ENGL 2111 World Literature I Dr.

Lucas 1

ENGL 2111: World Literature I

Prerequisite: ENGL 1102 • Summer 2004, First Session

Dr. Gerald Lucas ([email protected])

http://litmuse.maconstate.edu/english/
Office: TBA

ENGL 2111, World Literature I, explores various forms of “literary” discourse since the first epic, through the
mid-seventeenth century. We will focus on textual studies of the major genres of this period, epic and tragedy,
and how those genres influenced later literary works and how they portray “humanist” issues throughout the
history of several national literary traditions. World Literature I will show the continued relevance of just why
ancient works are still paramount to knowing ourselves as “humans.” Major works covered will include
Gilgamesh, the Iliad , the Odyssey , the Aeneid , and works by Sophocles, Ovid, and Dante, among others. Since any
survey course has much more literature than one semester-long class can cover, we will attempt to cover only a
couple works in detail, rather than many works only cursorily.

Required Materials
• The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Seventh Edition, Volume 1
• Pen and Paper for note taking

Course Requirements
Final Exam (50%): A final cumulative exam will be given; it will be a combination objective and essay. This
exam will test your knowledge of the subject matter (texts, lecture material, and vocabulary), your ability to
synthesize this material, and your creativity in going beyond the discussion and lecture materials. The final exam
will include vocabulary, identification, and interpretation. All exam grades will be based upon objective
knowledge of the material, thoroughness, depth of insight, precision, and originality.

Responses (30%): For any five (out of eight) of the major works we study in this class, you are required to
respond in writing. In most cases, I will supply prompts to get you thinking (on web site). These responses
should be at least 500 words and should be submitted on paper according to the formatting under policies. The
purpose of these responses is to get you thinking about issues covered in the works that are important to your
life. You should reflect on how these works relate to other works we discuss in class, literature you have read
previously, or your own daily life. All entries should be thoughtful, refer to specific portions of the text on which you're
writing, and use the critical vocabulary that we have introduced in class. If you do any research, be sure that you correctly
cite both the primary and secondary texts. Also, see reader response criticism for an idea on how to write about
literature (on web site).

Class Participation (20%): Regular class attendance and active participation in classroom discussion are
required. Some assignments will occasionally count for participation: quizzes, peer editing, the viewing of a film,
and similar activities. Additional assistance may be obtained from me during my office hours or by appointment.
Your participation in group activities and your preparation for class will be weighed heavily in evaluation:
participation, effort, and attitude will count significantly. Since reading is such an important component of this
course, you should expect a quiz for every assigned reading. These quizzes are designed to test factual aspects of
the text, not interpretation or evaluation. Read every text carefully and take reading notes — character names,
general plot, important items, etc. — and the quizzes will be no problem. Quizzes, other class activities, and
homework assignments not explicitly outlined on this document will be factored into your final class
participation grade.
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Classroom Policies
Assignments: Your work represents you. Therefore, I expect everything you turn into me to exemplify the very
best of your professional self. Every out-of-class assignment must be word-processed on white, wrinkle-free
paper. I will not accept any hand-written assignment, period. Please plan ahead so that you have plenty of time
to make your assignments as presentable as possible. All essays must be formatted according to MLA Style: typed,
double-spaced, and contain your name, class name and number, my name, and date in the upper-left-hand corner
of the first page; all pages must have the your last name followed by the page number in the upper-right-hand
corner 1/2-inch from the top. Additionally, the essay's title should be centered and appear directly before the
introduction. Use a twelve-point, serif font (no smaller or larger) and refrain from superfluous underlining,
bolding, etc. (For a visual of MLA format, see any ENGL 1101 handbook.) Also, be sure to review the Editor’s
Checklist (on web site) before turning in your essays. Finally, always keep copies of your assignments, especially
when they have been graded and returned.

Attendance: Attendance will be taken at every class meeting, either orally or on an attendance sheet. If the latter,
a sheet of paper with the day’s date will be sent around at the start of every class; your name must appear on this
list, or you were absent for that day. If you come in late, it is your responsibility to ask me for the attendance
sheet so that you may sign in. If you fail to do so, you are absent. The college's official attendance policy states
that students should not be penalized for missing three (3) class periods (three hours), but a student’s grade will
be negatively affected if absences exceed three (3) hours in one semester. There are no “excused absences” in my
class, but you are allowed to miss three (3) hours — no questions asked, nor explanations needed — before your
grade suffers. I am aware that extenuating circumstances will sometimes catch us off guard. If something
happens, communication is the key between a passing grade and a failure. Talk with me if something happens.
Each additional hour missed beyond the allotted three will result in your final semester’s grade being
dropped one letter. That is, if you have a 78 “C” for your final grade, but you have missed four hours, you will
have earned a 68 “D” in the class by having missed too many. Remember: the only thing that counts here is the
physical presence of a body in class; excuses will not help this measurable fact at all. It is your responsibility to
discover what was missed in class and any assignments. Quizzes and in-class activities cannot be made up for
any reason.

Children: Since class lecture and discussion will often touch on the controversial, this classroom is not an
appropriate place for children. Please make arrangements to have your children looked after while you attend
class.

Class Time: Because discussion and active participation are integral to the learning process, I rarely lecture.
Therefore, time in class will be spent on discussion of readings, student writing, and exercises with the occasional
short lecture. Quizzes, practice essays, discussions, and lectures are designed to benefit the entire group while
personal problems and concerns should be handled during office hours.

Deadlines: Late work is not acceptable and will receive a zero. Allowing for a single contingency, one late
assignment will be accepted; this assignment cannot be more than a week late. After this limit, I can accept no
late assignments. The reason for this: what you write for each class will create the class. If you write nothing,
then the class does not exist. To ensure the existence of class, you are allowed only one late daily assignment.
Plan ahead and turn in your work on time. Late essays cannot, for any reson, be rewritten for a grade increase.

Electronic Communication Devices: Please leave all distracting electronic devices, cell phones and beepers, in
your car, or silence them during class. I understand our contemporary need to be in contact with everyone all the
time, but do not let this personal need distract the rest of the class. In addition, I do not allow class discussions to
be taped, so do not bring any voice recording devices to class, though I do encourage your bringing an ink
interface and dead trees on which to take notes.

Grades: Final grades will be based upon a traditional ten-point scale for letters and then a plus or minus for a
more accurate grade. Also see individual course descriptions for specific requirements. You are not in
competition with each other; you will each receive the grade you earn. For a description of what letter grades
mean, see grade descriptions or refer to the Macon State College Academic Catalog.
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I do not transmit grades electronically at any time. I have no problem apprising you of your current
standing in this class, but I will not do so over any electronic medium, including email or the phone. If you would
like to know your official grade, you should see me during my office hours or make an appointment.

Incompletes: This course will strictly abide by University and departmental policies regarding incompletes. An
incomplete can only be given if a small portion of the course work is missing and you’re doing otherwise
satisfactory work. “I” grades are not assigned automatically, but only upon consultation with me. You have one
semester to remove an “I” grade; otherwise it is changed to an “F.”

Materials: Course readings are integral parts of the class and should be brought daily. When readings are
assigned to be discussed in class, please bring a copy of the reading with your reading notes ready to participate
in the discussion. Do not come to class without your books.

Notes: Students must keep thorough notes, both from classroom lecture and individual reading. Even if students
are absent, they are held responsible for obtaining missed notes. Notes should not only reflect good listening
skills, but individual interest in every topic discussed in class. Students are encouraged to individually research
topics discussed in class. Although notes will not receive a grade, they should be diligently kept in all classes.
One should always endeavor to improve note-taking skills.

Plagiarism: The Oxford English Dictionary defines plagiarism as “the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and
publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.)
of another,” or “a purloined idea, design, passage, or work.” Any time you use ideas that are not your own in
anything that you write, you must supply a citation in an identifiable citation method, e.g., MLA, Chicago, etc.
Plagiarism will result in automatic failure of this class and will be pursued to incite the utmost penalty for such
dishonesty. Academic falsehood, in any form, will constitute class failure.

Special Needs: Any student who has special needs because of a disability should contact Ann E. Loyd at the
Counseling and Career Center (478-471-2714 / S-230) and fill out the appropriate paperwork. The student
shoud then see me with the documentation so that the necessary accommodations can be made.
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Course Schedule
This schedule represents the ideal outline for our study this semester. Yet, like all best-laid plans, we will
probably not be able to keep up with our agenda. Please be flexible and try to look and read ahead whenever
possible. We will do our best to stick by this schedule, but we will inform you verbally whenever there is a
change in or an addition to an assignment. Getting these updates is solely your responsibility. Therefore, this
syllabus is tentative and subject to change contingent upon the needs of the students and the professor, and
dictated by time and other constraints which may affect the course. This syllabus reflects only an overview of
the assigned reading and other major course assignments. It does not always indicate other specific class session
assignments or activities.

Week 1: June 2-4, 2004

• Course Introduction
• Gilgamesh
• Gilgamesh Response (#1)

Week 2: June 7-11, 2004

• The Iliad Book I (pp. 104-120) and Book XXII (pp. 176-189)
• The Iliad Response (#2)
• The Odyssey Books 1-4, 9, and 10

Week 3: June 14-18, 2004

• The Odyssey Books 11, 12, and 21-24
• The Odyssey Response (#3)
• Oedipus the King
• Oedipus the King Response (#4)

Week 4: June 21-25, 2004

• Medea
• Medea Response (#5)
• Virgil the Aeneid, books 1, 2, and 4
• The Aeneid Response (#6)
• Ovid from Metamorphoses: Prologue; Apollo and Daphne; Io and Jove; Europa and Jove; Iphis and
Ianthe; Pygmalion; Venus and Adonis
• Metamorphoses Response (#7)

Week 5: June 28 - July 2, 2004

• Machiavelli The Prince
• The Prince Response (#8)
• Final Exam