Syllabus
English 2110: World Literature, Spring 2014
Section 08: MW 2:00-3:15PM, Arts & Sciences 368
Section 09: MW 3:30-4:45PM, Arts & Sciences 345
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
faculty.gcsu.edu/webdav/alex_blazer/
478.445.0964
Office Hours: MTW 1:15-1:45PM Arts & Sciences 330, R 1:15-1:45PM Blackbird,
and 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.
course textbooks (Amazon)
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, 3rd ed., Vol. F
required articles, poems, and short stories (GeorgiaVIEW)
Assignments and Grade Distribution
quizzes, 10%
You will take quizzes designed to make sure you're keeping up with the reading.
close reading paper, 15%
You will pair up to write a 5-6 page close reading paper and 5-7 minute presentation analyzing a key passage in a single work of literature.
ethics paper, 15%
You will write a 5-6 page paper interpreting the ethical issue of a work of literature.
group project, 10%
Groups of 4-5 will research a novel or book of poetry, compose an annotated bibliography, and formally present their findings to the class
two exams, 25% each
You will take two exams, the first in class and the second take home, that require you to compare and contrast issues and themes among works of literature.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an attendance 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 electronic course reserves. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service such as Dropbox to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Attendance
Because this liberal arts course values contemporaneous discussion over fixed lecture, regular attendance is required. Any student who misses seven or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will fail the course. There will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond three. I suggest you use your three days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and surfing the internet will be treated as absences. Unexcused absences include work, family obligations, and scheduled doctor's appointments. Excused absences include family emergency, medical emergency, religious observance, and participation in a college-sponsored activity. If you have a medical condition or an extracurricular activity that you anticipate will cause you to miss more than four days of class, I suggest you drop this section or risk failure. The university class attendance policy can be found here. You can check your attendance 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. 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. It is your responsibility to learn how to control your word-processing program. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the FAQ handout and using 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 a five days of its due date will result in automatic failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date will result in automatic 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 submission of another's work as one's own is plagiarism and will be dealt with using the procedures outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog. Allowing another student to copy one’s own work is considered cheating; and submitting the same paper in two classes (recycling or double-dipping) is dishonest. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty will 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 attend 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 attend class, complete their work with academic integrity, and submit assignments on time will pass the course.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center is a free service available to all members of the university community. Consultants assist writers in the writing process, from conception and organization of compositions to revision to documentation of research. Located in Library 228, the Center is open Monday through Friday. Call 445-3370 or email writingcr@gcsu.edu for more information.
Additional Policies
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, and Fire Drills can be found here.
- 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 GeorgiaVIEW course packet.
- Recommended recordings are just that, recommended but not required, listening.
- This schedule is subject to change, so check back in class and online for possible revisions.
Introductions |
||
Western Europe Celan, poetry (GeorgiaVIEW) [Romania/Ukraine] |
||
No Class: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Recommended: King, "Beyond Vietnam" |
||
Conrad, Heart of Darkness (Puchner 14-78 or GeorgiaVIEW) [Poland/England] |
||
Conrad, continued |
||
No Class: Snow Day |
||
Deigh, Chapter 1 What Is Ethics? (Deigh 1-24 or GeorgiaVIEW) Scholarly Journal Article on Celan or Conrad In Class Activity: Annotations and Ethics of Conrad and Celan |
||
South America & The Caribbean Márquez, "Death Constant Beyond Love" (Puchner 986-92) [Colombia] Naipaul, "One Out of Many" (Puchner 1006-28) [Trinidad/England] Kincaid, "Girl" (Puchner 1144-6) [Antigua/USA] Deigh, Chapter 2 Egoism (Deigh 25-55 or GeorgiaVIEW) In Class Activity: Ethical Conflicts Recommended: Virtual Lit, Kincaid's "Girl" |
||
Díaz, "Drown" (Puchner 1240-8) Díaz, "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" (GeorgiaVIEW) [Dominican Republic/USA] Neruda, poetry (Puchner 583-98 and Poetry Foundation) [Chile] Recommended: Lannan Foundation, Junot Díaz |
||
No Class: Snow Day |
||
|
Neruda, continued Deigh, Chapter 3 Eudaimonism (Deigh 56-92) |
|
Walcott, poetry (Puchner 939-76 and Poetry Foundation) [Saint Lucia] Deigh, Chapter 4 Utilitarianism (Deigh 93-122) |
||
|
Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Derek Walcott" |
||
Allende, The House of the Spirits (Allende 1-102) [Chile] |
||
Allende, continued (Allende 103-208) Deigh, Chapter 5 The Moral Law (Deigh 123-156) |
||
Allende, concluded (Allende 209-433) Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Isabel Allende" |
||
Wa Thiang'o, "Wedding at the Cross" (Puchner 1037-48) Wa Thiang'o, "A Meeting in the Dark" (GeorgiaVIEW) [Kenya] Deigh, Chapter 6 The Ethics of Self-Determinism (Deigh 157-95) |
||
No Class: Spring Break |
||
No Class: Spring Break |
||
Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Achebe 1-74) Tyson, "Postcolonial Criticism" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
||
Achebe, continued (Achebe 75-148) |
||
Achebe, concluded (Achebe 149-209) Recommended: BBC World Book Club, "Chinua Achebe" |
||
Aidoo, "Two Sisters" (Puchner 993-1004) Head, "The Deep River: A Story of Ancient Tribal Migration" (Puchner 1098-1104) [Botswana] Deigh, Chapter 7 Practical Reason (Deigh 196-232) |
||
Coetzee, Disgrace (Coetzee 1-74) |
||
Writing Day: Bring Your Laptops |
||
Coetzee, concluded (Coetzee 151-220) |
||
The Middle East Mahfouz, "Zaabalawi" (Puchner 882-91) [Egypt] Pamuk, "To Look Out the Window" (Puchner 1275-92) [Turkey] |
||
El Saadawi, "In Camera" (Puchner 1104-15) [Egypt] Al-Shaykh, "The Women's Swimming Pool" (1165-71) [Lebanon] |
||
Darwish, poetry (Puchner 892-4 and Poetry Foundation) [Palestine] |
||
Darwish, continued |
||
|
||
|