Office Hours: MWF 9-10, MW 11-12, TR 11-12, 2-3 Course Website: blackboard.angelo.edu

Transcription

1 ENG 2325: READINGS IN WORLD LITERATURE Course Syllabus Fall 2014 Section 010: MWF 8:00-8:50 Academic Building 015 Section 020: MWF 10:00-10:50 Academic Building 027 Instructor: Dr. R. Mark Jackson Office Location: Academic 001D Office Hours: MWF 9-10, MW 11-12, TR 11-12, 2-3 Course Website: blackboard.angelo.edu (and by appointment) OVERVIEW ENG 2325 is a survey of world literature spanning at least two literary periods and at least two literary genres. Our sections will focus on what the novelist E.M. Forster referred to once as the incalculability of life, something that stories and dramas show us well and often. We ll be reading a number of novels, stories, and dramas that give very different answers to the questions what can we know about life, what can t we, what happens when we re wrong, and what attitude should we have toward our imperfect state of wisdom. The authors whose works we ll study are Sophocles, Aristophanes, Voltaire, Goethe, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Camus, and Dinesen. We ll attend carefully to each text in an effort to improve our skills of analysis, to understand each work and what it has to teach us about ourselves a little better, and to examine how genre, original context, and our own perspectives affect meaning. By the end of the semester, you should have a basic sense of the scope and variety of literary forms and of the changing interests and assumptions of authors across time, a familiarity with analytical terminology, and an improved facility with expressing your interpretations. ENG 2325 fulfills the core curriculum requirement in Philosophy, Language, and Culture. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Understand the role of literature as an expression of values and interpretation of human experience. Understand and apply methods of responding to literature analytically. Understand the form, function, scope, and variety of literature, including specialized terminology. Understand the interactive relationship between history, culture, and literature. CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES FOR SOPHOMORE LITERATURE Students in sophomore literature will practice the following core curriculum learning objectives in critical thinking, communication, social responsibility, and personal responsibility. Students will then demonstrate their capabilities in these objectives through reading quizzes, written analyses, reflections, or examinations. Critical thinking will be demonstrated in reading quizzes, written analyses, or examinations. o Students will gather, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information relevant to a question or issue by mastering a series of assigned literary works in terms of generic conventions and content. Communication will be demonstrated in reading quizzes, written analyses, or examinations. o Students will develop, interpret, and express ideas through effective written communication. Social responsibility will be demonstrated in written reflection on public reading or lecture. o Students will demonstrate ability to engage with locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally known literary artists and the texts they create, and to reflect upon the shared traditions of literary expression, the debates that help shape literature, and the conflicts, cultural differences, and shared experiences. Personal responsibility will be demonstrated in reading quizzes, written analyses, or examinations.. o Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate choices, actions, and consequences by identifying, analyzing, and evaluating ethical decision-making in literary examples. REQUIRED BOOKS Aristophanes. The Birds. Trans. Jeffrey Henderson. Newburyport: Focus, ISBN Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage, ISBN Dinesen, Isak. Babette s Feast. (PDF available on Blackboard). Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Trans. Raymond MacKenzie. Indianapolis: Hackett, ISBN von Goethe, J.W. Faust, Part One. New York: Oxford UP, ISBN Sophocles. King Oidipous. Trans. Ruby Blondell. Newburyport: Focus, ISBN Tolstoy, Leo. Death of Ivan Ilyich. Trans. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. New York: Vintage, ISBN Voltaire. Candide and Other Stories. Trans. Roger Pearson. New York: Oxford, ISBN

2 DAILY CLASS MATERIALS Hard copy of text(s) for class discussion Writing utensils and paper GRADING POLICY Assignments are graded A through F with pluses and minuses as necessary. Work that is not done or not turned in is recorded as a zero. Letter grades will be converted to percentages as such: A+=98, A=95, A-=92, B+=88, B=85, B-=82, C+=78, C=75, C-=72, D+=68, D=65, D-=62, F=50. Numeric grades will be converted to letter grades as such: =A+; 97-93=A; 92-90=A-; 89-88=B+; 87-83=B; 82-80=B-; 79-78=C+; 77-73=C; 72-70=C-; 69-68=D+; 67-63=D; 62-60=D-; 59 and below=f. GRADE CALCULATION Your final grade for this course will be calculated according to this scheme: Daily Participation: 20% Reading Quizzes: 20% Midterm Exam: 30% Final Exam: 30% ATTENDANCE POLICY Successful students attend class regularly and are not tardy; however, occasionally life intervenes, causing students to miss class. I allow for such problems, while encouraging regular attendance: If you miss more than 20% of class meetings for any reason you will receive a grade of F for excessive absences. In a class scheduled for 2 days per week, 20% is 6 classes; in a class scheduled for 3 days per week, 20% is 9 classes. Missing more than this number of classes will result in an F. Although all absences add to the total, you are allowed three discretionary absences. That is, you may miss class three times without detriment to your grade. Use those discretionary absences wisely. For each absences after the third, your participation grade drops by a third of a letter grade (e.g., from B- to C+). You are considered absent any time you are not in class no matter what the reason and making up missed work (if allowed below) does not erase absences. Doctor s notes do not erase absences, either. Excessive tardiness is similarly penalized. If you arrive to class late three times, I shall count that as one absence. To be counted present at all, you must attend at least 70% of a class period. In a class scheduled for 2 days per week, 70% is 53 minutes; in a class scheduled for 3 days per week, 70% is 35 minutes. DAILY PARTICIPATION Your participation grade comprises much more than your attendance record. To receive a good score, you also must keep up with the reading, read actively, and talk about the day s reading in class. The following is the baseline measure for a participation grade: a student who attends every class in a semester, brings the appropriate text every day, always looks to be paying attention to the instructor and fellow students, creates no distractions, yet does not ever speak receives a participation grade of a C-. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ENG 2325 combines lecture and discussion. The ability for each student to learn is affected by the contributions and behaviors of every other student. Please show respect to your instructor, to your classmates, and to the process of learning as a whole. Allow others time to talk, try not to interrupt, and above all refrain from rude, offensive, or belittling comments. When others are talking, pay attention and do not do anything that will distract yourself or others, including playing with your cell phone or other electronic devices. Please turn off your cell phone prior to class. If you violate any of these rules, your participation score for the day drops to an F. READINGS When a reading is due, you must bring a hard copy of the relevant text or texts to class. If you do not bring a required text or other required materials, your participation score for the day drops to an F; if the problem persists, you will be asked to leave the classroom. I ll expect you to have read the full assignment before class and to have attended to more than plot. I also will expect you to have read all end-notes and footnotes. You must use the assigned editions. If everyone does, conversations in class will run more smoothly, and you ll be able to follow my lectures better.

3 READING QUIZZES Each week you will take at least one quiz on the reading due that week. Usually, the quiz will fall on Friday. If necessary to make students read, I will administer extra quizzes, sometimes unannounced. Quizzes are administered at the start of class and, unless I receive advance notice about a legitimately excused absence, cannot be made up if missed. MIDTERM EXAM The dates for this exam, which is divided into two parts, are given on the calendar. Overall, the exam will cover readings, class discussions, and lectures given prior to the exam. The first part will consist of a series of short-answer questions, primarily passage and term identifications. The second part will consist of one or more synthesizing essays. FINAL EXAM The final exam will be administered at the date and time slated for your section (see the end of the course calendar). The format will be similar to that of the midterm exam; however, it will cover only the contents since the midterm exam. OPTIONAL EXTRA-CREDIT PAPERS No essays are required for this course outside of those you ll write on the exams. You do, however, have two opportunities for extra credit on our exams, and that extra credit takes the form of papers. One paper will be associated with the midterm exam, while the other one will be associated with the final. You will turn in the first after the midterm exam at a date to be decided. You will have to turn in the second one by the last day of class before you ever take the final exam. In either case, no late papers will be accepted. Each paper will have to run at least 1200 words. You will turn in two identical versions, an electronic copy and a hard copy. The electronic version goes to TurnItIn; the hard copy, to me. I will use the electronic copy to check against plagiarism but grade and comment upon the hard copy. More guidelines, including the amount of extra credit awarded, are forthcoming. PAPER FORMAT If you do write a paper, the final drafts must adhere to the formatting rules of MLA. A summary of the principal rules is available in a separate document posted on Blackboard (see below). Any paper that includes outside sources must document those sources according to MLA documentation guidelines as well. A copy of MLA s Formatting and Style Guide can be found at the web site Purdue OWL: OBSERVANCES OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known in writing to the instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within what the instructor deems a reasonable time after the absence. STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC HONESTY Angelo State University expects its students to maintain complete honesty and integrity in their academic pursuits. Students are responsible for reading and understanding the Academic Honor Code, which is contained in both the print and web versions of the Student Handbook: By participating in ENG 2325, you agree to abide by the Academic Honor Code. If you do not understand the rules regarding plagiarism, cheating, or other lapses in academic integrity as outlined in the Academic Honor Code, it is incumbent upon you to seek clarification from me prior to the first assignment. Students who violate the Academic Honor Code will receive a failing grade for the course and be referred to the Department head and the Academic Integrity Committee. TURNITIN TurnItIn is plagiarism-checking software. By enrolling in this course, you grant the instructor the right to submit all course materials to TurnItIn, which detects textual similarities. All major assignments must be submitted to TurnItIn using the link provided on our Blackboard page (see below). Furthermore, assignments submitted to TurnItIn will be included as source documents in TurnItIn s database. Instructions for using TurnItIn are available on our Blackboard page. BLACKBOARD On our site you will find the syllabus, handouts, links, assignment prompts, grading rubrics, additional readings, and the occasional announcement. You ll also find the drop-box for TurnItIn, which you ll have to use for all major assignments. If you ever have questions about the course, please check Blackboard first. The web address is:

4 OFFICE HOURS These are listed on the first page. During office hours I will be available to talk if you want to speak with me about any aspect of the class or your performance in it. I am also happy to help you with paper assignments at any point in their development researching, drafting, or revising. If you cannot meet me during the regular office hours, just contact me (rjackson14@angelo.edu) to schedule an appointment, and we ll meet at some other time and maybe at some other place. WRITING CENTER The ASU Writing Center is a wonderful resource for students at any stage in the composition process, from brainstorming to editing. Please seek out the assistance of its tutors whenever you think you need it. They do not proofread papers or write papers for you, but they can help with overall structure, organization, development, and mechanics. They offer faceto-face tutoring, synchronous online tutorials, and responses to ed questions. If you seek their help, you should provide them a copy of the assignment prompt and all work you ve completed toward the assignment. The office is located on the third floor of the Porter Henderson Library, Room C305. For more information or to set up an appointment, go to STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Persons with disabilities that may warrant academic accommodations must contact the Student Life Office, Room 112 University Center, in order to request such accommodations prior to any being implemented. You are encouraged to make this request early in the semester so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

5 COURSE CALENDAR The schedule below is subject to change, readings especially. If you are absent, you are responsible for contacting a classmate to find out about any changes to the calendar and about homework. The text that we are reading on a given day should be brought to class in hard copy on the day that the reading is due. Participation is graded daily. BB=Available on Blackboard RQ=Reading Quiz WEEK 1 READING DUE WORK DUE M 8/25 N/A W 8/27 (Th 8/29: Last day to register Sophocles, King Oidipous, lines (PDF on Blackboard) or add class) F 8/29 Sophocles, King Oidipous, lines (PDF on Blackboard) RQ WEEK 2 READING DUE WORK DUE M 9/1 **LABOR DAY NO CLASS** W 9/3 Sophocles, King Oidipous, lines F 9/5 Sophocles, King Oidipous, all (review) RQ WEEK 3 READING DUE WORK DUE M 9/8 Aristophanes, The Birds, lines W 9/10 Aristophanes, The Birds, lines (Census Day) F 9/12 Aristophanes, The Birds, lines 1118-end RQ WEEK 4 READING DUE WORK DUE M 9/15 Voltaire, Candide, Chapters 1-13 W 9/17 Voltaire, Candide, Chapters F 9/19 Voltaire, Candide, Chapters RQ WEEK 5 READING DUE WORK DUE M 9/22 Voltaire, Candide, all (review) W 9/24 Goethe, Faust, Part One, Scenes 4-5 F 9/26 Goethe, Faust, Part One, Scenes 6-8 RQ WEEK 6 READING DUE WORK DUE M 9/29 Goethe, Faust, Part One, Scenes 9-17 W 10/1 Goethe, Faust, Part One, Scenes F 10/3 Goethe, Faust, Part One, Scenes RQ WEEK 7 READING DUE WORK DUE M 10/6 Goethe, Faust, Part One, all (review) W 10/8 N/A: Review for midterm exam MIDTERM EXAM I F 10/10 N/A: Review for midterm exam MIDTERM EXAM II WEEK 8 READING DUE WORK DUE M 10/13 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part One, 1-3 W 10/15 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part One, 4-6 F 10/17 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part One, 7-9 TBA WEEK 9 READING DUE WORK DUE M 10/20 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Two, 1-5 W 10/22 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Two, 6-8 F 10/24 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Three, 9-15 RQ

6 WEEK 10 READING DUE WORK DUE M 10/27 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Three, 1-5 W 10/29 (Th 10/30: Last day to drop or Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Three, 6-8 withdraw) F 10/31 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part Three, 9-11 RQ WEEK 11 READING DUE WORK DUE M 11/3 Flaubert, Madame Bovary, all (review) W 11/5 Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, 1-3 F 11/7 Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, 4-7 RQ WEEK 12 READING DUE WORK DUE M 11/10 Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, 8-12 W 11/12 Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, all (review) F 11/14 Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, all (review) RQ WEEK 13 READING DUE WORK DUE M 11/17 Camus, The Stranger, Part One, Chapter 1 W 11/19 Camus, The Stranger, Part One, Chapters 2-4 F 11/21 Camus, The Strange, Part One, Chapters 5-6 RQ WEEK 14 READING DUE WORK DUE M 11/24 Camus, The Stranger, Part Two, Chapters 1-5 W 11/26 Camus, The Stranger, all (review) RQ F 11/28 **THANKSGIVING NO CLASS** WEEK 15 READING DUE WORK DUE M 12/1 Dinesen, Babette s Feast W 12/3 Dinesen, Babette s Feast F 12/5 Dinesen, Babette s Feast RQ FINAL EXAM: Section 010: Monday, December 8, 8:00 10:00 AM Section 020: Monday, December 8, 10:30 AM 12:00 PM