Section: 30 Day: M, W, F Time: 8-8:50 Location: CAS 341
Section: 31 Day: M, W, F Time: 9:05-9:55 Location: CAS 357
Instructor: Prof. Melanie Axel-Lute
Office and Mailbox: CAS 301E
Office phone: 908-737-0391; English department fax: 908-737-0375
Office Hour: Monday and Wednesday 9:30-10:00 and by appointment
If you wish to e-mail me about this class, please use: ENG2403@yahoo.com
The syllabus, assignments, and other course information are available at www.maxellute.net/worldlit.html
Required texts:
The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Shorter 2nd ed. (2 vols.). Norton, 2009.
9780393933543; $49.56
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Pelican.
0140054693 or 9780140714555; $6.00
Course objectives: The student will …
Ø
Read literary works in
several cultures from ancient to modern times.
Ø
Learn to understand
the nature and function of literary genres.
Ø
Explore
interrelationships among literary traditions of diverse cultures, recognizing
similarities and differences.
Ø
Examine cultural
values embodied in literature.
Ø
Learn an appreciation
of world cultures and our own pluralistic society through the study of
literature.
Ø
Improve critical
skills and expository writing.
Ø
Acquire skills to
analyze literature.
Prerequisite:
ENG1030 or
other freshman-level college composition course, as required by
Course requirements:
Attendance. Attendance is important for the learning process and is expected in this class. Excessive absences will result in a lowered grade, or even failure. Furthermore,
quizzes and participation in discussions, workshops, and group projects will be considered in your grade, and some material will be presented only in class that may be included in quizzes or used as background for essays.
In order to make up a missed exam or obtain an extension on a paper, you must present a written request (email is OK), detailing your reasons. Extensions on papers
must be requested before the paper is due. Such exceptions are given at the discretion of the instructor.
There are no make-ups for quizzes. If you miss one and present a legitimate excuse in writing for doing so, you can be excused from that quiz, so it will not be counted as a zero in computing your final course grade. Again, such exceptions are given at the discretion of the instructor. Be on time. Lateness of more than 20 min. can count as an absence. Quizzes will usually be given early in the class session.
In consideration of others and in respect for this course, please silence all cell phones while in class. Headphones and texting are also not acceptable in class.
Reading assignments. It is your responsibility to complete assignments on time. The date that the reading is listed on the syllabus is the date by which it must be done. There will be quizzes on reading assignments. During class discussions, obvious lack of preparation will lower your grade for participation.
Quizzes. May be given at any time on the readings or material presented in class.
In-class work. There will be essays and other in-class work. Make-ups for these are at the discretion of the instructor.
Essay. The out-of-class essay is due on the date shown, whether or not you’re in class. One full letter grade will be deducted from the grade for late essays. Essays and revisions must be typed. You should prepare two copies of essays, keeping one copy for yourself, and you should post a copy of the essay on TurnItIn.
Essays are graded for both content and quality of writing. Sloppy papers with multiple careless errors will be returned for proofreading by the student before being graded. These will count as late papers.
Essay topics and guidelines will be discussed in class.
Class
participation. You are expected to participate in discussions in class. You
must come to class prepared, having done the readings or other assignments, and
must bring your notebook and textbook to each class. Note-taking is essential
for a good grade for participation. Failure to follow these or other stated
class requirements will lower your participation grade.
Exams. There will be two in-class exams, a midterm and a final.
Grading:
· Essay: 10%
· In-class essays and homework: 20%
· Midterm exam and final exam: 20% each=40%
· Quizzes: 20%
· Participation: 10%
Final letter grades will be
determined as follows:
94 – 100 = A; 90 – 93 = A-; 87 -
89 = B+; 84 – 86 = B; 80 – 83 = B-; 77 – 79 = C+;
70 – 76 = C; 64 – 69 = D; below 64 = F.
The take-home essay and both exams
must be completed in order for you to pass the course.
You should save copies of all essays and homework you do for this course, as well as graded work that is returned to you.
Jan. 20. Classes begin.
Jan. 30. Last day to withdraw with 100% refund.
Feb. 6. Last day to withdraw with 75% refund.
Feb. 13. Last day to withdraw with 50% refund.
Feb. 20. Presidents’ Day. No class.
Mar.16. Last day to withdraw.
Mar. 19-23. Spring recess. No classes.
April 6. Good Friday. No class.
May 12. Last day of this class. All work must be completed.
Course outline and reading assignments. All selections
except Shakespeare are in the Norton Anthology.
Jan. 20. Introduction to the course.
Jan. 23-27. Bible, Introduction to Genesis, v. 1, pp. 92-94, The Creation, The Fall, The
Flood, pp. 97-104, and Joseph, pp. 112-122. Koran, Introduction, pp. 1008-1010,
Joseph, pp. 1028-1034, and Noah, pp. 1040-1041.
Jan. 30-Feb. 8. “The Invention of Writing and the Earliest Literatures,” v. 1, pp 3-6.
Gilgamesh, pp. 9-81.
Feb. 10-22. “Ancient
166. Euripides and Medea, pp. 614-646.
Feb. 24- Mar. 9. Chaucer, v. 1, pp. 1365-1412.
Mar. 12-14. Midterm Exam and essay.
Mar. 15. Walt Whitman, Introduction and “Song of Myself,” v. 2, pp. 485-493.
Mar.26-April 2. Emily Dickinson, v.2, pp. 498-507.
April 4-13.. American poetry (handouts).
April 23. Essay due.
April 16-25. Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Entire book, including
introduction.
April 27- May 7. Achebe, Things Fall Apart, v. 2, pp. 1097-1190.
May 9-12. Final exam
and essay. All work must be completed.
Attendance is expected in all courses.
Attendance will be a component of the grade of any course if so stated in the
syllabus. Students are responsible for informing the instructor in advance or
in a timely manner of the reasons for their absence. Instructors in
consultation with their department chairs are expected to respect university
practices and policies regarding what counts as an excused absence. Typically
excused absences include illness, bereavement, or religious observances.
Serious tardiness may be dealt with at the discretion of the instructor.
Plagiarism:
All work submitted for this course should be your own. Collaborative
work is not acceptable, unless assigned as such. Copying work (from others,
from printed sources, or from the internet) or having it done for you is
plagiarism and is against
Students are responsible to become familiar with, and will be held accountable for, the information on the following Web sites:
1. Academic Integrity Policy at http://www.kean.edu/admin/uploads/pdf/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.pdf.
2. Student Code of Conduct at http://www.kean.edu/KU/Code-of-Conduct.
An act of plagiarism may cause you to fail this
course.
Students are encouraged to register in the CampusAlert system (www.mir3.com/Kean) in order to be informed
of campus emergencies, weather notices and other announcements. All students
should have a valid Kean e-mail account.
Reserved Rights: The instructor reserves all copyright and ownership rights to the course syllabus and component elements of this course. Professional note-takers or their agents, and/or the use of any recording technology of class lectures are expressly forbidden. The lecture material in ENG 2403 “World Literature” is copyrighted. Reproduction of class notes for commercial purposes without the express permission of the instructor is prohibited.