Syllabus
English 2110 World Literature, Spring 2017
Section 02: TR 9:30-10:45 a.m., Online
Section 03: TR 11:00-12:15 p.m., Online
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
478.445.0964
Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:45 p.m. and 5:00-5:30 p.m. by appointment
This section of world literature will interpret twentieth-century fiction and poetry from Western Europe, the Caribbean and South America, Africa, and the Middle East through cultural, ethical, and (sometimes) postcolonial lenses. This course's Academic Assessment page describes our outcomes:
- Appraise significant works from a variety of cultural traditions;
- Examine the historical, social, cultural, and intellectual contexts of
these works; - Distinguish qualities of genre and the role of culture in shaping
genre; - Articulate reasoned analysis of texts and contexts in correct,
effective oral and written form.
The above specific outcomes for this course address, in part, the expected outcomes for the Core. Note: An additional student learning outcome concerning multiple ethical perspectives is currently under development at the departmental level. This course fulfills 3 semester hours of Area C. Humanities, Ethics, and Fine Arts in the core curriculum and assesses the following outcomes:
- Students will be able to explain how texts and works of art in the humanities address human experiences.
- Students will be able to evaluate multiple perspectives on ethical issues.
This online section of the course will require weekly participation via discussion board responses completed outside of scheduled class time, small group activities completed via videoconference during scheduled class time, and weekly large group chats via videoconference during scheduled class time. Assignments include a close reading paper, an ethics paper, a research bibliography, a midterm exam, and a final exam.
course textbooks (Amazon or GCSU Bookstore)
Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Allende, The House of the Spirits
Coetzee, Disgrace
Deigh, An Introduction to Ethics
Puchner, ed. et al., The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 4th ed., Vol. F
required articles, poems, and short stories (GeorgiaVIEW)
Assignments and Grade Distribution
close reading paper, 15%
You will have the option to either individually write a 4-5 page close reading paper that analyzes a key passage in a single work of literature or pair up and collaboratively write a 6-7 page close reading paper.
ethics paper, 20%
You will write a 5-6 page paper interpreting the ethical issue of a work of literature.
research project, 10%
You will have the option to either individually research a novel or book of poetry or work with two or three other students to collaboratively research the work and present your findings to the class. Individual annotated bibliographies will consist of 10 sources while group annotated bibliographies will consist of 20 sources.
two exams, 25% and 30% each
You will take both a midterm exam and a final exam that require you to compare and contrast issues and themes among works of literature. Use this spreadsheet to calculate your course grade.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an participation record, a course grade calculation spreadsheet, FAQ, a GeorgiaVIEW walkthrough, a guide to literary analysis, a research methods guide, and paper templates. We will use GeorgiaVIEW for assignment submission and the course packet; if you experience technical issues with GeorgiaVIEW, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for support at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478.445.2520. We will use Zoom for online small group activities and large class chats during the scheduled class time. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Participation
Our course includes three kinds of participation: making a comment or asking a question in the large class lectures and discussions conducted virtually over Zoom during the scheduled meeting time, active engagement in small group activities conducted virtually over Zoom during the scheduled meeting time, and 100-200 word posts in the GeorgiaVIEW discussion board that respond to assigned reading outside of the scheduled class time but by Sunday of the week in which the questions were posted. Each week with two meeting days, you are required to participate twice: 1-2 Zoom sessions and 0-1 discussion posts. Each week with one meeting day, you are required to participate once: either a Zoom session or a discussion post. I encourage you to participate in all the available ways. If you do not turn on your Zoom video, or if you do not fulfill the minimum participation in a given week, then your weekly participation is considered zero. You can receive two zeros without penalty. However, for each week of non-participation beyond two, you will receive a one-third letter grade deduction on your final course grade. You can check your participation here.
MLA Style and Length Requirements
Part of writing in a discipline is adhering to the field's style guide. While other disciplines use APA or Chicago style, literature and composition follows MLA style. Assignments such as in-class exams, discussion board responses, informal/journal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted; however, formal assignments and take-home exams must employ MLA style. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) margins, header, and heading, 2) font, font size, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length (not including Works Cited page) while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a additional one-third letter grade penalty. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the MLA style checklist. Feel free to use these templates that are preformatted to MLA style.
Late Assignments
We're all busy with multiple classes and commitments, and adhering to deadlines is critical for the smooth running of the course. There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Because your completion of this course's major learning outcomes depends on the completion of pertinent assignments, failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within five days of its due date may result in failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date may result in failure of the course.
Academic Honesty
The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." The Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog define academic dishonesty as "Plagiarizing, including the submission of others’ ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own. When direct quotations are used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline" and "Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course," among other false representations. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, "since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge," any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty may fail the assignment and the course. Here is how I have dealt with plagiarists in the past. This course uses plagiarism prevention technology from TurnItIn. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Passing or Failing of the Course
There are three ways to fail the course: failing to regularly participate in class, plagiarizing, failing an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade, be it from poor quality, lateness of submission, or a combination of poor quality and lateness. By contrast, students who regularly participate, complete their work with academic integrity, and submit assignments on time will pass the course. You can calculate your final course grade here.
Writing Center
Writing consultants will work with any student writer working on any project in any discipline. To learn more about Writing Center locations, hours, scheduling and services, please go to https://www.gcsu.edu/writingcenter. If you have questions about the Writing
Center, send an email to writing.center@gcsu.edu.
Additional Policies
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, Fire Drills, Electronic Recording Policy, and Academic Grievance or Appeals can be found here.
- Dates marked with Zoom indicate that the class will meet in the large class Zoom room. Dates marked with Breakout indicate that the students will meet in Zoom Breakout Rooms; check the Small Group Activity for your breakout room.
- Readings without links are located in books to be purchased. Linked readings are located on the internet. Readings marked with the word GeorgiaVIEW in parentheses are located in the course packet.
- Since there are two editions of Puchner's Norton Anthology of World Literature available for purchase, the third and the fourth edition, the schedule provides the start pages of the two editions.
- Recommended readings are suggested but not required.
- This schedule is subject to change, so check back for possible revisions.
Week 1 |
R, 8-13 |
Introductions |
Week 2 |
T, 8-18 |
Western Europe Celan, poetry (GeorgiaVIEW) [Romania/Ukraine] Recommended: Poem Talk, Paul Celan's "Corona" |
R, 8-20 |
Conrad, Heart of Darkness (Puchner 14 or 14, GeorgiaVIEW, or Project Gutenberg) [Poland/England] |
|
Week 3 |
T, 8-25 |
Conrad, continued Deigh, Chapter 1 What Is Ethics? (Deigh 1-24 or GeorgiaVIEW) |
R, 8-27 |
Small Group Activity: Annotations and Ethics of Conrad and Celan |
|
Week 4 |
T, 9-1 |
South America & The Caribbean García Márquez, "Death Constant Beyond Love" (Puchner 986 or 909) [Colombia] Naipaul, "One Out of Many" (GeorgiaVIEW) [Trinidad/England] |
R, 9-3 |
Kincaid, "Girl" (Puchner 1144 or 1043) [Antigua/USA] Díaz, "Drown" (Puchner 1240 or 1150) Díaz, "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" (GeorgiaVIEW) [Dominican Republic/USA] Deigh, Chapter 2 Egoism (Deigh 25-55 or GeorgiaVIEW) Recommended: Virtual Lit, Kincaid's "Girl" Recommended: Lannan Foundation, Junot Díaz |
|
Week 5 |
T, 9-8 |
Neruda, poetry (Puchner 589 or 604 and Poetry Foundation) [Chile] |
R, 9-10 |
Neruda, continued Deigh, Chapter 3 Eudaimonism (Deigh 56-92) |
|
Week 6
|
T, 9-15 |
Walcott, poetry (Puchner 939 or 886 and Poetry Foundation) [Saint Lucia] Deigh, Chapter 4 Utilitarianism (Deigh 93-122) |
R, 9-17 |
Walcott, continued Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Derek Walcott" |
|
Week 7 |
T, 9-22 |
Writing Day / Expanded Office Hours |
R, 9-24 |
Allende, The House of the Spirits (Allende 1-114/Chapters 1 Rosa the Beautiful-3 Clara the Clairvoyant) [Chile] |
|
Week 8 |
T, 9-29 |
Allende, continued (Allende 115-231/Chapters 4 The Time of the Spirits-6 Revenge) Deigh, Chapter 5 The Moral Law (Deigh 123-156) |
R, 10-1 |
Allende, continued (Allende 209-352/Chapters 7 The Brothers-10 The Epoch of Decline) Small Group Activity: The Elements of Allende's House (Redux) |
|
Week 9 |
T, 10-6 |
Allende, concluded (Allende 353-481/Chapters 11 The Awakening through Epilogue) Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Isabel Allende" |
R, 10-8 |
Wa Thiang'o, "Wedding at the Cross" (Puchner 1038 or 936) Wa Thiang'o, "A Meeting in the Dark" (GeorgiaVIEW) [Kenya] Deigh, Chapter 6 The Ethics of Self-Determinism (Deigh 157-95) |
|
Week 10 |
T, 10-13 |
Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Achebe 1-74/Chapters 1-8) Tyson, "Postcolonial Criticism" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
T, 10-15 |
Achebe, continued (Achebe 75-148/Chapters 9-16) |
|
Week 11 |
T, 10-20 |
Achebe, concluded (Achebe 149-209/Chapters 17-25) Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Chinua Achebe" |
R, 10-22 |
Aidoo, "Two Sisters" (Puchner 993 or 916) Head, "The Deep River" (Puchner 1098 or 997) [Botswana] Deigh, Chapter 7 Practical Reason (Deigh 196-232) |
|
Week 12 |
T, 10-27 |
|
R, 10-29 |
Writing Day / Expanded Office Hours |
|
Week 13 |
T, 11-3 |
|
R, 11-5 |
Coetzee, concluded (Coetzee 151-220/Chapters 18-24) |
|
Week 14 |
T, 11-10 |
The Middle East Mahfouz, "Zaabalawi" (Puchner 881 or 863) [Egypt] Pamuk, "To Look Out the Window" (Puchner 1275 or 1170) [Turkey] |
R, 11-12 |
No Class: Professor at Virtual Conference |
|
Week 15 |
T, 11-17 |
El Saadawi, "In Camera" (Puchner 1104 or 1003) [Egypt] Al-Shaykh, "The Women's Swimming Pool" (Puchner 1165 or 1077) [Lebanon] Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Nawal El Saadawi" |
R, 11-19 |
Darwish, "Identity Card" (Genius) and poetry (Poetry Foundation) [Palestine] |
|
Week 16 |
T, 11-24 |
Darwish, concluded |
R, 11-26 |
No Class: Thanksgiving Holiday |
|
Finals |
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