Comparative Literature

What are some recurring themes or stories that appear in very different cultures, and why do you think they keep resurfacing? How can comparing myths, folktales, or novels from different cultures change the way you understand your own culture’s stories? When two cultures tell similar stories with different endings, what might those differences reveal about their values or fears? How do shared human experiences—like love, loss, or migration—show up differently in literature from different regions? Can you think of a story from another culture that felt strangely familiar to you, and what made it feel that way?

What challenges do you face when reading literature written hundreds of years ago, and how can you work through them? How do historical context and social norms shape the characters, language, and conflicts in older works? Why do some texts from the distant past still feel relevant today, while others feel completely alien? How can reading older literature help you recognize long-standing patterns of power, prejudice, or resistance in society? Which older work have you read that felt unexpectedly modern, and what about it felt that way?

What usually changes when a novel, play, or poem is adapted into film, television, or a graphic novel? How can visual and sound elements in a film adaptation add to—or distort—the themes of the original text? Do you think a faithful adaptation is always better than a loose reimagining? Why or why not? How might an adaptation set in a different time or place reveal new angles on the source material? Can you think of an adaptation that you feel is stronger than the original work, and what makes you think so?

Who decides which authors and works are considered part of the ‘literary canon,’ and whose voices are left out? How has the idea of ‘world literature’ expanded or challenged older, Eurocentric views of what counts as great writing? What might readers gain by deliberately seeking out literature from underrepresented regions or languages? How do translation, publishing, and marketing affect which global authors become widely read in your language? Is there a text from a marginalized tradition that you believe deserves a more central place in how literature is taught?