ENG 209—Survey of World Literature

Fall 2008

 

webpages.shepherd.edu/lbaker/eng209.htm

 

Instructor and Contact Information:

L. Michelle Baker                                                                             Office:  Knutti G6

lbaker@shepherd.edu                                   Tues:  10 to noon; 2 to 4; and by appt

 

Course Purpose & Objectives:

The most significant literary and artistic movements in today’s world are those that grapple with our changing understanding of identity, culture, and nation, especially those that either establish or resist a global plurality of interests and concerns.  Readings have been selected to highlight certain changing positions within the vastly different philosophies of imperialism, nationalism, and globalism.  The literature has been grouped according to imperial powers and the nations that have emerged from them, culminating in a section on cultures that, for reasons of resources, race, and religion, have been unable to establish singular, clearly defined national identities.  Throughout, we will explore the ways modern cultures have responded to the emergent global identity now being alternately embraced and resisted by all cultures and the nations in which they can be found.  Students will be exposed to a variety of social and political issues which literature represents through characters, settings, and plots as well as imaginative uses of language.  Students will also be able to identify certain concerns that transcend issues of race, religion, and region to affect all humanity and understand a variety of responses to them. 

 

Essential Skills and Outcomes to be Acquired Through the Course Include:

1) an ability to render close textual analysis;

2) an ability to synthesize information from multiple texts;

3) an ability to render clear, cogent ideas;

4) an ability to structure well-developed essays, with thesis, textual support, and analysis;

5) an ability to correctly employ standard written English usage;

6) an understanding of ethnic/cultural diversity;

7) an aesthetic and critical judgment of literature;

8) a concept of chronology associated with literary periods;

9) an understanding of the inter-relationship of the arts, history, and philosophy through the study of literature.

Required Materials:

·        The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack, General Eds. 2nd ed. Vols D, E, & F

·        Language for a New Century.  Tina Chang et al, eds.  NY:  W. W. Norton, 2008.

·        MLA Handbook—any version, but preferably Hodge’s Harbrace Handbook

·        Shepherd University computer and email accounts

·        three ring binder—hardback or soft

·        two pocket folder

·        (index cards, multicolored pens, and highlighters are recommended)

 

Grade Calculation:

25% Research Project

25% Midterm

25% Final

25% Quizzes/Study Sheets/Class Participation

 

 

Course Requirements

 

Attendance:

It is assumed that students enroll at Shepherd University of their own free will, that they do so because of a fervent desire to learn, and that only unavoidable circumstances prevent them from attending class.  Therefore, no absence needs to be documented.  Conversely, no absence is excused.  The instructor can apprise students of missed assignments (see following paragraph for policy), but only other students can share lecture notes and explain in-class activities.  Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to maintain close contact with classmates. 

 

Students who are aware that they will miss a class should advise the instructor and request permission to either turn in their study guides or take quizzes before the missed class.  Study guides are not accepted late and neither quizzes nor exams can be made up.  Students who miss a class may choose to inform the instructor after the fact for the sake of courtesy, but exceptions to this policy will not be made.

 

Student athletes should speak to the instructor immediately upon enrolling in the course to apprise her of their school-related activities.  Student athletes are also required to advise her themselves (i.e., do not rely upon your coach’s communications with faculty), preferably in person, before any scheduled absence.  Failure to do so will result in the inability to make up work missed.

 

Readings:

Reading assignments are listed below.  You should be prepared to discuss intelligently each day’s reading when you come to class. Please see “Reading Tips” for more information.

 

Quiz and Exam Policy:

Quizzes will be given frequently and cannot be made up.  Exam dates are listed below and also cannot be made up.  Please be certain that you have no conflicts with the exam dates as they constitute a significant percentage of your grade.  The final exam will be given during the final exam period and will NOT be cumulative.

 

Study Guides:

Study guides are available on the website. Each student is responsible for obtaining and completing study sheets, which are to be turned in the day the reading is scheduled on the syllabus.  Late sheets will not be accepted.  The sheets are graded simply complete or incomplete, but answers will be discussed in preparation for exams.

 

Email Policy:

Every student must maintain an active Shepherd University email account and must keep the instructor apprised of the address.  You may choose to forward this email to any other account of your choice.  Assignments and other important communication will be sent via email.  It is therefore imperative that each student check his or her email account regularly. Work is not accepted via email without prior approval by the instructor, and, if sent without such approval, will be considered late and/or refused.

 

Research Paper:

More detailed instructions and information on the content of the research paper will be given later in the semester.  The paper must be prepared in accordance with MLA formatting guidelines and as such must be computer-generated.  As the writer of a research paper of at least 2,000 words, you should be familiar with the resources available to you through Scarborough Library, and you are expected to understand how to quote, summarize, and paraphrase sources appropriately.  Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in automatic failure of the course as well as any other disciplinary action that Shepherd University deems appropriate as outlined in the Student Handbook.

 

Academic Support Center:

Students are strongly encouraged to seek assistance from the Academic Support Center located in Knutti 114, Telephone:  876-5221, online at <http://www.shepherd.edu/ascweb>.   Tutoring service is FREE, and tutors are available to assist with understanding the readings and preparing for quizzes and exams.

 

Reading Assignments

Numbers refer to page numbers in the Norton anthologies.  Numbers in parentheses refer as appropriate to book, chapter, canto, and line numbers.  Please note that many of these readings are only available online through the links contained in this syllabus.  Others may be given as handouts or kept on reserve in Scarborough Library. 

 

This schedule of readings is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.  Such announcements may be made in class or via email.  It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of all changes.

M Aug 18

Syllabus and Introductions.

W Aug 20

Introduction to imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, and globalism.  Introduction to England, France, and Asia.  1579-1599.

F Aug 22

Swift.  "A Modest Proposal."  295-301, 430-433, 483-489.

Last Day to Add / Drop.

 

 

M Aug 25

Voltaire.  Candide.  517-534.

W Aug 27

""               ""               535-557.

F Aug 29

""               ""               557-580.

 

 

M Sep 1

Labor Day--Class Canceled

W Sep 3

Coleridge.  "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner."  651-658

Ghalib.  poetry. 1061-1068

F Sep 5

Mallarme 1071-1080, 1398-1405.

Eliot "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."  2071-2079.

 

 

M Sep 8

Japanese haiku.  583-586 (and handout). 

LNC:   Tada 148, Lam 437. 

W Sep 10

Kojima.  "The American School."  2583-2606.

F Sep 12

Mahasweta.  "Breast-Giver."  2824-2845.

 

 

M Sep 15

Lu.  "Upstairs in a Wineshop."  1917-1920, 1929-1938

LNC:   Xue 58; Liu 558.

W Sep 17

Intro to Spain, Italy, Central and South America. 834-836

de Castro.  poetry.  859-862

Storni.  poetry.  2121-2130

F Sep 19

Lorca.  poetry.  2267-2277

 

 

M Sep 22

Borges.  “Pierre Menard.”

W Sep 24

Pirandello.  Six Characters in Search of an Author.  1721-1743.

F Sep 26

""                   ""                                                             1743-1766.

 

 

M Sep 29

Rulfo.  Pedro Paramo.  2621-2646.

W Oct 1

""          ""                          2646-2670.

F Oct 3

""          ""                          2670-2692.

 

 

M Oct 6

*****Midterm Exam:   England-France-Asia; Spain-Italy-Central and South America.  Take home essay, due 10/8.*****

W Oct 8

Assign research paper.  Review databases and other resources. 

(Meet in Computer Lab)

F Oct 10

Introduction to Russia, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. 

Rilke.  poetry.  1890-1896

Akhmatova.  poetry.  2098-2108

 

 

M Oct 13

Tolstoy.  The Death of Ivan Ilyich.  1418-1437.

W Oct 15

""              ""                                      1437-1460.

F Oct 17

Class Canceled

 

 

M Oct 20

Kafka.  The Metamorphosis.  1996-2020.

W Oct 22

""           ""                                2020-2030.

Instructions given for Outline and Annotated Bibliography

F Oct 24

Class Canceled

 

 

M Oct 27

Lebanese Poetry, LNC:  “Parsed into Colors” 53-57.  al-Haj 93; Melhem 357; Hazo 386; Boulus 467

W Oct 29

Love Poetry, LNC:  "The Quivering World."  541-545; Farrokhazad 561; Ramadan 564; Al-Sabar 565; Ahmadi 576.

F Oct 31

Saadawi.  "In Camera."  2997-3008.

 

 

M Nov 3

Introduction to Central and Southern Africa. 

Diop.  "The Bone."  2487-2497

Dadie. "The Mirror of Dearth." 2607-2613

W Nov 5

Soyinka.  Death and the King's Horseman. 3021-3043. 

F Nov 7

""               ""                                                   3043-3061.

*****Outline & Annotated Bibliography Due*****

(Last Day to Withdraw--by NOON)

 

 

 

 

M Nov 10

Soyinka.  Death and the King’s Horseman.  3061-3071. 

Lessing.  "The Old Chief Mshlanga."  2722-2734.

W Nov 12

Integrating and Documenting Sources.

F Nov 14

Introduction to the Diaspora, including Israel, Northern Africa, and the Caribbean. 

From LNC:  “This House, My Bones.”  381-85; Souaid 226;  Singh 208.

 

 

M Nov 17

Walcott.  Selections from Omeros.  2948-2953, 2968-2984.

W Nov 19

Yehoushua.  "Facing the Forests."  3071-3089.

F Nov 21

""                     ""                 3089-3099.

Camus.  "The Guest."      2570-2582.

 

 

M Nov 24

Thanksgiving Recess--Class Canceled

W Nov 26

Thanksgiving Recess--Class Canceled

F Nov 28

Thanksgiving Recess--Class Canceled

 

 

M Dec 1

*****Research Paper Due*****

Identity and history, LNC:  Der-Hovanessian 61; Amichai 341.

W Dec 3

Contemplations of death, LNC:  "Bowl of Air and Shivers."  459-463; Majaj 482; Darwish 497; Said 517; Pagis 526.

F Dec 5

War record, LNC:  "Apostrophe in the Scripture."  325-29; Rosal 75; Chen 376.

 

 

 

*****Final Exam--See Registrar's Schedule*****

German, Russian, Middle Eastern, African, and Diasporic Literatures