TC603B: Composition and Reading in World Literature (Unique #43670)
Spring, 2007, TTh 11-12:30, CRD 007B
Timothy Moore (Department of Classics), 113 Waggener, 232-4161, timmoore@mail.utexas.edu
Office hours T 9-10, 2-3; Th 9-10:45, or by appointment
This spring we will continue our adventures in the power of literature.
First, a bit more drama, as we see how the plays of the ancient Romans
Plautus and Terence found their way into Medieval convents, Elizabethan
theater, and the Broadway stage. We will then read novels of ancient
Rome and nineteenth-century France featuring characters obsessed with
literature; two novels by the same British author in which similar
events lead once to happiness, once to tragedy; and two very different
responses by American women novelists to the harshness of the
West. Finally, we will turn to lyric verse, examining how poets
from around the world have responded to love, death, and what it means
to be human.
Texts
Shakespeare, Comedy of Errors
Plautus and Terence, Five Comedies, transl. D. Parker and D. Berg
Petronius, Satyricon, transl. W. Arrowsmith
Flaubert, Madame Bovary, transl. M. Mauldon
Cather, O, Pioneers!
Proulx, Close Range
E.M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, A Room with a View
World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time, edd. K. Washburn and J.S. Major
Lipson, Cite Right (optional)
Additional texts are on line or will be provided via Blackboard.
Requirements and grading
Weekly Journals (each entry 1 page or less; lowest grade dropped; your
proposal, list of sources, and outline will each count as a journal
grade): 10%
Two short papers (5-7 pages each): 30%
A longer research paper (10-15 pages; must be rewritten): 35%
Oral presentations: 10% (2 presentations, 5% each)
Class participation (includes attendance, preparation, contributions to class discussions, and quizzes if deemed necessary): 15%
Schedule (subject to change)
January
15: Introduction to Course
17: Plautus, Double Bind
22: Terence, The Brothers; Journal due
24: Terence, The Mother-in-Law; Hrotsvit, Dulcitius (on line at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/roswitha-dulcitius.html)
29: Shakespeare, Comedy of Errors; Have chosen your poem. In one paragraph, name the poem and explain why you chose it.
31: Rodgers, Hart, and Abbott, The Boys from Syracuse (on Blackboard)
February
5: Petronius, Satyricon, pp. 38-65; Paper I due
7: Petronius, Satyricon, pp. 65-105
12: Petronius, Satyricon, pp. 105-128, 140-145, 163-165; Journal due; Begin recitations and 5-minute discussions
14: Flaubert, Madame Bovary, pp. 1-61
19: Flaubert, Madame Bovary, pp. 63-146; 1-paragraph proposal for term paper due
21: Flaubert, Madame Bovary, pp. 146-204
26: Flaubert, Madame Bovary, pp. 205-311; Paper II due
28: Woody Allen, The Kugelmass Episode (on line at http://www.woodyallen.art.pl/eng/kugelmass_episode.php)
March
4: Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapters 1-5; Journal due
6: Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapters 6-10
10-15: Spring Break
18: Forster, A Room with a View, chapters 1-7; List of sources for term paper due
20: Forster, A Room with a View, chapters 8-13
25: Forster, A Room with a View, chapters 14-20; Journal due
27: Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, Parts I-II
April
1: Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, Parts III-V; Outline of term paper due
3: Annie Proulx, The Half-Skinned Steer, Job History, The Blood Bay; Begin 15-minute presentations
8: Annie Proulx, A Lonely Coast, Brokeback Mountain; Journal due
10: Poems, TBA
15: Poems, TBA; Journal due
17: Poems, TBA
22: Poems, TBA; Term paper due
24: Poems, TBA
May
29: Poems, TBA; Journal due
1: Poems, TBA
Friday, May 9th: Revision of term paper due
A word to the wise
It is imperative that you attend class each day, and that you read each
assignment before class. Please note the importance of class
participation in your grade. This means that you will be richly
rewarded for consistent attendance and preparation, but repeated
absences and/or lack of preparation for class will cost you dearly.
Scholastic Dishonesty
Scholastic dishonesty on any graded assignment will result in a 0 on
the assignment. Scholastic dishonesty includes any kind of cheating,
including plagiarism; if you are unsure about the exact definition you
should consult the General Information Catalogue, Appendix , Section
11-802
(http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gi01-02/app/appc11.html).
For more information, see the information on the web site of the Dean
of Students (http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis.php).
Academic disabilities
The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate
academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For
more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at
471-6259 or 471-4641, or consult http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/.
Religious holidays
You may make up any work you miss for a religious holiday if you notify me of the holiday fourteen days ahead of time.
Late work
Journal entries will not be accepted late unless written documentation
is provided of illness, family emergency, or a religious holiday.
Papers will be accepted without penalty until 5:00 PM on the due date,
or later if written documentation of illness, family emergency, or a
religious holiday is provided. Without such documentation the
grade on the assignment will be lowered by 2 points for each day it is
overdue. Students who hand in the final paper late will receive a
grade of incomplete (X), to be changed to a grade when the paper is
handed in.
Cell phones
Please make absolutely certain that your cell phone, if you have one with you, is turned off during class.
Laptops
Laptop computers are wonderful tools. In a class such as this,
however, where discussion is vital, they are a distraction.
Please do not use them during this class.
The Pick a Poem Project
Part of your task this semester will be to become an expert on one poem from our anthology, World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time. Here is the plan.
1. Play with the anthology: browse through it and see which poems engage your imagination.
2. Choose one poem to make your own. Notify me of your choice by
January 29th. It's first-come-first-served if more than one
student chooses the same poem.
3. Prepare a 5-minute discussion of the poem. Students will recite and discuss their poems in February or early March.
4. Use the poem as a jumping off point for a 10-15 page research paper
and a 15-minute oral presentation (to be given during the last five
weeks of class). You can write and speak on any element of the
poem or its background, or any question raised by the poem that excites
your interest.
last modified January 24, 2008 by timmoore@mail.utexas.edu