ENG  2850    Great  Works  of  Literature  II  

 Professor:  Benjamin                                                                    Fall  2015  meredith.benjamin@baruch.cuny.edu                                            T/Th  9:55-­‐11:35  am  Office:  English  Department  7-­‐290F  (VC)                          Room  710,  17  Lex  Office  Hours:  T/Th  11:50-­‐1:30  or  by  appt.                                                  

Photo:  Dattilografa,  1913,  Anton  Giulio  Bragagalia    Course  Description:  English  2850  will  introduce  you  to  a  selection  of  literature  from  1650  to  the  present,  covering  a  number  of  major  literary  genres  and  examining  works  from  around  the  world.  You  will  study  the  historical  and  cultural  contexts  of  the  pieces  we  read  and  learn  about  literary  themes,  techniques,  and  terminology.  In  the  process,  English  2850  will  help  you  develop  advanced  reading  and  analytical  capabilities.  You  will  also  hone  your  creative  thinking  and  writing  skills.  This  is  a  communication-­‐intensive  course  that  requires  active  class  participation,  oral  presentations,  frequent  writing,  group  work,  and  peer  review.  Through  these  activities  you  will  develop:  

• The  ability  to  interpret  meaning  in  literary  texts  by  paying  close  attention  to  an  author’s  choice  of  detail,  vocabulary,  and  style;  

• The  ability  to  discuss  the  relationship  between  different  genres  of  literary  texts  and  the  multicultural  environments  from  which  they  spring;  

• Increased  confidence  in  offering  a  critical  evaluation  and  appreciation  of  a  literary  work’s  strengths  and  limitations;  

• Increased  confidence  in  the  oral  presentation  of  ideas;  and  • Increased  ability  to  write  critical  essays  employing  a  strong  thesis  statement,  

appropriate  textual  citations,  and  contextual  and  inter-­‐textual  evidence  for  your  ideas.  

 

Required  Texts:    • The  Norton  Anthology  of  World  Literature.  3rd  Edition.  Package  2  (volumes  D,  E,  

F).    (available  in  bookstore)  • All  other  required  course  readings  will  be  made  available  via  Blackboard.  Students  

will  be  expected  to  have  a  copy  of  the  day’s  assigned  reading  with  them  at  each  class  meeting  (reading  on  a  phone  is  not  acceptable).  Students  should  also  have  paper  or  a  notebook  with  them  in  class.  

Recommended  text:  • The  Little,  Brown  Handbook,  or  any  style  guide  (you  can  also  borrow  these  from  the  

library)    Course  Requirements  

• Reading  Responses/Quizzes:  We  will  have  occasional  informal  reading  quizzes  (short  answers  to  questions  about  the  day’s  reading),  in-­‐class  writing  assignments,  and  reading  responses.  These  quizzes  or  responses  will  be  unannounced  and  can  occur  on  any  class  day.  For  some  of  these  quizzes,  you  will  be  allowed  to  reference  your  text.  Remember  to  have  your  book  with  you  so  you’re  prepared  not  only  to  participate  in  class  discussions  but  also  to  write.  If  you’re  absent  or  late  on  the  day  of  an  in-­‐class  response/quiz,  you  will  receive  a  grade  of  zero.    There  are  no  make-­‐ups  for  quizzes,  but  I  will  drop  your  lowest  quiz  grade.    

• Blog  Posts:  You  will  compose  2  blog  posts  throughout  the  semester  that  respond  to  the  assigned  reading.  You  will  also  be  expected  to  regularly  read  and  comment  on  other  students’  contributions.  Details  will  be  discussed  in  class.    

• Comparative  Essay:  You  will  write  an  essay  responding  to  one  of  a  range  of  topics,  comparing  two  different  texts.  Details  of  the  assignment  will  be  distributed  in  class  well  in  advance  of  the  due  date.  

• Midterm  Exam  (in  class):  on  the  course  readings  up  to  that  point.  • Final  Project  and  Presentation:  You  will  create  your  own  “mini-­‐anthology”  

centered  around  a  theme  or  concept  of  your  choosing.  You  will  choose  a  number  of  texts  from  our  reading  (with  the  possibility  of  one  or  two  outside  readings,  selected  in  consultation  with  me)  and  develop  an  essay-­‐length  introduction  that  gives  context  and  explains  your  choices,  in  addition  to  creating  para-­‐textual  material.  There  will  be  a  short  essay  in  preparation  for  writing  the  introduction.  Full  details  will  be  discussed  in  class  well  in  advance  of  the  deadline.  

• Participation:  Discussion  of  the  readings  is  an  important  component  of  this  class,  and  you  will  be  expected  to  make  informed  contributions  to  the  discussion  on  a  regular  basis.  This  portion  will  involve  my  assessing  your  preparedness  and  responsiveness  in  class,  demonstration  that  you  have  read  the  assigned  material,  and  your  participation  in  any  workshops  and  peer  review  activities.  In  order  to  maintain  a  productive  and  courteous  classroom  environment,  please  avoid  disrespectful  behavior,  including  rudeness,  talking  while  others  are  speaking,  use  of  cell  phones  or  other  devices,  etc.  Attendance  and  timeliness  will  also  be  considered  in  this  portion  of  your  grade.    

           

 Grading:  Your  course  grade  will  be  calculated  according  to  the  following  breakdown:    • Reading  Responses,  Quizzes,  and  In-­‐class  Writing  =  10%  • Blog  Posts  =  15%  • Comparative  Essay=  20%    • Midterm  Exam  =  15%  • Final  Project  and  Presentation=  30%  • Participation:  10%  

 Attendance:  Student  attendance  is  expected  at  all  scheduled  classes  unless  excused  by  the  instructor  due  to  extenuating  circumstances  (illness,  family  emergency,  religious  holiday,  etc).  For  an  absence  to  be  excused,  the  student  must  inform  the  professor  in  advance  of  the  absence  and  must  provide  documentation.  Three  late  arrivals  will  be  considered  as  one  absence.  Absences  and  lateness  will  negatively  affect  your  participation  grade,  and  your  grade  likely  will  be  otherwise  affected  simply  because  of  the  activities  and  work  you’ll  miss.    If  you  miss  class  more  than  four  times,  you  must  arrange  to  meet  with  me  and,  according  to  Baruch  College  policy,  you  will  be  subject  to  a  WU  grade,  which  counts  as  an  F  on  your  transcript  and  your  GPA.    Essay  Submission  and  Formatting:  All  essays  and  assignments  should  be  typed  and  double-­‐spaced,  using  Times  New  Roman  12pt.  font,  with  proper  MLA  formatting  and  in  keeping  with  the  assigned  length;  papers  that  fail  to  meet  these  requirements  will  not  be  accepted.  Essays  should  be  submitted  in  hard  copy  during  the  class  meeting  period,  and  students  may  also  be  requested  to  submit  electronically  on  Turnitin.com.    Late  Essay  Policy:  Students  are  expected  to  meet  all  assigned  deadlines  except  in  cases  of  emergency  (which,  as  for  excused  absences,  must  be  documented  and  requested  as  soon  as  possible  in  advance  of  the  deadline).  Emergency  extensions  do  not  include  foreseeable  conflicts  (religious  holidays,  unavoidable  travel)  for  which  the  student  may  reasonably  plan  ahead.  Late  papers  will  be  reduced  by  1/3  of  a  letter  grade  (e.g.  B+  to  B)  for  each  day  (24  hour  period)  that  passes  after  the  deadline  before  the  paper  is  received.  Late  submissions  will  not  be  accepted  for  short  assignments  (blog  posts  etc.).    Services  for  Students  with  Disabilities:    Baruch  College  is  committed  to  making  individuals  with  disabilities  full  participants  in  the  programs,  services,  and  activities  of  the  college  community.  It  is  the  policy  of  Baruch  College  that  no  otherwise  qualified  individual  with  a  disability  will  be  denied  access  to  any  program,  service,  or  activity  offered  by  the  university.  Individuals  with  disabilities  have  a  right  to  request  accommodations.  If  you  require  any  special  assistance  or  accommodation,  please  contact  the  Office  of  Services  for  Students  with  Disabilities  at  (646)  312-­‐4590,  and  let  me  know  as  soon  as  you  can,  ideally  during  the  first  three  weeks  of  the  semester.  I  encourage  persons  with  disabilities  or  particular  needs  that  impact  course  performance  to  meet  with  me  to  co-­‐design  accommodations.      Writing  Support:  Student  Academic  Consulting  Center  (SACC),  2-­‐116  VC  The  Writing  Center,  8-­‐185  &  The  Newman  Library  Reference  Desk  

Academic  Integrity  Policy:    Baruch  College's  policy  on  Academic  Honesty  states,  in  part:    "Academic  dishonesty  is  unacceptable  and  will  not  be  tolerated.  Cheating,  forgery,  plagiarism  and  collusion  in  dishonest  acts  undermine  the  college's  educational  mission  and  the  students'  personal  and  intellectual  growth.  Baruch  students  are  expected  to  bear  individual  responsibility  for  their  work,  to  learn  the  rules  and  definitions  that  underlie  the  practice  of  academic  integrity,  and  to  uphold  its  ideals.  Ignorance  of  the  rules  is  not  an  acceptable  excuse  for  disobeying  them.  Any  student  who  attempts  to  compromise  or  devalue  the  academic  process  will  be  sanctioned.  "    Plagiarism  and  cheating  are  serious  offenses  which  will  not  be  tolerated  and  will  result  in  a  failing  grade.  In  addition,  I  am  required  by  College  policy  to  submit  a  report  of  suspected  academic  dishonesty  to  the  Office  of  the  Dean  of  Students.  This  report  becomes  part  of  your  permanent  file.  I’ll  expect  you  to  compose  your  projects  ethically,  meaning  that  if  you  use  the  work  of  others  you  cite  that  work,  and  that  all  work  in  this  course  is  original,  composed  for  the  first  time  for  this  course,  and  is  entirely  your  own,  to  the  degree  that  anything  we  write  is  entirely  our  own.  All  students  enrolled  at  Baruch  are  expected  to  maintain  the  highest  standards  of  academic  honesty,  as  defined  by  the  Baruch  College  Academic  Honesty  website:  http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.html.                  

Class  Schedule  &  Assignments  (subject  to  change):  Readings  and  assignments  must  be  completed  by  the  date  on  which  they  are  listed.      Thurs.  8/27:  Introduction  to  course.  John  Guillory,  “Canon”  (in-­‐class)  

Tues.  9/1:  “What  is  Enlightenment?”  (section  introduction),  Immanuel  Kant,  "What  is  Enlightenment?"  (1784)  and  Mary  Wollstonecraft,  "A  Vindication  of  the  Rights  of  Woman”  (1792)  

Thurs.  9/3:  Sor  Juana  Inés  De  La  Cruz,  “Poem  145,”  “Poem  164,”  “Philosophical  Satire,  Poem  92”  (17th  c.)  and  Jonathan  Swift,  “A  Modest  Proposal”  (1729)  

Tues.  9/8:  Cao  Xueqin,  The  Story  of  the  Stone  (1740-­‐1750),  Ch.  1-­‐3,  Ch.  17;  “Early  Modern  Chinese  Literature”  

Thurs.  9/10:  No  class.  (Monday  schedule)  

Tues.  9/15:  No  class.  

Thurs.  9/17:  “Romantic  Poets  and  Their  Successors”;  William  Wordsworth:  “Tintern  Abbey,”  “The  World  is  Too  Much  With  Us,”;  Rosalía  de  Castro,  “As  I  composed  this  little  book,”  “I  well  know  there  is  nothing,”  “As  the  clouds,”  You  will  say  about  these  verses,”  “Some  say  plants  don’t  speak”  

Tues.  9/22:  No  class.    

Thurs.  9/24:  John  Keats,  “When  I  Have  Fears  That  I  May  Cease  to  Be,”  “Bright  Star,”  “Ode  on  a  Grecian  Urn,”  “Ode  to  a  Nightingale”    

Fri.  9/25  (Tuesday  schedule):  **Class  canceled.**  

Tues.  9/29:  “An  Age  of  Revolutions  in  Europe  and  the  Americas,”  Frederick  Douglass,  Narrative  of  the  Life  of  Frederick  Douglass,  An  American  Slave  (1845)  (Ch.  I-­‐IX)  

Thurs.  10/1:  Frederick  Douglass,  Narrative  of  the  Life  of  Frederick  Douglass,  An  American  Slave  (1845)  (Ch.  X-­‐end);  selections  from  selections  from  Harriet  Jacobs,  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  a  Slave  Girl,  Written  by  Herself*  

Tues.  10/6:  Herman  Melville,  Bartleby,  The  Scrivner  (1853)    

Thurs.  10/8:  Comparative  Essay  Due;  “For  World  Literature,*”  Caroline  Levine  

Tues.  10/13:    Emily  Dickinson:  all  poems  in  anthology  

Thurs.  10/15:  Fyodor  Dostoyevsky,  Notes  from  Underground  (1864)  (Part  I),  “Realism  Across  the  Globe”  

Tues.  10/20:  Fyodor  Dostoyevsky,  Notes  from  Underground  (Part  II)  

Thurs.  10/22:  Ghalib:  “I’ve  Made  My  Home  Next  Door  to  You,”  “Couplets,”  “It  Was  Essential,”  “My  Tongues  Begs  for  the  Power  of  Speech,”  “Now  Go  and  Live  in  a  Place,”  “Petition:  My  Salary”;  Adrienne  Rich,  “Ghazals:  Homage  to  Ghalib*”(1969-­‐1978)  

Tues.  10/27:  Midterm  Exam,  in  class  

Thurs.  10/29:  Henrik  Ibsen,  Hedda  Gabler,  Acts  I  &  II  (1890)  

Tues.  11/3:  Henrik  Ibsen,  Hedda  Gabler¸Acts  III  &  IV  

Thurs.  11/5:  Rabindranath  Tagore,  "Punishment"  (1893);  Higuchi  Ichiyo,  “Separate  Ways”  

Tues.  11/10:  “Modernity  &  Modernism,”  Lu  Xun,  "Diary  of  a  Madman"  (1918)  and  "Medicine"  (1919)  

Thurs.  11/12:  Virginia  Woolf,  “A  Room  of  One’s  Own”  (1929)  

Tues.  11/17:  Virginia  Woolf,  “A  Room  of  One’s  Own*”  (1929);  Alice  Walker  “In  Search  of  Our  Mother’s  Gardens*”  

Thurs.  11/19:  Chinua  Achebe,  “Chike’s  School  Days”  (1960);  Ama  Ata  Aidoo,  “Two  Sisters”  (1970)  

Tues.  11/24:  Adrienne  Rich:  “Snapshots  of  a  Daughter-­‐in-­‐Law,”  “Diving  Into  the  Wreck,”  “Cartographies  of  Silence,”  “Twenty  One  Love  Poems,”  “From  an  Old  House  in  America,”  and  Kamala  Das:  “Composition”  and  “Loud  Posters”  (1973)  (all  readings  on  BB)  

Thurs.  11/26:  No  class  (Thanksgiving)  

Tues.  12/1:  Nawal  El  Saadawi,  “In  Camera”  (1980);  Hanan  Al-­‐Shaykh,  “The  Women’s  Swimming  Pool”  (1982)  

Thurs.  12/3:  Peer  Review  Workshop;  draft  of  anthology  introduction  due  

Tues.  12/8:  Junot  Diaz,  “Drown  (1996)”;  selections  from  Claudia  Rankine,  Citizen*  (2014)  

Thurs.  12/10:  Presentations  

Final  exam  period  (date  TBD):  Presentations,  continued;  Final  projects  due  

 

Readings  with  an  asterisk  (*)  will  be  available  on  Blackboard.  All  others  are  in  the  Norton  Anthology.