World Literature I - English 203

"Whether we listen with aloof amusement to the dreamlike mumbo jumbo of some red-eyed witch doctor of the Congo, or read with cultivated rapture thin translations from the sonnets of the mystic Lao-tse; now and again crack the hard nutshell of an argument of Aquinas, or catch suddenly the shining meaning of a bizarre Eskimo fairy tale, it will be always the one, shape-shifting yet marvelously constant story that we find, together with a challengingly persistent suggestion of more remaining to be experienced than will ever be known or told."

joseph campbell

English 203 -- John Corbally -- jrcorbally@gmail.com , NEA 273b, (310) 233-4239

English 203 is a course in ideas. We will be looking at myths, shorts stories, plays and poems from antiquity to the Renaissance. Much of the material is Continental (with some exceptions); nonetheless, the experience revealed is not limited to any one time or place--it is truly HUMAN experience that examines the goals, frustrations and (occasional) triumphs of all people (including YOU). Most of our time will be spent discussing works assigned; there will also be writing assignments (emphasizing literary analysis) relating to the different readings.

This 3-unit course is fully transferrable to CSU and UC.

The online version of English 203 involves the same readings, writings, exercises and information as the traditional English 203 course; only the delivery system has changed.

NOTE: there is a prerequisite for this course. You must either have completed English 101 (or its equivalant) with a grade of "C" or higher For more information, please contact the counseling staff at LAHC.

General Nature of the Course

This course functions very much like a correspondence course; the chief difference is the electronic environment and your relatively immediate access to your instructor (me). Also instead of students submitting work on paper, assignments are submitted, commented upon and returned via e-mail; lecture material, course deadlines, assignment information are available via the internet.

Lectures: There are a series of online Lectures on topics related to your reading and writing. Be sure to read the lecture material for each week listed because this should help you to understand what some of my expectations and special concerns are about your reading and writing.

Class Schedule: You will need to regularly keep track of assignment (reading and writing) due dates by referring to the Class Schedule. It is up to you to keep up with assignment deadlines. I strongly recommend that you bookmark the Class Schedule page.

Essays: Much of your grade is based on your written assignments. There are detailed instructions on how to produce and submit essays on the class Writing Assignments page. Be sure you read this carefully; if you submit a paper in the incorrect format, for example, it will not be accepted. Specific paper topic instructions can be reached through the links on the Class Schedule page or the Writing Assignments page.

Class Discussions: The rest of your grade will be based on class discussions of certain questions relating to the readings. Discussions will be conducted with the entire class on an ETUDES message board (more information is available on the Discussions page). Be sure to read over details on how to earn maximum points on discussions.

Student Learning Objectives

Student who complete this course successfully should, minimally, be able to

• Recognize distinctive features of the major writers, literary works, movements, trends and genres in World Literature from the beginning to the Renaissance
• Demonstrate an understanding of these works in context, including, though not limited to, historical, philosophical, social, political, religious, psychological, biographical, artistic backgrounds
• Employ critical thinking and college-level methods and terminology of literary analysis to reading and interpreting literature by producing well-developed, fluent writing that supports premises about literary works and which utilizes logical observations supported by textual examples
• Demonstrate continued understanding of MLA conventions developing essays that integrate source material and incorporate standard documentation and format

Student Responsibilities

Your responsibilities for this course are really the same as those of any student taking any course with the following addition: you have to keep reminding yourself what is required (assignment dates, rules, etc.) because you don't have an instructor in the front of a room reminding you every class.

• You will do all of the assignments. This means you need to look at the Course Schedule often to make sure when work (reading, writing, lectures, discussions) are due. Keep up with all lectures, readings, discussions, writing assignments.

• You will have all of the textbooks for this course. You need not buy them, but all assigned readings are required.

• You will seek all legitimate help with your course work. That means that when you have questions you will e-mail me immediately or come see me during my office hours on campus. You should also consider visiting the campus Writing Lab or Literacy Center if you need additional help.

• You will not cheat. It's fine to get legitimate help; it's not all right to plagiarize. I am well aware that papers can be bought. I am also very savvy about finding those papers (both in print sources and on the internet). The English Department at LAHC has several resources (one is Plagiserve; there are several others) which allow us to track stolen or bought papers.

• You will not threaten or belittle (or flame) other students in class discussions. DO feel free to present opposing arguments on ANY subject, but do not personally attack others in the class.

• You will be bound by all other codes of student conduct listed in the college catalogue.

If you do not agree to all of the above requirements, do not take this course.

Textbooks

Required Texts:

• The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces: Fifth Continental Edition, Maynard Mack

• Additional short readings for the course are available here: Online World Literature Anthology

Note: The Fifth Contintental Edition of the Norton Anthology (ISBN: 0393954862) can be ordered online here at barnes & noble textbook division or purchased in the school bookstore. There are other editions of the Norton Anthology, but they do not have all of the course readings. You are not required to get that particular edition, but it is then your responsibility to find and read all of the readings assigned. Some are available online; others in libraries.

Recommended Texts:

• Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell

• The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell

Grading

Each assignment will receive a point score; letter grades are based on percentages (90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; etc.); for example, if a discussion is worth 20 points possible, and if you score a 16, then you have scored 80% which equals a B for that assignment.

At the end of the semester, your overall score will be converted into a percentage of the points possible for the entire course to determine your letter grade for the course.

Once they are posted, grades will be available for view on ETUDES.

For more information about what constitutes an "A" paper (or not), click here.

Note: always keep copies of scores and comments that I send you; I do not store them all.

And for specific information on extra credit, revisions, essay requirements, visit the class Writing Assignments page; for more details on how to score high on class discussions, visit the class Discussion page.

John Corbally
Los Angeles Harbor College
(310) 233-4239
jrcorbally@gmail.com

copyright © John Corbally