SUMMER 2007
ENG 121: WORLD LITERATURE II
COURSE SYLLABUS

Art work: Sandra Behncke

Professor: Fidel Fajardo-Acosta
Course: ENG 121, Section B, CRN 40051
Class Time: MTWThF 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Classroom: Administration Building, Room 337
Course Dates: Summer Pre-Session, Monday, May 14-Friday, June 1, 2007
Office Hours: M-F 12:00-12:50 pm and by appointment
Office: Hitchcock Communication Arts Building (CA) Room 304 A
Office Telephone: (402) 280-2522
email: fajardo@creighton.edu
Web Home Pages:

http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/
http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/

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. The course's pedagogy gives special attention to critical thinking and writing within a framework of cultural diversity as well as comparative and interdisciplinary analysis.

TEXTBOOKS (available at the bookstore):

• Paul Davis, Gary Harrison, The Bedford Anthology of World Literature, Package B (Volumes 4, 5, 6) (Bedford / St. Martins, 2003). ISBN 0–312–40482–4

Art work: Krista Hannon

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1) Two Exams (50%)

Each exam will include objective questions and an essay section. The objective section of the exam will include questions on the content and form of the readings (characters, plots, situations, imagery, genres, etc.) as well as contexts including authors, dates, places, relevant historical events, cultural trends, and literary terminology. The essay portion of the exam 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. Essays will be graded on the basis of the student's comprehension of the material, interpretive ability, writing accomplishment, understanding of the connections between texts and historical/cultural contexts, critical thinking and capacity to make personal discoveries building on the ideas and issues discussed in the course. For further information on the grading of essays see "Grading Standards and Procedures" and "Grading of Essays and Other Written Work.".

2) Term Project and Presentation (25%)

All students are required to design and complete a term project which may be an original paper or a creative work such as a short story, play, a set of poems, original art work (paintings, drawings, collages, dance, music, film, web sites, performance pieces, etc.). The projects will be evaluated on the basis of relevance, insight, thoughtfulness, effort and significant engagement of some aspect of the issues, ideas, or materials studied in the course. All work must be original, personal and clearly relevant and related to the class materials. Each student will make an in-class presentation describing and/or performing her/his project. Use of audiovisual materials in presentations is encouraged. All projects must be approved by the instructor in advance. Students choosing to write a paper must follow the guidelines provided by the instructor. Suggested minimum length of written works is about 5 typewritten, double-spaced pages (1250-1500 words).

3) Participation and Other Performance (25%)

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) Grading Scale, Attendance & Other Policies

All aspects of the course will be graded on a 100-point scale where 90-100 = A, 87-89 = B+, 80-86 = B, 77-79 = C+, 70-76 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F

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 = 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.

Make-ups/extensions for a missed deadline or exam will only be given in cases of documented serious illness or other valid, non-frivolous excuse such as documented participation in official University sports or academic/service events (it will be up to the instructor to determine and decide on the acceptability of an excuse).

Originality and personal effort are required in all student work. All students must observe the University's guidelines on student conduct as described in Creighton University's Student Handbook and the Code of Conduct. Plagiarism, cheating in exams, submitting the work of others as one's own, recycling work from previous terms, copying material from internet or other sources,and other forms of academic dishonesty will result in failing the given assignment and possibly, at the discretion of the instructor, the entire course.

The course grade will be calculated according to the following formula:

Art work: Meagan Uffelman

SCHEDULE

All reading is due on the date indicated. Read the introductions and texts for all assignments, as well as all relevant materials posted in Dr. Fajardo-Acosta's World Literature website (click on the subjects below to find those materials) . On that website you will find information on authors and texts, historical and cultural context, terminology, and study questions. Make sure to read and explore those materials thoroughly as they will be the basis for class discussions and exams.

WEEK 1

Mon May 14

• Understanding Literature

Tue May 15

• Author: Jean Baptiste Poquelin Molière, Text: Tartuffe

Wed May 16

• Moliere's Tartuffe
• Author: François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire, Text: Candide

Thu May 17

• Voltaire's Candide

Fri May 18

• EXAM #1

WEEK 2

Mon May 21

• Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Text: Faust

Tue May 22

• Author: Emily Dickinson, Text: Poetry of Emily Dickinson (read the selections in the textbook and in handouts)

Wed May 23

• Author: T. S. Eliot, Text: "The Waste Land"

Thu May 24

• T. S. Eliot, "The Waste Land"
• PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE (brief one-paragraph explanation of project, including topic, medium/materials, ideas to be explored; may be emailed or submitted in print)

Fri May 25

• EXAM #2

WEEK 3

Mon May 28

• MEMORIAL DAY. NO CLASS

Tue May 29

• Author: Lu Xun, Text: "Diary of a Madman" (handout)

Wed May 30

• Author: Naguib Mahfouz, Text: "Zaabalawi"

Thu May 31

• Author: Jorge Luis Borges, Text: "The Garden of Forking Paths"

Fri June 01

• TERM PROJECT PRESENTATIONS. PROJECTS DUE

Art work: Cameron Hinkson

Art work: Cameron Hinkson

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last updated: 06/08/2007