SUMMER 98
WORLD LITERATURE PROGRAM
ENG 121-A: WORLD LITERATURE II
COURSE SYLLABUS
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 original and created during and
for the specific purposes of this course. Students will be asked to make
a 10-15 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. All projects and presentations are due Thursday June
4. The project and presentation will account for 30% of the course grade.
2) Midterm (15%) and Final Essay Exams (20%)
The midterm essay is scheduled for Monday, May 26. The final essay will
take place Friday, June 5. 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. The midterm and final exams will account for 15% and 20%
of the course grade respectively.
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. Presentations will account for
20% of the course grade.
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 cumulative grade averages at the end of the term. The course grade will
be calculated according to the following formula:
| Term Project and Project Presentation | 30% |
| Midterm Essay | 15% |
| Group Presentations | 20% |
| Participation and Other | 15% |
| Final Essay | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
COURSE SCHEDULE
All reading is due on the date indicated. Read the introductions and texts for all assignments.