• Location: RS 307
  • Date & Time: Spring 2008 - MWF 12:00-12:50
  • Office Hours: RS 211 - MW 8:30-9:00; 10:30-11:00 & TTh 10:45-11:45 & by appt

Image of Metamorphosis II on Wiki"I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us. We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us."; - Franz Kafka

Course Description

Welcome to the English Literature 481 (Honors) website. If this course works for you, it will deepen your appreciation of Asian, African, European and American literature, expose you to literary theory and encourage you to develop your own interpretations of what you read. At its best, this course will help you appreciate your own wisdom, value, and humanity.

To take this course you must have been admitted to the honors program and be eligible for English 300. Download the latest syllabus here.

Required Texts

Syllabus of readings from World Reader: The Modern World, Harper Collins, Mary Ann Caws and Christopher Prendergast

We will be discussing all of the following short novels. Copies are available at the bookstore and in the reserve section of the library. You can also find inexpensive copies in used bookstores.

Recommended Texts

Syllabus

Course Objectives:

  • To study significant world masterpieces in a seminar setting that allows free exchange of information and ideas.
  • To learn the background of these works in order to understand them and the cultures that created them more thoroughly.
  • To explore ways in which these works comment on or clarify our age and our own lives.
  • To develop critical thinking and analytical writing skills through research, class discussion, presentations, and the writing of essays.
  • To develop research skills involving the analysis and synthesis of information from secondary sources.

Class Format:

  • I ask you to read works from each of the eras and submit responses most Mondays for the works we'll be studying that week.
  • This class has a seminar format (open discussion with instructor and/or students leading discussion). Each member of this class is an important part of our discussion, so plan to attend every class unless you have an emergency. If you must miss a class, be sure to get notes from a fellow classmate.

Plagarism:

  • Plagiarism means "kidnapping" someone else's writing and turning it in as your own. That means not only copying someone's paper but also "borrowing" ideas or sentences from a source without giving that source acknowledgment. In your research paper especially, you will look for support in outside sources to back up your ideas, but the reasoning and the sentences must be yours. If you plagiarize any part of a paper intentionally, I will drop you, and if the offense is serious, I will send your name to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.

Accommodations:

  • If you have a learning disability, a physical disability, or other special needs, please let me know as soon as you can so we can arrange special accommodations. This kind of confidential discussion is best handled during my office hours. You can expect confidentially and cooperation regarding any circumstances and needs that have been verified through the disability centers on campus.

Extra Help:

  • Please feel free to drop by my office or call or email me if you have questions or would like individual help. I really want you to succeed in this class, and I'll work with you to help you accomplish your goals. Remember, you're in this class to learn, and my job is to help you do so. If you run into problems keeping up with the work, have an emergency that will keep you from participating for an extended time, or simply are confused about an assignment, then contact me, and I'll work with you to help you succeed. If you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed and are thinking about dropping the class, please email me before reaching your decision, I may be able to offer some help that will keep you in the class.
  • I look forward to teaching this class.

Important Dates: Los Rios Academic Calendar

Assignments

Essays: You will write two essays for this class. The first essay is a critical paper in which you interpret a reading from your own perspective. (3 typed pages, 100 points).

The second essay is a research paper on one or two works that have special interest for you. For this essay you will consult at least five secondary sources and use at least three in your argument. (6-8 pages, 300 points) This paper must include a list of works cited at the end of your essay and use MLA format for in-text citations. Please note that I will ask you to submit copies of your sources/source pages with the research paper. I will not grade a research paper without these pages.

Research projects may cover any issue in world literature and focus on authors from the time periods we are studying who have made a contribution to the literature of their country or era. However, please avoid biographical topics.

Possible Research Topics: May be one of the following: (If you have an alternate project, let me know.)

  • a) Cover an issue in world literature that has received critical attention
  • b) Evaluate a critical approach to one of the texts we're studying
  • c) Evaluate several interpretations of the text
  • d) Apply one critical theory to offer your own interpretation of a text (e.g., historical, feminist, textual, structural analysis,, Jungian, Freudians, and so on.)

Late Papers: Unless you have an unforeseeable emergency, I will not accept essays that are more than one class meeting late. Late essays will receive a "C" grade for the assignment.

Reader-Responses/quizzes (10 points each): I will ask you to write at least one typed page, about 250-300 words most Mondays starting the second week of class. These and discussion questions we will develop will prepare you for class discussion and help you identify topics to explore in your essays.

I score your reader/response assignments on the basis of insight and thoroughness. I do not accept late responses/quizzes; that means you must attend class and turn in your resonse on time to receive credit for the assignment. However, I will allow you to write additional responses to make up a missed assignment. You are exempt from the reader/response assignment the week you are giving a presentation.

By the sixth or seventh week I will ask students to develop their own study questions for class discussion.

Oral Presentation (100 points): Early in the semester, you will sign up for a presentation topic. You will be responsible for providing the class with a typed outline of your presentation along with a list of your sources using correct MLA format. You might also provide students with useful handouts/information relevant to your discussion.

Students usually give a brief overview of the historical and cultural context for the work and proceed to textual analysis. Biographical discussions should be kept to a minimum to allow focus on the cultural and literary interest of the work itself.

Let me know if you will need a laptop/DVD player for your presentation.

Final Exam: You will write a comprehensive final exam during finals week. I will give you sample questions and you will develop questions as a class, which means you will have a choice of topics, and I won't be giving you any topics that we haven't discussed.

Attendance (30 points): This is an honors seminar, and your regular attendance, diligent preparation of reading and writing assignments, and active participation in this class are absolutely vital. To earn 30 points for this category, you must have good attendance and consistent, active, and responsible participation. Absences and less consistent participation (both in quantity and quality), will lower the number of points you earn. The fifth absence will result in your being dropped from the class (or you will receive a failing grade). I make no distinction between "excused" and unexcused absences. I expect you to attend every class, but if you miss one because of illness or an emergency, you should check with a classmate or with me for any assignment updates (It's also a good idea to check with fellow students to see what you missed and to get their class notes if possible).

Additional Meetings: A few times during the semester we will meet at my home or on campus to see videos that complement readings listed in the course outline. These meetings offer you a chance to meet fellow students and discuss a few of the works we are studying. You can make up an absence and a missing response by attending and writing a commentary about these films. Attendance at these events is not required, however. For a list of titles of the videos I plan to use, consult the Class Schedule under "Related Texts and Videos." I welcome other suggestions for films that might enhance our discussion. Please note that I'm happy to help you with any aspect of your writing or reading projects for the semester.

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