Courses

ENG 4333.50

Introduction to the Study of World Literature

Spring 2010

Course Description and Overview: ENG 4333.50.  Introduction to the Study of World Literature.  The Texas Woman's University's General Catalog 2007-2009 describes ENG 4333 in this way: "Study of representative masterpieces of ancient, classical, medieval, and modern literature in translation.  Stress on intercultural relationships as well as individualizing characteristics of works analyzed.  Prerequisites: Nine hours of English.  Three lecture hours a week."

This course fulfills one of the upper-level English requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in English Leading to Certification in Grades 8-12.  It is also an upper-level English elective for the Bachelor of Arts in English.  Please note, however, that this course does not fulfill any requirements of the core curriculum.  It can also be taken by students seeking the Bachelor of General Studies (if English is one of their concentration areas), and it provides three hours of credit for the university Global Perspectives requirement. 

ENG 4333.50 will be taught entirely asynchronously online.  If you have never taken a Blackboard course before or have questions about the format of the class, please contact me at rgreer@mail.twu.edu and arrange for an individual orientation with me during my office hours. 

Our special focus this semester will be on "banned books" or books in modern world literature that have created controversy in their cultures.  This focus on free speech is an essential aspect of a liberal arts education, a distinction made since antiquity between the education of a free person (the Latin liber meaning "free") as opposed to the education of a slave.  In these five novels from around the world, we see brave examples of free speech in adverse conditions, writers speaking unpleasant truths who enlarge our understanding of the world.

Instructor Contact Information: Office Location, Phone, Office Hours, Email Address:
Instructor: Russell Greer, Ph.D.  Associate Professor.

Office location: CFO 803.

Office Phone Number: (940) 898-2346

E-mail Address: rgreer@twu.edu.

Other Contact Information: Fax: (940) 898-2297 (English Department). 

Website: www.russellgreer.com

Availability and Office Hours:  

Goals and Outcomes: The student will engage with the discourses of several major contemporary traditions in world literature: Islamic (Turkish), Asian (Vietnamese), Hispanic (South American), and Postcolonial (Nigerian/African).  In addition, the student will consider the concept of world literature itself in theoretical terms.  The student will read and study five major novels that have been banned, attacked, or severely criticized in their native countries. The student will also conduct research with primary and secondary sources in contemporary world literature and demonstrate reading knowledge of the novels in a mid-term and final examination.  In weekly postings to discussion forums and other formal assignments, the student will demonstrate critical and aesthetic understanding of the assigned texts and cultures and submit a project to show aesthetic engagement and understanding of the material.

 

1.  Global Competency Course Goal/Exemplary Educational Objective: “Demonstrate the awareness that one has a view of the world that is not universally shared, that there is a distinction between opinion and perspective.”

 

Student Learning Outcome:  The student will accomplish this objective while studying all five novels and What Is World Literature, but most dramatically this objective will be met while studying The Bastard of Istanbul (2007) by Elif Shafak.  This novel depicts the clash of perspectives between Turkish citizens and Armenian Americans who disagree as to whether or not the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 Armenians in the century's first genocide. This lack of universally shared perspective and the distinction between opinion and perspective will be explored in lecture materials and readings in an online study guide and discussion questions. 

 

2.  Global Competency Course Goal/Exemplary Educational Objective: “Demonstrate understanding of cultural/civilization complexities that can alter the interpretation of world events.”

 

Student Learning Outcome: The student will accomplish this objective while studying all five novels, but most dramatically this objective will be met while reading What is World Literature by David Damrosch (Princeton UP, 2003). In this book, the student will read ten case studies of cultural/civilization complexities that result from problems in translation, differing political and religious perspectives, and divergent cultural attitudes.  These case studies demonstrate, through the study of world literature, how interpretation of world events and the understanding of the world itself can be affected by these complexities.  Understanding them allows us to master them.  This understanding of cultural/civilization complexities will be explored in lecture materials and readings in an online study guide and discussion questions. 

 

3.  Global Competency Course Goal/Exemplary Educational Objective: “Demonstrate understanding of prevailing world conditions, developments and trends associated with world issues such as population growth, economic conditions, inter-nation conflicts.”

 

Student Learning Outcome:  The student will accomplish this objective while studying all five novels and What Is World Literature, but most dramatically this objective will be met while reading Snow by Orhan Pamuk (who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006).  In Snow the student confronts the clash in western civilization between Islamic fundamentalism and Western Enlightenment ideals as represented in Turkey's attempt to exist as a modern European nation despite a population growth of trans-national groups seeking to disrupt Turkey's economy. This understanding of prevailing world conditions, developments and trends will be explored in lecture materials and readings in an online study guide and discussion questions. 

 

4.  Global Competency Course Goal and Exemplary Educational Objective: “Demonstrate the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions about the way we do things individually and collectively, both locally and globally, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.”

 

Student Learning Outcome:  The student will accomplish this objective while studying all five novels and What Is World Literature, but most dramatically this objective will be met while reading Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an author who depicts the link between individual and collective actions on a moral level in a family drama while discussing oppressive social and political conditions in Africa.  In her novel, she offers several solutions for improving the quality of life in such conditions and invites readers to choose which options will deliver the best quality of life for the planet's future.  This connection between the individual and the collective, the local and the global, will be explored in lecture materials and readings in an online study guide and discussion questions. 

 

5.  Global Competency Course Goal and Exemplary Educational Objective: “Demonstrate an increase in interest about international developments, ability to express empathy and/or feelings of kinship about others, and degree of comfort in foreign situations.”

 

Student Learning Outcome:  The student will accomplish this objective while studying all five novels and What Is World Literature, but most dramatically this objective will be met while reading Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.  Huong will stimulate interest in and a connection with the struggles of women and families in Vietnam by depicting the oppressive communist developments there while Allende will create great awareness and empathy about the unstable political conditions in South America and their effect on children, women, and families. This interest in international developments, ability to express empathy and/or feelings of kinship about others, and degree of comfort in foreign situations will be explored and stimulated in lecture materials and readings in an online study guide and discussion questions. 

 

In addition, this course has several goals related more directly to the English major:

 

6.  Knowledge of Literary Texts, Genres, and Terms. 

7.  Analytical Skills.

8.  Writing Skills. 

9.  Research Skills. 

 

Course Materials and Supplies:

Required:

Suggested: A Guide to MLA Documentation by Joseph Trimmer or an English handbook with MLA style information such as The Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker and They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein (W.W. Norton. ISBN: 0393924092).  

Course Prerequisites: Nine hours of English.

Disability Support Policy Statement:

"If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the office of Disability Support Services (CFO 106, 940-898-3835, dss@twu.edu) in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs.   Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate." (Statement supplied by Disability Support Services Office)

 

Academic Dishonesty: 

 

"Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the development of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled.  Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook.  Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Libraries at http://www.twu.edu/library/tutorial/plagiarism/player.html." (Statement provided by Vice-President of Academic Affairs at https://www.twu.edu/academic-affairs/syllabus-requirements.asp)

 

Activities, Assignments, and Grading Policy:

 

Major Course Assignments and Examinations:

 

Examinations: You will take three examinations on the assigned novels and the reading in What Is World Literature.  The examinations will be a combination of objective and essay questions, and you will have a week to take them.  You will answer them by creating a Word document and posting it to me by the deadline on digital dropbox and Turnitin.com. 

Final Project: Twenty percent of your grade will be determined by a personal response project.  This can be anything that shows your genuine engagement with some aspect of the assigned reading or topic this semester.  It can be a piece of art, a short story, a poem, a personal essay, a film, a song, or a formal academic essay that makes a critical argument and draws upon academic sources, etc.  The choice of the project is yours, but you must have my approval by the end of Week TEN.  For this project, you may want to look ahead at the works we will be reading later in the course.  The goal is to show genuine engagement with some aspect of the assigned reading.  I will post more about this project as the course progresses. 

Weekly Discussion.  Each week I will post several discussion questions and a summary.  You are not required to answer these questions or to post a summary, but experience has show that if you do you will do much better on the examinations.  I will read everything posted although I may not respond to each one.  You should feel free to respond to the posts of your classmates.  I used to require this discussion question dialogue, but now it is optional to make sure that anything posted is the result of genuine interest.

TWU Attendance Policy:

"Consistent and attentive attendance is vital to academic success, and is expected of all students. Grades are determined by academic performance, and instructors may give students written notice that attendance related to specific classroom activities is required and will constitute a specific percentage of students' grades.

Instructors are strongly encouraged to keep a record of student attendance. They should note absences due to documented student illness, serious illness or death in the student's immediate family, official school activity, state-recognized religious holiday, active military service that is of a reasonable brief duration, or other verified absences deemed appropriate by the instructor. Students must consult with instructors regarding the completion of make-up work.

Absences do not exempt students from academic requirements. Excessive absences, even if documented, may result in a student failing the course.   An incomplete may be granted if the student has a passing grade, but only if the instructor determines that it is feasible for the student to successfully complete remaining assignments after the semester. Pursuant to university policy, such determinations are within the discretion of the instructor." (Statement provided by Vice-President of Academic Affairs at https://www.twu.edu/academic-affairs/syllabus-requirements.asp)

Miscellaneous

Midterm Conference: Please note that if you have a failing grade after you receive your feedback from the first test, I would like to meet with you in person in my office to discuss ways to improve your grade.  If will be your responsibility to make that appointment, but I assure you that I will do everything I can in that meeting to provide suggestions that will help you to improve your grade.

Plagiarism

[Academic writing differs from other kinds of writing in that it is a conversation with other people who are writing and thinking about your topic.  When you write an academic essay you will agree with others, disagree with them, or do a little of both, but above all you will remain in a conversation.  If you do not clearly identify their words and ideas from your own, you are not in a position to demonstrate your own critical thinking.  Plagiarism, therefore, not only robs others other their proper credit, but it robs you of your ability to respond.]

TWU Policy (Statements provided by Vice-President of Academic Affairs at https://www.twu.edu/academic-affairs/syllabus-requirements.asp):

"In an effort to ensure the integrity of the academic process, Texas Woman’s University vigorously affirms the importance of academic honesty as defined by the Student Handbook.   Therefore, in an effort to detect and prevent plagiarism, faculty members at Texas Woman’s University may now use a tool called Turnitin to compare a student’s work with multiple sources.   It then reports a percentage of similarity and provides links to those specific sources.   The tool itself does not determine whether or not a paper has been plagiarized.  Instead, that judgment must be made by the individual faculty member."

[Your tests and final project, if it is an essay, will be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.com.]

Definition of Plagiarism

"Plagiarism defined at TWU: Plagiarism occurs when a student obtains portions or elements of someone else's work, including materials prepared by another person or agency, and presents those ideas or words as her or his own academic work. The intentional or unintentional use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement shall constitute plagiarism." 

"Students are responsible for following guidelines of the appropriate course or discipline (i.e.; MLA, APA).
Conduct Guidelines: http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/StudentLifeOffice/AcademicDishonesty.html
TWU Student Code of Conduct: http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/StudentLifeOffice/StudentCodeofConduct.html
TWU Judicial Process: http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/StudentLifeOffice/AcademicDishonesty.html"

"The primary purpose for any antiplagiarism prevention software at TWU is educational. Antiplagiarism technology should be used as a teaching tool. Antiplagiarism technology is merely a tool. The tool alone does not determine whether a paper has been plagiarized. Conversely, students cannot use antiplagiarism tools to prove they have not plagiarized. Instead, that judgment must be made by the individual faculty member. Use of antiplagiarism tools is optional, but if they are used, they must be used according to the policies and guidelines set forth in this document. Instructors must discuss plagiarism and academic integrity with students at the beginning of each course. If students do not consent to having their original work archived in the antiplagiarism tool databases, individual faculty members may use alternative assignments or use other, more traditional, methods for detecting plagiarism. Because papers written for course credit are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student work submitted to Turnitin by an instructor should use an alias for the student name, and delete any personally-identifiable information. If faculty members suspect that a paper has been plagiarized, and the student does not acknowledge plagiarism, the procedures outlined in Chapter 4 of the Student Handbook must be followed."

[Above all, remember that if you have any questions as to whether or not you have used another person's work and not given proper credit, please see me before you submit the work.]

Tentative Calendar of Classes & Assignments:

Please check here for the Academic Calendar for spring 2010.  Also, please note that this daily syllabus is for planning purposes only and is subject to change. Page numbers for assigned reading (when applicable) are provided.

Week ONE (19-24 January 2010)

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Assignments:

Week TWO (25-31 January 2010)

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Week THREE (1-7 February 2010)

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Week FOUR (8-14 February 2010)

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Week FIVE (15-21 January 2010)

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Week SIX (22-28 February 2010)

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Week SEVEN (1-7 March 2010)

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Week EIGHT (8-14 March 2010)

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Assignments:

 

15-21 March.  No class. Spring Break.

Week NINE (22-28 March 2010)

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Week TEN (29 March-4 April 2010)

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Week ELEVEN (5-11 April 2010)

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Week TWELVE (12-18 April 2010)

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Week THIRTEEN (19-25 April 2010)

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Week FOURTEEN (26 April-2 May 2010)

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Assignments:

Week FIFTEEN (3-7 May 2010.  Please note that this is a short week.  7 May is the last day of spring classes)

Reading:

Assignments:

Final Examination Period (8-14 May 2010)

The final examination (comprehensive) will be due by midnight on 11 May.  It's worth 35% of your final grade.

Syllabus Changes

All changes (if any) made after 31 August 2009 to the syllabus will be summarized here:

 

 

 

Last updated:  16 January 2010