Primary Texts:
Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Grand Inquisitor: With Related Chapters from the Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Constance Black Garnett. Ed. Charles B. Guignon. Hackett Publishing Company (October 1993). ISBN-10: 0872201937. ISBN-13: 978-0872201934. $6.95
Fyodor Dostoevsky. Notes from Underground (Norton Critical Edition). Trans. David Luke. Ed. Michael R. Katz. W. W. Norton & Co. Inc., 1st ed. (April 1989). ISBN-10: 0393957446. ISBN-13: 978-0393957440. $11.25
Eight Modern Plays (Norton Critical Edition). Ed. Anthony Caputi. W. W. Norton & Co. Inc. (1991). ISBN 0-393- 96015-3. $20.60
Leo Tolstoy. The Death of Ivan Lynch and Other Stories. Trans. Aylmer Maude. Ed. Hugh McLean. Signet Classics (April 1, 2003). ISBN-10: 0451528808. ISBN-13: 978-0451528803. $6.95
Franz Kafka. The Metamorphosis (Norton Critical Edition). Trans. and Ed. Stanley Corngold. W. W. Norton & Co. Inc. (1996). ISBN 0-393-96797-2. $11.25
Thomas Mann. Death in Venice (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism). Trans. and Ed. Naomi Ritter. 1st ed. Bedford St. Martin (1998). ISBN: 0-312-12002-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-12002-3. $17.95
Jean-Paul Satre. No Exit and Three Other Plays. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. Vintage (October 23, 1989). ISBN-10: 0679725164. ISBN-13: 978-0679725169. $12.95
Albert Camus. The Plague. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. Vintage (May 7, 1991). ISBN-10: 0679720219. ISBN-13: 978- 0679720218. $12.95 top
Secondary Texts:
Friedrich Nietzsche. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy). Trans. Adrian Del Caro. Ed. Robert Pippin. Cambridge University Press (July 3, 2006). ISBN-10: 0521841712. ISBN-13: 978- 0521841719. $17.99
Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex. Trans. and Intro. Deidre Bair. Vintage (December 17, 1989). ISBN-10: 0679724516. ISBN-13: 978-0679724513. $17.95
Immanuel Kant. Critique of Pure Reason (Abridged). Ed. Eric Watkins. Trans. Werner S. Pluhar. Hackett Publishing Company (February 28, 1999). ISBN-10: 0872204480. ISBN-13: 978-0872204485. $10.95 top
Course Overview:
In this course, we will study a literature that pays tribute to a period of intense political oppression and social inequality. The late nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century is the time during which the two world wars wreaked havoc on Europe’s geographical and psychological landscape; this was a time of enormous despair and great social and political turmoil, but it was also a period that witnessed an immense outpouring of literary and intellectual achievement.
The literature we will examine in this course works with the premise that meaning only exists because human beings exist. Humans, in other words, create their own reality within the perimeters of a world that predates their existence and that is uncaring toward their sense of reason, rationality, and morality. Existentialism acknowledges the anxiety with which human beings try to survive in a universe that does not need them in order to exist, and they try to imbue their life with meaning by creating for themselves a reality they can control. The anticipation of war, the experience of war, and the devastation of war all contribute to the emergence of a world and a literature that is intimately concerned with “making sense of it all”—even if this sense has to be coerced into and onto existence.
Among others we will study the literary achievement of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Berthold Brecht, Thomas Mann, Albert Camus, August Strindberg, and Henrik Ibsen and the philosophical aschievement of Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Satre and Simone de Beauvoir; and we will examine how realism, existentialism, and socialism share their beginnings with the same cultural heritage which also led to the wars that changed the ways in which we view the world and in which we define “modernity.” top
Course Objectives:
Our focus this semester will lie on fostering a professional environment in which we can read, discuss, and write about literary texts freely and competently. At the end of this course you should be able to:
1)
Read and write about literary texts in a confident and competent manner.
2) Write reflective, interpretive, and critical essays about a variety of literary texts.
3) Identify and comprehend various critical approaches to literary texts.
4)
Contextualize and historicize literary texts.
5)
Utilize and criticize scholarly articles on literary texts. top
Course Policies:
Read these guidelines carefully--they are crucial to your successful completion of English 466.
1) All assigned readings need to be completed before class in preparation for class discussion, pop quizzes and short in-class reaction papers on the reading material.
2) All assignments must be typed and proofread.
3) No late assignment will be accepted; please plan accordingly.Remember, it is your responsibility to stay in contact with me and to ask me for help if you are experiencing difficulties following the course material or completing work on time.
4) Plagiarism is grounds for failing the assignment and this class. For further information, please consult the section on Plagiarism at the end of this syllabus.
5) Timely attendance in class is a requirement for all students in English 466. Two late arrivals will count as one absence. Students with four absences will earn an F for the course; no exceptions are made. Keep track of your absences—this is one of the trickiest Department of English policies, and no excuses count. Regular and timely attendance is an absolute must!
If you do not understand these policies, you must ask me for clarification or stop by my office at your earliest convenience; your success in this class is dependent on your comprehension of them. By staying in this class, you are showing your acceptance of and compliance with these guidelines. top
Absences and Contact Information:
You are responsible for finding out what you missed on the days you were absent, and this should not take place by asking me at the beginning of the next class period. Call, email or swing by my office prior to our next meeting as a class. Alternatively, gather the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least two other students (preferably four) you can contact to find out what happened in class. I suggest that you record this information below, so you will have it handy when you need it.
Name/Phone: ______________________ Name/Phone: __________________________
E-mail: ___________________________ E-mail: _______________________________
Name/Phone: ______________________ Name/Phone: _________________________
E-mail: ___________________________ E-mail: ________________________________ top
Written Assignments and Oral Presentations:
In addition to daily reading assignments, journal entries, and active participation in class discussions, you will be responsible to complete three essays, two shorter ones (4-6 pages) and one longer term paper (10-12 pages), on any two (this means that one of your shorter papers can be turned into a term paper) or three of the texts listed above. There will be two oral presentations, one group presentation in relation to a critical, scholarly article about one of the texts we are reading (or one of your own choosing, preferably from the list appended to this syllabus), and one individual presentation which replaces the midterm. The second presentation, “midterm-presentation,” will be a reading of one of your shorter papers or of a substantial draft of your longer paper. There will be no final exam. Please keep in mind though that participation is not synonymous with attendance, but that passive attendance is equivalent with being in absentia and that no or inactive participation will affect your overall grade for the course. top
1) One 30-40 min. group presentation on a critical article about one of the text we are reading:
This will account for 20% of your final grade.
2) One 15-20 min. individual presentation of research project on one of the text we are reading:
This presentation will account for 20% of your final grade.
3) Two short reflective papers (3-5 pages—see the daily schedule for due dates):
Each of these written assignments will account for 10% of your final grade for a total 20%.
4) Research Term Paper (10-12 pages; min. 7 secondary sources):
This paper will account for 30% of your final grade.
5) Participation (every day) :
Active class participation will ensure you an A for the remaining 10% of your final grade.
Grading Standards:
This course and all its assignment will be graded on a standard scale from A to F, with A being greater than 90% and F being lower than 60%. Paper grades are determined by applying standards of logic, coherence, style, and mechanics. Class assignments, exams, and course projects are clearly marked with percentages; refer to the assignment section of this syllabus for assignment criteria and individual grade/percentage allotments. top
Where you can go when you need help and/or want to talk to me:
Robinson 202: My door is always open. If you have questions about assignment instructions or expectations please come and see me. I can guarantee you that I will be in my office during my scheduled office hours, but I am in my office quite a bit outside of office hours as well. I encourage you to stop by and talk with me.
My E-mail account: The quickest way to contact me outside of class is through E-mail. I check my E-mail account frequently, and both my home and my office computer are connected to the Internet at all times. I promise to try to get back to you within 24 hour of your message if at all possible.
A Note on E-mail Etiquette: I am more than happy to answer questions and discuss research topics via E-mail. I do trust, however, that all e-mails will be written in a respectful, professional tone and that they will be proofread before they are sent. Remember please that this is a university level English course and that your writing needs to reflect that.
Students with disabilities need to arrange accommodations during the first week of class.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is grounds for failing an assignment and the course, and all incidents of plagiarism will be reported to the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Academic Vice President. I strongly encourage you to save drafts, notes, and outlines for all of your written and oral assignments; you are expected to provide evidence of significant invention and revision if requested to do so. top
Additional suggestions for written assignments and oral presentations:
Albert Camus. The Stranger.
Thomas Mann. Doctor Faustus; The Magic Mountain .
Guenter Grass. The Tin Drum.
August Strindberg. The Red Room.
Anton Chehkov. Short Stories; The Cherry Orchard.
Henrik Ibsen. Ghosts; Hedda Gabler; A Doll's House. top |
