English 105: Introduction to Literature
Spring Semester, 2003 Professor Tom Gage and Jory Taber Class: TR 1100-1220, Founders 235 Office Hours: F 218, Tues. & Thurs., 12:30-1:30 and by appointment
This course includes a variety of genres of literature. With recent developments in the Middle East, the selections advance both appreciation of literature and knowledge of how literature addresses the commonality undergirding the so called "clash of civilizations." A few works are translated with caveats following the insights by Maria Rosa Menocal. Some of the titles on the syllabus are on the Internet. You can down load the entire text, but it will not be the translation we use. I will explore in class the efficacy of translation, so reading different translations may be useful. REQUIRED*These titles are available at Northtown Books at 957 "H" Street in Arcata.
Poetry: May Swenson, Anne Stevenson, Josephine Miles, Chaucer Fitzgerald's The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, "Family" by Josephine Miles 1. Riddles: John Keats, Anne Stevenson, Robert Frost, Abul ala al Maarra Metaphor and Metonymy 2. Personas:"Nobody Loses All the Time" by e. e. cummings "ygUDuh" by e. e. cummings, Oedipus Rex" by Josephine Miles, "Judging Distances" by Henry Reed, "ygUDuh" by e. e. cummings , "Reason" by Josephine Miles Dialogics: *Lady Montagu' letters,Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Josephine Miles, Shakespeare's Othello
Short Naratives: Richard Burton's "The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad" from 1001 Nights Borges's Averroes' Search *Voltaire's "Zadig"
Novels: *Pamuk's Call Me Red
Rushdie's Satanic Verses
Essays: Washington Irving's "Night Journey"
Menocal's al-Andalus and 1492: Ways of Remembering
T. H. Huxley's Zadig's Method Moffett's "East/West" Malti-Douglas's "Mickey in Cairo/Ramsis in Paris" Lyng case, Brennen's minority decision Said's "Orientalism" Joseph O*Neill*s The Blood-Darken Track Grades: You are to keep a journal for this class, in which you will record and report on your readings. There will be three papers, an empirical task, and a final. The grade derives from these, plus regular attendance, participation in class discussions, keeping journal, and making deadlines. To receive a C or better you must hand in all work, attend all classes, and contribute to each response group. You cannot receive any grade above a "C" with three unexcused absences for three classes. Call me prior to class and leave a message that you will be absent-826 3913 (2). The mission of the course includes CSUC objectives for lower-division class that satisfy the Humanities requirement (derived from CSUC website: The intent of this course in fulfilling the General Education-Breath requirement is to assist students to acquire knowledge, understanding, and competence in making sense out of interrelated elements of aesthetic history. Outcomes-Students should be able to: Demonstrate critical thinking skills and abilities acquired through training and experience in scientific methodology, including the ability to 1.Support conclusions with reasoning and evidence. 2.Evaluate the merit of information, including the ability to a. Differentiate fact from fiction. b. Differentiate the probable from the improbable. c. Recognize and evaluate the source and context of information. d. Identify and explain inappropriate assertions. 3.Approach problems effectively, including the ability to a. Articulate problems clearly. b. Generate multiple solutions to problems. c. Recognize and defend against common thinking fallacies. Students should have an understanding of the complexity of cultural diversity. Outcomes-Students should be able to: 1. Examine the major cultural components which have influenced their own identity. 2. Demonstrate understanding of how their own identify influences their beliefs, values, and interactions with others. 3.Demonstrate understanding of the impact and issues of power, privilege, and oppression and their relationship to prejudice, discrimination, and inequity. Communication Skills: Students should be able to express themselves effectively in written and oral communication. Outcomes-Students should be able to: Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in multiple formats (e.g., group discussion, debate, lecture) and for multiple purposes (e.g., defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching). Students should understand themselves and others in a cultural context and develop interpersonal skills for diverse settings over the lifespan. Outcomes-Students should be able to: 1. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on experience and find meaning in it. 2. Demonstrate interpersonal awareness and sensitivity to differences and similarities in the way people are treated due to gender, race, ethnicity, culture, class, and sexual orientation. 3.Demonstrate group facilitation and interaction skills. 4.Demonstrate understanding of the importance of life-long learning and maintaining currency in one*s field. Week Date Titles
Should you lose this URL, you can find this WebPage by entering "GagePage" into any Search Engine and find your way through the links to English 105. Read Menocal's al-Andalus and 1492: Ways of Remembering (I will upload this to your E-mail). Also, Fenollosa's "The Chinese Written Character as a Medium For Poetry" . Read Here are two scripts of the same message , one in Chinese and one in Arabic. Notice how the instruments of each culture determine the shapes of the graphs. The brush forces the writer to compose abbreviated pictures with only eight strokes, each rather linear. The stylus composing sounds that approximations the phonemes in a particular language (dialect) allow for a greater variety of shapes, many curvilinear. The Greek word "gignomai" is the middle voice of the verb related to "gnosis" or "knowing," Poetry happens like images taking form in photographic chemicals. The works we will read during the first several weeks will be discuss in class and only after class will you receive them via E-mail. You will not prepare by reading the selected poems for the scheduled class, but rather you will engage via E-mail after the class by retrospectively discoursing upon what you understand of the work.
May 12-16: Finals 8 am, Tuesday, the 13th, 10:20-12:10 |
