Prof. Keyne Cheshire leads class outside

Global Literary Theory Major and Minor

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Academic Departments

Global Literary Theory at Davidson

The Global Literary Theory major and interdisciplinary minor support the study of literature, literary criticism, and literary and cultural theory beyond the borders of a single national or linguistic tradition or history.

Such study requires not only that students study literary and cultural theory, but also that they explore literature in more than one language.

Global Literary Theory Minor

The interdisciplinary minor includes classes from Arab studies, anthropology, gender and sexuality studies, philosophy, theatre and more.

Global Literary Theory Interdisciplinary Major

You may also apply for a global literary theory major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Courses You Might Take

LIT 432
Theory and Practice of Literary Translation (Seminar)

This seminar addresses theoretical and practical aspects of literary translation, underscoring translation as both a distinctive form of creative writing and a demonstration of cross-cultural and linguistic competencies. Coursework includes regular literary translation, theoretical and historical readings, peer review, and a substantial final project and writing portfolio.

LAT 234
Latin Philosophical Poetry: Lucretius

The influence of Lucretius’ de Rerum Natura, an epic in six books celebrating Epicurean philosophy in poetry of spectacular beauty, cannot be overstated. His poetry imbued the verse of the Augustan poets, especially Virgil and Horace; there is nothing else like it in Latin. In addition to extensive excerpts, we will read the entire poem in translation, and consider the poem both in its contemporary context and its afterlife.   

LIT 245
The Enlightenment: Centers, Peripheries, & Legacies

In his essay, “What is Enlightenment,” Foucault asks us to resist “the blackmail of the Enlightenment” - the widespread notion that we must take a side. Should we defend the Enlightenment as the birth of modern Western culture that bequeathed a legacy of liberty, human rights, democracy, and human progress, or condemn it as a pernicious era that gave rise to scientific racism and other dehumanizing ideas and structures?

Related Academic Programs

Interested in Studying Global Literary Theory at Davidson?