COLLIN COLLEGE

ENGLISH 2332: WORLD LITERATURE I

SPRING SEMESTER COURSE SYLLABUS

(Room G219)

Professor: Joyce M. Miller Office: J243, Spring Creek Campus

Office e-mail address: jmiller@ccccd.edu (replies on weekdays only)
Please include your name and course number in the subject line.

URL for web site: http://iws.ccccd.edu/jmiller/jmiller.htm
URL for college: http://www.ccccd.edu/

Office hours: Posted on office door

Fridays and other times not listed by appointment.  972.881.5981

 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE: It is the policy of Collin College to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. This college will adhere to all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to visit the ACCESS office (G200) or telephone 972.881.5898 (TDD.881.5950) in a timely manner if he or she desires to arrange accommodations.

 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS: In accordance with Section 51.911 of the Texas Education Code, CCCC will allow a student who is absent from class for the observance of a religious holy day to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time. Students are required to file a written request with each professor within the first 15 days of the semester to qualify for an excused absence. Please visit or telephone the registrar's office for additional information on procedures and rules.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY -- Course Drop Limit Provisions:
Students who enroll as an entering freshman or a first-time college student in undergraduate courses at any Texas public community college, technical institute, health sciences institution, or any public university offering undergraduate courses must comply with the legislation of TEC51.907. TEC51.907 states that students who enroll for the first time during the fall 2007 semester or any subsequent semester are subject to the course drop limit of six course drops. This includes any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution. Collin College will not begin to count dropped courses until the fall 2008 semester.
NOTE: You will not be allowed to withdraw from classes at Collin if your official transcripts (required for admission) are not on file.
For more information go to http://www.ccccd.edu/aro/withdrawal.htm

COLLEGE REPEAT POLICY:   You may repeat this course only once after earning a grade, including W. Should you drop the course before the current semester's census date (insert date here), you will not incur a penalty. Should you withdraw from the course after the census date, however, a grade of W will be posted to your transcript and noted as one attempted enrollment in the course.

INCOMPLETE GRADES:  "Incompletes" require that you have a minimum grade of "C" and completed a minimum of 80 percent of the course requirements at the time you request an incomplete grade.  Incomplete grades can occur only if the instructor deems a situation serious enough to warrant them.  A change in job schedules does not qualify for incomplete grades.

CLASSROOM POLICIES: Please be courteous and turn off cell phones and beepers before entering the classroom. You may bring water, not food and beverages, to class. Please note: I do not accept electronic attachments of essays as substitutes for in-class submission of work due. If you cannot attend class when an essay is due, make arrangements for someone else to deliver it to me.

 PREREQUISITE: English 1302: Composition/Rhetoric II. Please see me immediately if you have not learned how to document sources using MLA style.

 COURSE DESCRIPTION (CATALOG): Introduces the student to a variety of literary histories beginning with the classical Greek period through the 16th century. The students will read representative selections, analyze and discuss philosophies, societal mores, social milieus, and social concerns. Three credit hours; three lecture hours.

 COURSE OBJECTIVES: World Literature 2332 is a critical writing/reading/thinking-
intensive sophomore-level course designed to introduce students to the pleasures of exploring literary masterpieces as well as to reinforce their skills in literary analysis and research. It is also a course designed to put students in a continual process of interpreting, confronting, discovering, and discussing human experience, particularly if they are willing to accept literary conventions with a "willing suspension of disbelief" (Coleridge) or, if you will, an "eager entrance into belief" (Joyce M. Miller). The works listed below are chosen for their general representation of the complex sensibility of a given period or culture as well as for their contemporary relevance. This course will explore the interpretive possibilities of world literature from around the eighth century (BCE) to the seventeenth century with an eye toward understanding the characteristics, the shifting thought processes, and the sensibilities leading to the post-modern era. Upon completion of this course, students will have gained a broader knowledge of some of the world's most significant cultural traditions and literary masterpieces. Moreover, they will have gained a fundamental understanding of the terminology and characteristics of the literature of the classical, medieval, and Renaissance periods, learning, for one example, some of the ways in which Greek and Elizabethan tragedy differ. Students additionally will have improved their skills in critical writing, reading, and thinking.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to do the following:

·         Discuss and write effectively about representative masterpieces of literature from antiquity to the 18th Century.

·         Identify authors, their primary works/genres, and shifting traditions/philosophies throughout subsequent centuries.

·         Explore and compare the distinctive characteristics of relevant literary periods, writers, and genres.

·         In critical paper assignments, quizzes, discussions, and examinations, draw inferences from the major themes and motifs reflective of the readings.

·         Demonstrate critical thinking skills necessary to approach literature analytically.

·         Use literary terminology and concepts appropriately.

·         Demonstrate knowledge of selected assignments through class discussion as well as through oral and written assignments, drawing inferences that include relating literature to student experiences and the immediate world.

·         Practice English 1301 and 1302 skills to improve proficiency in essay organization, coherency, grammatical function, punctuation, spelling, and MLA documentation in both in- and out-of-class essays.

·         Explain the timeless appeal of classical literature produced during the Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance eras.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: Lectures, class discussion, small group discussions, computer-assisted instruction, audio/visual materials, personal conferences.

 REQUIRED TEXTS: The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 2nd ed., Volume I, A, B, C; the write stuff, 4th ed. Because editions change, please check requirements before making purchases.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS: On reserve, LRC circulation desk: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Gibaldi and Achtert); Writing Themes About Literature (Roberts); and A Short Guide to Writing About Literature (Barnet). You may also access the Internet for a guide to documenting sources.

 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: Four quizzes in which you identify or discuss excerpted material; a mid-term examination that consists largely of an analytic response (in essay form) to a choice of literary topics (e.g., you will also be expected to identify/discuss terms, characters, authors, and excerpted passages); final examination (see below); two four-to-five-page critical essays; and brief in-class responses. Because in-class responses are designed to strengthen your analytic skills, they are evaluated even though they are not used in the computation of total points.

 FINAL EXAMINATION (verify the times in your schedule of classes): The final examination will consist ENTIRELY of responding in essay form to two or more topics relating to the works studied from the mid-term on. Because you will be expected to support your assertions with textual evidence, you will be able to use your text during the final exam.

 CRITICAL ESSAYS: At sophomore level, you are expected to possess competent writing skills. If you stand on somewhat shaky ground here, please see me immediately for instruction. (I encourage you to make periodic appointments with me and with the Writing Center staff.) Because one of your critical essays will include at least three scholarly criticisms (see Critical Paper Guidelines), you are expected to follow the guidelines set forth in the guides on reserve. Please see also The Finished Paper. Because using outside sources requires skills in documentation, do note that this course will follow the college's general policies on plagiarism. More specific to this course, any paper containing plagiarized work will earn a grade of zero; the student who submits plagiarized work may face additional disciplinary action as set forth in the CCCC Student Handbook. I also adhere fully to the policies set forth by the University of Texas (click HERE to READ). Note: Research papers require a minimum of four or five double-spaced typed pages and three secondary sources in addition to primary source(s).  Failure to include a minimum of three secondary sources in your work will result in a failing grade. Further, papers require clear internal disclosures of sources (authors /page numbers/URL).  Any paper omitting sources in the works cited page and/or parenthetically will result in a failing grade.  Students cannot, for example, credit an author’s source but fail to credit the page number(s) of the source: “The author further notes that Shelley pities the monster" (Blarney).  Please discuss your topics with me BEFORE writing your critical papers, and sign and submit that portion of the attached information on plagiarism with your first essay.

LETTER GRADES ARE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

A 500-450 B 449-400 C 399-350 D 349-300 F299 or below

   VALUE AND PERCENTAGES OF COURSE GRADES:

Mid-term examination: 20%, or 100 points

Critical essay 20%, or 100 points

Four quizzes 20%, or 100 points

Critical research paper: 20%, or 100 points

Final examination: 20%, or 100 points

(Based on my experience along with my objective professional judgment, I shall assign grades that mirror your ACTUAL academic achievements, not your potential and effort.)

ATTENDANCE AND MISC. POLICIES: Attendance in any course is important, but in a discussion class that aims to explore the interpretive values of many literary works, it is critical. Naturally, you can only gain the vital instruction you need to achieve the course objectives by attending class in a timely and regular fashion (tardiness always disrupts classroom instruction). The perspective of others is, moreover, an integral part of one's education. Therefore, please note carefully the following course policies and information. An essay or other work is due does not automatically excuse the submission of work due. I do NOT give make-up work. Essays will lose one letter grade for each day they are late (weekends included); please note, however, that I shall not accept work after the third late day. Three late arrivals equal one absence. Please note also that you will lose ten points for each absence beyond the second hour, and if you miss six hours of instruction, regardless of the cause(s), I may not accept any work you submit. Please keep a record of your tardiness and absences to compare with my record at any point during the semester. Your contribution to class discussion, on the other hand, along with your timeliness and preparation as reflected in in-class assignments will be noted and thus considered in the event your total grade points border narrowly between an A and B, a B and C, etc. Finally, you are responsible for notifying the registrar should you withdraw from this course. The last day to withdraw with a W is April __ (please check the official schedule). Because the successful completion of this course is important to both you and me, I shall do my best to help you to resolve the difficulties, academic or otherwise, that may lead you to consider withdrawing. Please see me first.

Addendum:
 Professional level communications by email are welcome. The subject line of all messages students send me must include student's name, course number, section number, and telephone number.  I shall delete without opening any e-mail failing to include the above specifications.
 To grasp the rigorous material in every course I teach, students must plan on spending a minimum of nine hours of preparatory time per week, especially if the student aims to pass the course with a grade of "C" or higher.

COURSE CONTENT

 During class, I may make amendments to the syllabus by including supplemental readings, worksheets, and miscellaneous handouts in the following course content. I shall also introduce information about the authors, notably, the philosophies and events that shaped them. Because I do not review the course content for quizzes and exams, I suggest that you apply your best note-taking skills during class. Please complete the following works by the date specified, ponder the questions they raise, and come prepared to explore as many possibilities of meanings as time will permit us. (Unless otherwise noted, all assigned readings are taken from the Norton text.) For your academic enrichment, do read the introductions preceding each work and take notes from lectures. Finally, please note that we shall refer to line, not page, numbers, when discussing most of the works, e.g., V.iii.23-25.

Link to sample student essay, Oedipus the King. Please read more than once for improvement in your own writing skills (development of thesis, organization, supporting information, et cetera).

 Week 1

Day 1 -- Introduction to course. Review of syllabus.

Day 2 -- Read the introduction to ancient world and Homer.  Read Books 1-4 of the Odyssey for class discussion and writing.

Week 2

Day 1 – MLK holiday.  No class today.

Day 2 -- Books 5-9, Od.

Week 3

Day 1 -- Books 10-16, Od.

Day 2 -- Books 17-24, Od.

Click here for Ithaca, a poem that you MUST use in writing your first critical essay.

Week 4

Day 1 -- Od., "wrap-up."

Day 2 -- Od., "wrap-up." Writing instruction.

Week 5

Day 1 -- CRITICAL ESSAY DUE. QUIZ #1. Lecture on Greek tragedy will follow quiz.

Day 2 -- Agamemnon. Acting parts for Oedipus the King assigned.

Week 6

Day 1 -- Oedipus the King.

Day 2 -- Oed., continued.

Week 7

Day 1 -- The Antigone.

Day 2 -- Ant., continued.

Week 8

Day 1 -- QUIZ #2. Lecture will follow.

Day 2 – Medea, completed. Independent study: Lysistrata.

 

Week 9

Day 1 -- Day 2 -- MID-TERM (value of 80 percent). Bring textbooks, blue book, dictionary, thesaurus, the write stuff.

Day 2 – Short-answer portion of mid-term (value of 20 percent).

Week 10

ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK!

Week 11

Day 1 -- Dante Alighieri, the Inferno. Cantos 1-9. QUIZ.

Day 2 -- Inferno, continued. Cantos 10-19. QUIZ.

Week 12

Day 1 -- Inferno, continued. Cantos 20-27. QUIZ.

Day 2 -- Inferno, continued. Cantos 28-34. QUIZ.

(Quizzes over the Inferno [called QUIZ #3] total 25 points.)

 Week 13

Day 1 -- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Parts I-IV due today.

Day 2 -- Sir Gawain, continued.

Day 5 -- Last day to withdraw with a W. Please see me first if you are considering withdrawing.

Week 14

Day 1 -- Hamlet. Act I due today.

Day 2 -- Hamlet, continued.

Week 15

Day 1 -- Hamlet, continued.

Day 2 -- Hamlet, continued.

Week 16

Day 1 -- QUIZ #4. CRITICAL WRITING REVIEW.

Day 2 -- CRITICAL RESEARCH ESSAY DUE on my desk at the start of class.  CRITICAL REPORTS DUE.

Week 17

FINAL EXAM. Verify your exam time in the class schedule. Bring blue book and texts, dictionary, and the write stuff.

The Ancient and Classical World | The Medieval World| Shakespeare's World | Time Line

Sample Essay Exam | Odyssey Sample Exam | Ancient Greece Review | Odyssey Review

Audio Links A Condensed Guide to Writing an Essay | the write stuff | The Critical Paper

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