Modern Masterpieces of World Literature
Harvard University
Examine how great modern writers capture the intricacies of our globalized world and how their works circulate within that world to find their own audiences.
About this Course
Based on the second half of the Masterpieces of World Literature edX MOOC, this short literature course examines how writers reach beyond national and linguistic boundaries as worldly readers and travelers, and how their modern fictions rise to the status of world literature. These masterpieces of modern world literature take part in a tradition of weaving small stories into ambitious projects—one that reaches back to medieval tales and extends forward to contemporary novels. Throughout the course, you will learn how these writers use their fictions to engage directly with the political and social concerns of their present and of a globalized modernity, relating experiences of exploration, migration, international conflict, and cultural exchange.
What You'll Learn
- The recent history of World Literature
- How literary works are transformed by cultural transmission
- How to critically analyze literary works
- Historical and political context in China, Argentina, Turkey, and more
Instructors
David Damrosch
Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature
Martin Puchner
Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and Comparative Literature