SUMMER 99
ENG 121-A: WORLD LITERATURE II
COURSE SYLLABUS
CLICK HERE FOR NAMES, PICTURES, AND WORK OF STUDENTS IN THIS CLASS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A study of representative works of world literature from the seventeenth
century to the present. The course emphasizes the study and consideration
of the literary, cultural, and human significance of selected great works
of the Western and non-Western literary traditions, including women's, minority,
and ethnic literature from around the world. An important goal of the class
is to promote an understanding of the works in their cultural/historical
contexts and of the enduring human values which unite the different literary
traditions. Readings include fiction, drama, and poetry.
TEXTS
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Term Project & Project Presentation (30%)
All students will be required to undertake and complete a project which may
be an original analytical paper or a creative work such as a short story, play,
or set of poems (7-10 written pages or equivalent). Also acceptable are substantial
and ORIGINAL art works (painting, drawing, music, film, web sites, etc.). All
creative options must be clearly relevant and related to the class materials.
All works must be created during and for the specific purposes of this course.
Students will be asked to make a 5-10 minute presentation in class describing
and/or performing their projects. Students are strongly encouraged to consult
with the instructor (well in advance of the deadline) regarding the acceptability
and progress of projects. Students choosing to write a paper must follow the
guidelines provided by the instructor. For further
information on the writing and grading of essays see Grading
Standards and Procedures, and Grading
of Essays and Other Written Work. See also Guidelines
for Presentations.
2) Midterm (15%) and Final Essay Exams (20%)
Both exams will be essay examinations asking students to read closely, analyze,
and interpret a particular passage from one of the texts studied and/or develop
a theme/issue related to the readings, lectures, and class discussions. The
same criteria which apply to papers will be used in the grading of exams (see
"Grading of Essays and Other Written
Work." Students should expect to do a substantial amount of writing
(4-6 handwritten pages) during an exam and must bring paper and pens to each
examination (no pencils please). All handwriting in an exam must be neat and
easily legible. No credit will be given for illegible exams.
3) Group Presentation (20%)
Students will be divided into groups which will take turns making presentations
about selected texts and authors (the instructor wil make specific group and
topic assignments on the first day of class). Students will be responsible for
carefully reading and researching the substance and background of the assigned
texts and presenting them to the class. Presentations should offer a combination
of factual information and personal commentary by the presenters. Strongly encouraged
is the use of audiovisual materials (pictures, slides, videotapes, audio recordings,
live or recorded performance pieces, multimedia computer presentations, etc.)
which may in any way enhance the content and appeal of the presentations. See
Guidelines for Presentations
for further details.
4) Participation and Other Performance (15%)
In addition to other grades, the instructor will assess and grade each student's
overall accomplishment, development, and involvement in the course. This
grade will take into account all aspects of a student's performance, including
class participation, preparation, contributions, effort, attentiveness,
interest, improvement, responsibility, etc. This category will account for
15% of the course grade.
5) Attendance Policy
An attendance measurement will be calculated equal to the percentage of total
class time attended. The course grade may not exceed that percentage (i.e. if
the student attended only 75% of the class time, the course grade may not be
higher than 75 or C). Notice also that, at the discretion of the instructor,
any student missing more than 30% of the total class time may fail the course.
See documents entitled "Grading Standards
and Procedures" and "Grading
of Essays and Other Written Work." for further information on grading.
At the discretion of the instructor, a normative curve may be applied to the
grades at the end of the term. The course grade will be calculated according
to the following formula:
| Term Project and Project Presentation | 30% |
| Midterm Exam Essay | 15% |
| Group Presentations | 20% |
| Participation and Other | 15% |
| Final Exam Essay | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
COURSE SCHEDULE
All reading is due on the date indicated. Read the introductions and texts for all assignments, as well as any materials linked through the course's on-line syllabus.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3