Department of English

This graduate seminar will be devoted to a parallel reading of Proust's and Joyce's major works, Ulysses and In Search of Lost Time. The authors met only once in Paris but shared a few basic concerns: both aimed at exploring the links between time and subjectivity, both tried to include as many styles and genres as they could while engaging in bold meditations on history, politics, and gender. In order to probe the numerous parallels between Ulyssees and In Search of Lost Time, we will combine several approaches: genetic and structural, theoretical and practical. We will define Proust's and Joyce's diverging esthetic theories and provide an account of the semiologies involved by Ulysses and La Recherche. Finally, we will focus on topics like sexuality, mythology, and language so as to assess differences in tone, outlook, and style. Each class will be devoted equally to discussion of Joyce and of Proust (in translation). Even if no previous acquaintance with the works is required, it is expected that the readings will be demanding.