English 244G, Literature & Culture, at NMSU-Alamogordo

English 244G, Literature & Culture
call #3017783
CB 801
Professor Ron McNeel

ENGLISH 244G
LITERATURE AND CULTURE
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY AT ALAMOGORDO

Ron McNeel, Professor of English

Syllabus for Fall Semester 2004
Meets Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00-12:15

New Mexico State University at Alamogordo Mission Statement

The mission of the Alamogordo Branch of New Mexico State University, a comprehensive
community college, is to:

provide quality education that includes academic, technical, vocational, developmental, and career-oriented skills;
promote student competence, confidence, and success and provide personal enrichment programs through continued response to the cultural, intellectual, and economic needs of the community;
maintain active ties and continuity with the main campus; and
afford equal opportunity for individuals who meet admission criteria to receive educational services within the community without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Course Objectives	Assignments, Grading, and Attendance	Helpful Links	Instructor Contact Information
Required Books and Materials	Course Schedule	Course and University Policies	Americans with Disabilities Act and emergency information

Catalog Description

English 244G: Literature and Culture. Intensive reading of and discussion and writing about selected masterpieces of world literature. Emphasizes cultural and historical contexts of readings to help students appreciate literary traditions. Core texts include works by Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare, a classic novel, an important non-Western work, and modern literature.

Course Objectives

To provide the critical tools necessary for examining the interaction of the world's literatures and cultures in various genres:

epic poems
lyric poems
short stories
novels
plays
memoirs and autobiography

To understand and apply, through writing, basic literary terms
To understand and apply, through research and writing, basic techniques of literary criticism
To evaluate adaptations of literature into film
Above all, to maintain students' love of reading

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Assignments, Grading, and Attendance

Grade Worth Assignment

25points Essay on Homer's Iliad.

5 points
Vocabulary Quiz

25 points Essay on a work by Dante or T.S. Eliot.

5 points
Quiz

40 points Essay on Shakespeare's continuing influence on western culture: 3-5 pages.

40 points Researched Report on an author or trend, showing the intersection of culture and literature, not covered in the regular class sessions, 3-5 pages.

30 points Final Exam: Critical Review of a Film. 2-4 pages.

30 points Attendance and Participation. Recorded with collected attendance cards and discussion questions on the cards; and with check marks for participation in class discussions. Upon your third absence, you automatically lose 10 of these points. Upon your fifth absence, you automatically lose another 10 for each absence. If you miss class seven times, the highest grade you can hope for is a C. You cannot pass this course, even with a D, if you miss nine classes. There are no excused absences, except as provided for in University policies covering required University functions. Notice that you can miss two classes (out of thirty--one week's worth) with no penalty.

200
Total Points Possible

Semester Grade: 200-180 points = A; 179-160 points = B; 159-140 points = C; 139-120 points = D; Below 120 points = F.

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Instructor Contact Information
Ron McNeel
Professor of English
Faculty Office Building # 115
Phone: 439-3742
email: mcneel@nmsua.nmsu.edu
website: http://alamo.nmsu.edu/~rmcneel
Books and Materials

Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald

Dante. La Vita Nuova.

Hunt, Douglas, ed. The Riverside Anthology of Literature. (includes Shakespeare's Othello.)

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart

NMSU-A computer account, with email
computer disks
notebooks, pens, pencils

Tentative Course Schedule

Please understand that the following schedule is ambitious. Stay in touch to hear about modifications to this schedule of readings and film viewings. Readings are to be completed before the class during which they will be discussed.

Session #	Date	Assignments and Activities
1	M, Aug. 23	Introduction to the Course, borrowing from Kenneth Burke: Language & Literature as Symbolic Action; Language and Literature as Tools for Living. Reciprocity of Construction between Literature and Culture.
2	W, Aug. 25	Introduction to Greek Culture. Lecture: Albert Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus and the uses of myth. Discussion of Homer, Books I and II, and discussion of Yeats's "Leda and the Swan," in Riverside, p. 716
3	M, Aug. 30	Lecture: Joseph Campbell and the uses of myth. Discussion of Homer, Books III-VII. . Discussion of Owen, "Arms and the Boy," in Riverside, p. 556. Assignment of paper on Homer.
4	W, Sept. 1	Homer, Books VIII-XI. Milton, from Paradise Lost, in Riverside, pp. 593-602. Last day to add a course. Deadline for payment arrangements with the Business Office.

Labor Day Holiday: Friday, September 3 through Tuesday, September 7

Session #	Date	Assignments and Activities
5	W, Sept. 8	Lecture: Shay, Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character. Discussion of Homer, Books XII-Book XVII, and Jarrell, "Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, " in Riverside, p. 845.
6	M, Sept. 13	Homer, Books XVIII-XXI. Auden, "The Shield of Achilles," in Riverside, p. 822
7	W, Sept. 15	Discussion of Homer, Books XXI-XXIV, and Tennyson's "Ulysses," in Riverside, p. 648, and Eliot's Observation on Tennyson, p. 655. Lecture: Conclusions and projections. Assignment of study areas for vocabulary quiz.
8	M, Sept. 20	Paper on Homer due. Introduction to the Renaissance and Dante. La Vita Nuova
9	W, Sept. 22	Dante, La Vita Nuova. Jarrell, Composing a poem, in Riverside, p. 851. Rich, On Writing as a Female Poet, in Riverside, p. 906
10	M, Sept. 27	Vocabulary Quiz. Dante, La Vita Nuova. Williams, Three Comments on Poetry, in Riverside, p. 752. Marvell, "The Definition of Love," p. 606, and "To His Coy Mistress," p. 608.
11	W, Sept. 29	Dante, La Vita Nuova. Shakespeare, sonnets, pp. 578-582. Observation by Houseman, p. 583. Donne, "Death Be Not Proud," p. 588. Neruda, "Here I Love You," p. 805.

12	M, Oct. 4	Introduction to Shakespeare's end of the Renaissance. Introduction to Drama and Tragedy. Assignment of Shakespeare essay, and assignment of Research Project.
13	W, Oct. 6	Beginning of the Film: Othello
14	M, Oct. 11	End of the Film, Othello.
15	W, Oct. 13	Discussion of Othello. Final thoughts on Tragedy, with a capital T. October 15: Last Day to drop an Individual Course to receive a grade of W: Withdrawal.
16	M, Oct. 18	Dramatic Poetry: Frost, "Home Burial," p. 728, and Eliot, "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, p. 762, "The Hollow Men," p. 769
17	W, Oct. 20	Lecture: The Rise of Fiction. Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" (possibly on film), "Flaubert's "A Simple Heart," and Maupassant's " The Necklass."
18	M, Oct. 25	Female Voices: Chopin's "Desiree's Baby," Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper, " Woolf's Solid Objects."
19	W, Oct. 27	Catch up Day

20	M, Nov. 1	The American South: "Porter's "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," plus the student observation by Wickey.
21	W, Nov. 3	Lecture: Fiction without Limits: Kafka's "A Hunger Artist," and Marquez, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," plus the observations by O'Connor and by Marquez.
22	M, Nov. 8	Lecture: Postcolonial literature. Begin Achebe's Things Fall Apart, chapters 1-7. Yeat's "Second Coming, p. 716.
23	W, Nov. 10	Continue discussion of Achebe's Things Fall Apart, chapters 8-12.
24	M, Nov. 15	Discussion of Achebe's Things Fall Apart, chapters 13 to the end. Last Day to Withdraw from the University.
25	W, Nov. 17	Last Discussion of Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
26	M, Nov. 22	Preparations for final exam. Research Project is due.

Thanksgiving Holiday: Wednesday, November 24 through Sunday, November 28

27	M, Nov. 29.	Beginning of Film: Troy.
28	W, Dec. 1	End of Film: Troy
29	M, Dec. 6	Final Exam: 10:30 A.M. -12:30 P.M.

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Course and University Policies

Do not use tobacco products in University buildings.
Absences will affect your final semester grade. See the grading policies above.
Chronic tardiness is unacceptable. It will start to take away participation points because I collect attendance and discussion questions at the beginnings of classes.
Plagiarized papers will receive a grade of zero. In this case, "plagiarized" means turning in someone else's work as your own. See the Student Handbook for other University-level penalties for plagiarism. Insufficient acknowledgement, in citation form, of the work of researched sources will be treated as errors in knowledge and will carry appropriate penalties in the regular grading scheme.
In case I have a question about whether or not a report is indeed authored by you, keep all pre-final drafts, notes, bibliography cards, and other research and drafting materials.
All late papers will lose 10% of the possible points. Dates for revisions will be negotiated with everyone in one class session, and then made absolute. I will not take late papers or revisions after noon on November 25, 2004.

Americans with Disabilities Act Statement, Emergency Contact Information

ADA Statement


If you have (or believe you have) a disability and would benefit from classroom accommodation(s), please contact the Office of Special Student Services located in the George Fettinger Student Services Building (phone: 439-3720). If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor. Student Responsibilities: Register with Special Student Services and obtain accommodation documents early in the semester; Deliver the completed accommodation and testing form(s) to the instructor(s) within the first two weeks of beginning of classes (or within one week of the date services are to commence); Retrieve the signed form(s) from faculty and return to SSD within five (5) days of receipt from faculty and at least one week before any scheduled exam; and, Contact the Special Student Services Office if the services/accommodations requested are not being provided, not meeting your needs, or if additional accommodations are needed. Do not wait until you receive a failing grade. Retroactive accommodations cannot be considered. Faculty Responsibilities: Sign the ACCOMMODATION REQUEST FORM and TESTING ACCOMMODATION FORM (when presented), retain a copy, and return the original to the student within five (5) working days of receipt; Contact Special Student Services immediately if there are any questions or disputes regarding accommodation(s), disruptive behavior, etc.; and, Refer the student to Special Student Services for any additional accommodations. Contacts: Accommodations: Kathy Fuller (439-3720), Special Student Services Counselor (George Fettinger Student Services Building) ADA Coordinator: Doris Lynch (439-3716), Campus Student Services Officer (George Fettinger Student Services Building) Discrimination: Angela Velasco(646-3333), Interim Director EEO/ADA & Employee Relations (Hadley Hall, Room 15 NMSU) All medical information will be treated confidentially

In Case of Emergency

DAYTIME 439-3720
EVENING 439-3714 (Campus Security)

To make it easier to find you, the person calling should know the class (i.e. English 244G), the
instructor, and the section that you are attending.

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25points	Essay on Homer's Iliad.
5 points	Vocabulary Quiz
25 points	Essay on a work by Dante or T.S. Eliot.
5 points	Quiz
40 points	Essay on Shakespeare's continuing influence on western culture: 3-5 pages.
40 points	Researched Report on an author or trend, showing the intersection of culture and literature, not covered in the regular class sessions, 3-5 pages.
30 points	Final Exam: Critical Review of a Film. 2-4 pages.
30 points	Attendance and Participation. Recorded with collected attendance cards and discussion questions on the cards; and with check marks for participation in class discussions. Upon your third absence, you automatically lose 10 of these points. Upon your fifth absence, you automatically lose another 10 for each absence. If you miss class seven times, the highest grade you can hope for is a C. You cannot pass this course, even with a D, if you miss nine classes. There are no excused absences, except as provided for in University policies covering required University functions. Notice that you can miss two classes (out of thirty--one week's worth) with no penalty.
200	Total Points Possible

ADA Statement

Student Responsibilities:

Faculty Responsibilities:

Contacts:

All medical information will be treated confidentially