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Literature
“Words, words, words”, Hamlet retorts to the query of Polonius. The study of literature is ultimately the study of words, the study of the way words are orchestrated to make “meaning” and create beauty. This creative act of giving meaning to words is indispensable in our age of information overflow. Beauty as well as meaning are malleable terms and are defined differently in different time periods and cultures. Art forms change, too. Thus, the literature program examines the meanings and aesthetics of various time periods and cultural orientations. The program has an explicit transnational emphasis, at the two-hundred level especially, to reinforce the idea that the study of literature goes beyond the national borders of one country and/or one point of cultural reference. This international focus, as well as the emphasis on linguistic facility, is appropriate to Franklin’s location in Switzerland, to the international focus of the curriculum and to the mission of the College.
The study of literature here is perceived to be independent of utilitarian value, i.e., the job market. Nonetheless, verbal fluency, historico-literary awareness and the ability to use words in a meaningful and creative way are skills that employers are demanding with ever greater insistence. They are skills that cannot be taught within the context of a company. A student graduating with a degree in literature would be well-prepared to pursue a career as a university professor, a teacher, a writer, a journalist, a media specialist or for graduate school in literature, history, law, and other related fields.
CORE REQUIREMENTS (41 CREDITS)
One of the Intercultural Competencies and one of the Social Responsibility requirements may be fulfilled through courses in the major.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (42 CREDITS)
Introductory Courses (12 Credits)
| LIT 208 | Shakespearean Drama |
| LIT 212 | Rise of the Novel |
| LIT 100 | Introduction to Literature I |
| and | |
| LIT 101 | Introduction to Literature II |
| or | |
| LIT 105 | World Literature |
Transnational Literature Group (6 Credits)
Take two of the following five courses:
| LIT 204 | Romanticism in European Culture |
| LIT 242 | Contemporary African Literature |
| LIT 245 | Modern Women Writers |
| LIT 249 | Latin-American Literature |
| LIT 253 | Caribbean Literature |
National Literature Group (6 Credits)
Take two of the following five courses:
| LIT 211 | 17th Century English Literature |
| LIT 240 | Modern American Literature |
| LIT 251 | Modern Russian Literature |
| LIT 260 | Modern French Literature |
| LIT 279 | Irish Literature |
200-Level Literature or Creative Writing (3 Credits)
Take one additional 200-level literature course or one of the following two courses:
| ENG 220 | Creative Writing: Fiction |
| or | |
| ENG 225 | Creative Writing: Poetry |
Upper Level Courses (12 Credits)
Take the following course:
| LIT 300 | Modernism (A criticism-intensive course) |
Take three from the following, only two of which can be in the original language of Italian, French or German:
| ENG 325 | Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry |
| LIT 311 | Zola and the Naturalists |
| LIT 313 | Politics and the Modern Novel |
| LIT 333 | The Art and Aesthetics of Proust |
| LIT 340 | The Great American Novel |
| ITA 360 | Introduction to Italian Literature I |
| ITA 361 | Introduction to Italian Literature II |
| ITA 37X | Topics in Italian Literature |
| FRE 360 | Introduction to French Literature I |
| FRE 310* | Paris and the 19th Century |
| FRE 320* | Writing and the Self: French Autobiography and Autofiction |
| FRE 330* | Contemporary Novel in French |
| FRE 370 | Topics in French Literature |
| GER 37X | Topics in German Literature |
Senior Thesis (3 Credits)
| LIT 499 | Senior Thesis |
GENERAL ELECTIVES (27 CREDITS)
Complete courses in any academic discipline
* Pre-requisites may be required for courses outside of the major.
Note: All Bachelor of Arts Degrees require a total of 125 credits consisting of Core, Major, and General Elective courses and requirements. Credits required in the Core and General Electives part of the degree plan may vary depending on Core course selections.
