LITR 106 - Rome and America [GEKH]
A comparison of the people and culture of ancient Rome and modern America, considering individual hopes and ideals, religious beliefs and ideas about death, government, morality, love and sex. Team taught by a member of the English Department and a classicist. Cross-Listed with
Credit 6 hrs May not be repeated for additional credit
Grade Mode Normal (A-F) Course Rotation
Prerequisites -
Restriction by Major -
Restriction by Class - Undergraduate standing
This course introduces students to the humanities disciplines of the study of American literature and of ancient Roman literature. By its strong emphasis on comparative analysis, the course facilitates a clear understanding of the literary concept of genre (e.g., satire, epic, lyric, novel, etc.). Besides issues of literary theory, the course also encourages the appreciation of continuity in major themes, such as the definition of “heroism” or of the “successful” life, the gender system of the relevant cultures, and social class distinctions, as well as the techniques (e.g., parody, irony, allegory, symbolism, etc.) common to the literatures of classical Roman antiquity and present-day American. By examining literary works from two cultures remote in time and place from each other, students learn to grasp and evaluate what is traditional and what is innovative in each.
Keywords: literature , Knowledge of the Disciplines - Humanities (GEKH)
Equivalent Courses: CLAS 106
Winter 2025 Course Sections
Summer 2025 Course Sections
Fall 2025 Course Sections
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