Why is Comp Lit important, and what kind of research does it foster?

Not surprisingly, Comp Lit scholars do comparative work. Their department started as a place for those interested in theoretical perspectives from outside North America to pursue research incorporating Continental European theory and literatures from both English and non-English traditions. Comparativists tend to work in more than one language. They illuminate connections across both national borders and academic disciplines.

Comp Lit is important because it provides a space for the study of literatures that are overlooked and underrepresented; Comp Lit is important because it brings together scholars who can both translate and critique, who have the skills to work in the original text and also to make those texts accessible to scholars who cannot speak, for example, Estonian or even German and French. Comp Lit is a department rich with interdisciplinary projects, new insights, and great potential in a world where discourse is increasingly cross-cultural and engaged with critical theory from multiple traditions.           
                                                                                                                                       image via fffound