THE METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LITERATURE

Abstract

This paper sets out to investigate the potential relationship between the comparative study of literature and the teaching process itself, using the relevant literature concerning methodology, literary history and theory as well as the experience gathered in teaching practice. At the very beginning of the first part of this paper, a brief overview of the development of the concept of comparative literature serves as a starting point for the analysis of this concept’s usefulness for teaching literature. Afterwards, this paper looks deeper into the benefits of using the comparative method, but it also highlights its potential disadvantages. The second part of this paper aims to corroborate the thesis conveyed in the first part with various examples from the high school curriculum.