature is the study of literature across cultures, languages, periods, nations, ideologies, and disciplinest emerged as a discipline in Europe during the 19th century when literary scholars like Johann Gottfried Herder and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began studying literature in various languages, cultures, and times to understand the commonalities, differences, and influences across borders. This study aids in comprehending the "other," but in reality, it assists in broadening our understanding of ourselves and distancing us from narcissistic narrowness. The Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Buffalo describes it as "the study of two or more literatures in comparison (e.g.. English and German) and their multi-dimensional components, which may encompass historical, gender, economic, cultural, social, philosophical, religious, and linguistic factors of the distinct cultures being analyzed."
One of the primary reasons for the emergence of comparative literature during the 19th and 20th centuries is the advancement in industrialization, information and communicationtechnology (ICT), globalization, migration, the rise of anti-colonial voices, shifts in critical thinking, the emergence of new intellectual paradigms such as post-colonial studies, gender studies, women's studies, socio-political upheavals, etc.
Comparative literature stems from literature, linguistics, philosophy, history, anthropology, and cultural studies. It is both a multidisciplinary and an interdisciplinary field aiming for a multidimensional and comprehensive understanding of two different phenomena. Initially, it involved the study of literary and cultural expressions across national, linguistic, ideological, and disciplinary boundaries. From its origins in exploring literature across nations and languages, comparative literature has evolved into an interdisciplinary approach within the humanities and social sciences. The method of comparison can be applied to various subjects, themes, periods, texts, phenomena, histories, cultures, movements, arts, politics, societies, etc.
Initially, comparative literature focused on analyzing and understanding two or more texts from different languages or countries. However, it can also examine two different texts by different authors in the same or different languages. Translation plays a significant role in comparing texts from distinct languages, remaining a major pillar of comparative literature. A comparatist is an individual engaged in comparative study/analysis. A proficient comparatist in languages requires proficiency in two or more languages, coupled with a deep understanding of two or more cultures. There can also be a comparison within a language of two different texts. Similarly, a comparatist in social sciences needs an understanding of two or more social phenomena or factors within society to compare multiple aspects. In this context, knowing two languages is not crucial; understanding two phenomena or factors for comparison is essential. According to the Department of Comparative Study at Ohio State University, "Comparative Literature focuses on studying literature from diverse cultures, nations, and genres, exploring relationships between literature and other forms of cultural expression. It raises questions about the role of literature in society, how literature evolves over time as a form of art, and its interactions with values, social movements, and political contexts?"
In the rapidly evolving local and global social landscapes of today, comparative literature assumes amplified significance due to increased mobility and the shrinking of time and space which subsequently led to bringing two or more cultures closer. Its importance escalates as various nations and individuals intermingle. Creating sustainable, peaceful, and respectful societies necessitates a deep understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, languages,people, and traditions. This comprehension stands as a crucial factor in striving for harmonious coexistence within our interconnected world with diversities.
Beginning of Comparative Literature:-
Scholars of comparative literature believe that the term Comparative Literature was firstly introduced in the collection Course de literature compare published in 1816 in France. The use of comparative literature in Germany dates back to 1854. For the first time in 1818, Mathew Arnold put forward the concept of comparative literature in English.
This means that the concept of comparative literature came to the fore in the nineteenth century In which the method of studying more than one literature was developed. The second point is that this is not a literary movement. Departments of comparative literature were established in
universities, lectures were given, discussions and debates were organized. The conclusions that emerged from them, the nature of comparative literature became clear from those conclusions.
In 1903, Benedetto Croce rejected comparative studies as an independent discipline. He did not see any difference between pure literary history and comparative literature. In the 1920s, Layne Cooper called comparative literature a 'Bogus Term', which has neither sense nor syntax. Sahman Jeune considered the study of influence as the main element in comparative literature (Reference- Awadhesh Kumar Singh's 'The future of comparative literary studies compiled in New Direction in comparative Interature).
In this way cause and effect is studied in comparative literature. The early comparative literature, which began in France, analyzes this influence. So in this study the key term is influence. This effect is studied in the comparative literature. What we call the soul of a nation does not always remain unaffected. Sometimes, she gets influenced by someone or the other. The concept of culture and nationality comes from this comparative literature. The life of national identity and cultural tradition becomes important many times.
History and Evolution of Comparative Literature:-
In the realm of science and information and communication technology (ICT), with a growing awareness of 'differences' and the consciousness surrounding them, the study of literature, particularly comparative literature, becomes essential. Literature serves as a mirrorreflecting society, portraying contemporary life, habits, styles, cultures, religions, and politics. Engaging with literature aids in understanding society at large. Reading comparative literature not only involves comprehending the 'other,' as we perceive it, but also delves into discovering aspects we have yet to explore. It represents a process of broadening our understanding of the world, cultures, people, and literature, which we previously categorized as 'other, though, in reality, they are an integral part of us.
In multicultural, multilingual, and multi-religious societies such as India and South Africa, comparative literature holds particular significance due to the visibility of linguistic, cultural, and religious diversities within these contexts. Unlike European countries where crossing national borders is essential for comparison, comparative literature within India assumes a different relevance and significance. It provides distinct approaches to understanding the 'other,' fostering mutual understanding within a society.
In his article "Comparative Literature," published in the Encyclopedia of Translation and Interpretation (2022), Rodriguez Lius discusses the origins of comparative literature in the 19th century alongside emerging fields like comparative law and comparative philology. His focus lies within the European context. Lius emphasizes that comparative literature aims to identify commonalities among various legal systems, languages, and, specifically, different literary works.
The term's origin remains a topic of debate, with its initial developments traced back to France. The earliest record of the term appears in Jean-François-Michel Noël's volume. Cours de littérature comparée, published in 1816, though it significantly differed from the eventual concept of comparative literature. The pioneers in this field include Abel-François Villermain, Philarète Chasles, and Jean-Jacques Ampère. Charles-Augustin Saint-Beuve notably contributed to establishing comparative literature as a formal field during a conference in 1868, having previously discussed "compared literary history" in 1840.
The first specialized journal on this subject was published in Cluj, Romania, in 1877 by Hugo Meltzl, under various titles translating to 'comparative literature journal. It was later titled Acta Comparationis Litterarum Universarum in 1879. The term gained prominence in English through Hutcheson Macaulay Posnett's work published in 1886, specifically named Comparative Literature (Rodriguez 2022).
Comparative literature has become an accepted discipline workdwide. Its establishment initially occurred in France but eventually gained recognition in both American and European.
Various Schools of Comparative Literature:-
The study of comparative literature encompasses diverse approaches and perspectives.. It comprises three prominent schools: the French, German, and American schools, which laid the groundwork for our initial understanding of this field. In more recent times, the Indian school of comparative literature has contributed significantly, offering unique viewpoints and enriching the broader understanding within this discipline. Moreover, there exist numerous other schools and associations of comparative literature worldwide, varying across nations, regions, and languages.
The French School:
The establishment of comparative literature as a discipline and its global dissemination owe credit to French intellectuals. The study of comparative literature in French commenced during the second and third decades of the twentieth century, exerting a profound influence on the literary landscape until World War II. Pioneering this discipline were notable figures like Abel Francois Villemain (1790-1870), who delivered a series of lectures in Paris between 1824 and 1829. His works, Tableue de la literature au VIIIe siecle and Tableue de la literature en Moyen Age en France, en Italie, en Espagne et en Anglettere, were foundational. His such as Philarete Charles and Jean-Jacques Ampere extended Villemain's legacy. Philarete Charles (1798 1873) extensively connected French literature with other European literary traditions, producing over forty volumes of criticism. Claudio Gullen, in The Challenges of Comparative Literature, highlighted Charles's comparisons between authors, countries, and literature from Germany, France, Spain, England, among others. Charles characterized French genius as exceptionally congenial, embracing all emotions and thoughts from diverse civilizations, setting France apart yet allowing a profound understanding of others.
The German School:
The German school of comparative literature flourished along side the French school, spanning from the mid-nineteenth century to the period of World War II. Among the prominent figures within this school were scholars and critics such as Peter Szondi, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schlegel. Peter Szondi played a pivotal role in fostering comparative scholarship at the Free University, Berlin. He achieved this by inviting renowned contemporary critics, including Jacques Derrida, Lionel Trilling, Pierre Bourdieu, Theodor Adorno, and others, to contribute to the field.
The American School:
A study of the American school of comparative literature delineates the reasons for its emergence as a discipline, distinct from its European counterparts, which diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, ethnic, national, and religious backgroun 19/268 influx of immigrants since Columbus's voyages in 1492. Early concepts suc Pot" and Transcendentalism laid the groundwork for the burgeoning of Comparative Literature in America.
The Indian School:
The Indian school of comparative studies offers a distinctive perspective to the evolution of comparative literature, given India's diverse tapestry of region, culture, language, races, ethnicity, and tradition. This adds a multilingual, multicultural, and transnational dimension to the study of diversities within the discipline.This adds a multilingual, multicultural, and transnational dimension to the study of diversities within the discipline. Indian comparatists engage in the comparative analysis of various Indian languages and literatures, encompassing Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Assamese, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, and more. Translation serves as a critical tool in comparing these linguistic traditions. Prominent figures in Indian comparative studies include Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Sukanta Chaudhuri, A. K. Ramanujan, Bijay Kumar Das, Sisir Kumar Das, Meenakshi Mukherjee. Harish Trivedi, and R. K. Singh.
National Identity and Comparative Literature:-
We know that the time when comparative literature started in Europe. At the same time nationalism was on the rise all over Europe. Politically, this nationalism pushed all European countries to war against each other. Scholars believe that comparative literature originated against the national literature. National resources are supporter of partisanship while 'comparative' has an underlying sense of transcendence from these national boundaries which includes an underlying desire to develop unity and harmony among nations. At the time when war and violence were spoken in the politics of Europe, people were claiming the superiority and difference of their respective nations. People could easily move within the borders of each other's nation
Colonialism and Comparative Literature:-
European scholars of comparative literature expressed the opinion that comparison is possible only in literature of the same level. Therefore European literature cannot be compared with the literature of the colonies. Only European literature can have universal acceptance. The literature of the colonies would never reach that level. This racist, imperialistic declaration of Macaulay included the recognition of scholars of comparative literature. Fitzgerald, the European scholar who translated Omar Khayyam's Ruwais also had the same belief. At the core of which is the belief that the European mind is superior, European literature is superior, while the people of Asia and Africa are still 'primitive'. They have yet to learn civilization from Europe. At this time in comparative literature, the argument developed that comparative study can be of text. There cannot be a comparative study of oral literature or oral culture. The reason for this is that written text is better than oral literature. That is why oral epics cannot be considered as epics. In backward societies, most of the literature is oral That doesn't even figure in the count. Therefore the poetry of Homer, Greek literature, the plays of Shakespeare, and literature of Milton are important because they are included in the text
Even though Europeans came declaring that there are the best, but a new type of nationalism was also born in the colonies. And this nationalism gave a new perspective to comparative literature. In this process two new arguments came-
(1) As is the literature of the European people, Indian knowledge is also the same and in many respects it is superior to the European literature. For this argument, new text of the best classic literature like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Veda, Purana, Kalidasa's works etc. came to the fore. At the core of this study emerged the new nationalism of the colonies.
(2) It is assumed that Europe is superior and we try to make ourselves like them. European literature is the standard and sometimes we too can touch that standard. For example, Shakespeare is the greatest writer of all time. There is no dispute in this. But our Kalidas is also a painter for us. Europeans also believed that Kalidas was the Shakespeare of the East.
Important dimensions of comparative literature:-
(1) Comparative literature is such a critical study of literature which studies the literature of two or more linguistic, cultural and national groups. Generally, the study of works of two writers speaking one language does not come under the category of comparative literature. We cannot put the comparative criticism written on Hindi Poets Dev and Bihari in the category of comparative literature. There is only one exception to this. If a language is read and written in more than one country, then the study of literature composed in the same language in both those countries can come within comparative literature. There can be a comparative study of English literature of Canada and Australia.
(2) Every country in Europe has only one language, but India has many languages, therefore literature of different languages of the same country (India) can also be studied comparatively There can be a comparative study of Hindi and Bengali and there can also be a comparative study of Bengali literature and Hindi literature of India. Also, no study of folk literature can come under the category of comparative literature.
(3) This study is intersectional. Therefore, scholars of comparative literature study translation studies, sociology, Knowledge of other branches of knowledge like Cultural Studies, Sociology,
Cultural Studies, History etc. happens to be. This Achyavan is not a pure literary, classical, poetic study.
(4) A student of comparative literature transcends narrow national boundaries while studying literature Transcends all subjects like psychology, philosophy, archeology history etc
(5) There is an analysis of influence in comparative literature dealing the issues of influence of writer and culture on the other writer under reference.
(6) According to Henry H. H. Remak, 'comparative literature is the comparative study of the literature of one nation with the literature of other nations beyond its confines. That study is also the study of mutual relations between different fields of knowledge like art, history, social science, science, theology etc.
Views of Rene Wellek:
Rane Wellek has criticized several points of the concept of comparative literature, especially the attitude of influencing literature. He has drawn some conclusions by comparing the general literature to the comparative literature on autocracy. Linguistics is also an area of comparative study, especially the basis of historical linguistics
This is the first time that Van Tieghem, his forerunner and follower, think in the tone of positivism of nineteenth-century which focuses on study of causes and effects. They believe in cursory interpretation, which is used to judge the basic objects, characters, situations, things etc, according to the chronological order of the earlier work. They have collected parallels and sometimes juxtapositions, but they have never shown what these relationships show, except for the fact that one author knows and has read the other. Cursory interpretation goes nowhere and does not succeed in establishing a causal relationship in the literature. One has fallen short and is also necessary. I do not know of any literary history that has given evidence of such a relationship or could have done so. Such separation does not result in works of art that are complete, whose conception rests in free imagination, whose integrity and meaningfulness suffer if they are broken down into sources and effects. Rene Wellek points out that we should consider what is important for us.
Comparative Literature and Translation Studies:-
Translation has always had a relationship with comparative literature. It is not necessary for every person to know all the languages. Therefore, role of translation is necessary for comparison between two literatures. It has been recognized from the beginning that comparative Literature is the major discipline and translation was treated subsidiary discipline
There is no originality in translation and there should not be. Therefore, if the early translation of comparative literature is understood in this way, then it is not just an 'ally of comparative literature Its study has its own significance, which is greater than the study of comparative literature in many ways. But leter on perception about Translation Studies has changed even the expert of comparative literature changed their opinion and Translation Studies occupied the significant position
Conclusion:
The interrelationship of comparative literature and Translation Studies is very close. Although its relations have been changing time to time and their status as discipline has been changing.
Gayatri Chakravati Spivak in her book Death of a Discipline (2003) and Susan Basnet in 1995 declared the death of comparative literature as discipline of studies. Spivak talks about the end of the need and relevance of comparative studies after the end of the Cold War These answers emphasize questioning and redefining Southern cultures. The traditional framework of comparative literature has become completely unacceptable, so her opinion proposes, in the spirit of Derrida's call for Politics of Friendship, that comparative literature exemplifies how the humanities and social sciences can complement each other. Similarly, she also proposes that comparative literature should advocate satellite culture beyond global culture. She proposes to imagine ourselves as planetary subjects rather than global agents and the importance of comparative literature as a methodology remains relevant. Comparative literature is not literature in itself. Comparative literature cannot be imagined without literature. Literature available in two languages can be used for comparative study only through translation. In this unit the concept and role of comparative literature in the context of nationalities and identities have been discussed along with the meaning, origin and development and introduction of different schools of comparative Literature.
References:
Mangattu, Manu. (2013). Comparative Literature An Overview. 10.13140/RG.2.2.13003.34084.
Özyön, Arzu (PDF) introduction to comparative literature: A guide for literature students.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362044269_Introduction_to_Comparative_Literature_A_Guide_for_Literature_Students
Şahin, Elmas. (2015). On Comparative Literature. International Journal of Literature and Arts. 4. 5-12. 10.11648/j.ijla.s.2016040101.12.
Sangia, Rohib. (2014). Comparative Literature: An Overview. 10.17605/OSF.IO/RD73W.
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