SPRING 2001
ENG 121-P: WORLD LITERATURE II
COURSE SYLLABUS

• Professor: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta, fajardo@creighton.edu, 280-2522
• Office: CA 304A
• Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:30-1:30
• Home Page: http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/
  
  
• Course: ENG 121-P, Call No. 1823
  
  
• Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00-12:15
  
  
• Classroom: Administration (A) 335

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.

Required

• The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Volume 2, Expanded Edition, ed. Maynard Mack.
• Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, trans. Francis Steegmuller (Vintage/Random House, 1992).
• Cristina Garcia, Dreaming in Cuban

Recommended

• Laurie Kirszner & Stephen Mandell, The Brief Holt Handbook (Harcourt Brace) (this can be very useful in the writing of your papers)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1) Two Papers (20%)
Length: 3- 5 typewritten pages each. Papers must be original and must follow the guidelines provided by the instructor. Topics: papers should have a clear and well-focused thesis addressing one or more of the issues raised int the study questions provided for each text (see course website). 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 list of Proofmarks and Corrections used in the grading of papers.

2) Midterm Exam (25%), Final Exam (25%), and Two Quizzes (20%)
Both exams will feature essay as well as objective questions dealing with literary texts, their features, authors, and history. Quizzes will involve objective questions of various formats (multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.). The essay portions of the exams will ask 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, or 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) Participation and Other Performance (10%)
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 aspects of a student's performance such as class participation, preparation, contributions, effort, attentiveness, interest, improvement, responsibility, etc.

4) Attendance
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 a student attended only 75% of the total 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.

5) Out-of-Class Event
All students in the course are required to attend at least one out-of-class event such as a lecture, poetry/fiction reading, film, play, exhibit, or live performance relevant to the understanding and appreciation of the course materials. Satisfaction of this requirement will be taken into account in the "Attendance" and "Participation and Other Performance" grade categories. Special events arranged for this semester are the following (students attending these events must sign the instructor's attendance sheet to satisfy the requirement):

• Cristina Garcia, lecture, time and place to be announced
• John Montague, poetry reading,
time and place to be announced

Students unable to attend any of the events listed above can satisfy the requirement by attending the alternative events listed in "World Literature Program Special Events" or by using the videotapes on reserve at the library for the World Literature courses (all alternative events must be approved by the instructor in advance). Special efforts by students attending more than one event will be taken into consideration in the "Participation and Other Performance" grade category. Notice that students using alternative or videotaped events must write a one-page report/analysis for each event.

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:

All reading is due on the date indicated. Read the introductions and texts for all assignments, as well as all materials in the course's website. At the course's website you will find sections on authorial, textual, and historical information as well as review and study questions for each text. Make sure to read and explore those materials thoroughly as they provide the basis for class discussions, paper topics, quizzes, and exams.

• Literature: An Introduction

• Molière, Tartuffe

• François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire, Candide

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

• Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

• MIDTERM EXAM

• T.S. Eliot, "The Waste Land"

Thu Mar 15

• Virginia Woolf, "An Unwritten Novel"

• Ralph Ellison, "King of the Bingo Game"

• Samuel Beckett, Endgame

Thu Apr 12

• PAPER #2 DUE
• Endgame

• Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths"
  

| Back to Main Page |