Literature 331: World Literature II

Europe; Asia; Africa and the Middle East

Instructor

Professor Norbert Elliot

Course Description

This course offers students an opportunity to enhance their understanding of contemporary global interactions by exploring a diverse array of culturally expressive artifacts---novels, short stories, and poems--grouped geographically by region. Course readings represent the following regions: Europe, Asia, and Africa and the Middle East. A second course, Literature 330, covers the literature of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Australia and Oceania.

Prerequisites

The Writing, Speaking, and Thinking Curriculum: Three credits of English are required.

The Basic Social Science Curriculum: Six credits of basic social science are recommended.

The Cultural History Curriculum: Six credits of cultural history are required.

Texts

Anthology:
Norman A. Spenser and Shirley Geok-Lin Lim. One World of Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.

Novels:
Graham Greene. The End of the Affair. 1951. New York: Penguin, 1999.

Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart. 1959. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Handbook:
Sylvan Barnet. A Short Guide to Writing about Literature. 9th ed. New York: Longman, 2003.

Films (to rent):
The End of the Affair (1999)
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

CD ROM

Norbert Elliot. Literature 331. Newark: NJIT, 2001.

The Portfolio

Copies of all assignments-drafts and final copies of papers, slides from oral presentations, and examinations-will be kept by each student in a portfolio retained by the instructor at the end of the course. This document will reflect the overall quality of your work.

Late Assignments

Late assignments are not accepted and will receive a failing grade unless prior arrangements are made. If there is an emergency, I may be reached at either my office or by e-mail.

Assignments

There are four types of assignments in the course:

1. Responses to Lectures 1-20 and the accompanying readings, worth 2 points each (total: 40 pts.)
2. Review of web sites for literature of the three geographic areas, worth 3 points each (total: 9 pts.)
3. Four essays, worth 10 points each (total: 40 pts.)
4. One group project, worth 11 points total: 11 pts.)

The final grade will be based on your cumulative effort in the course; that is, your grade will be based on your improvement, not solely on a sum of grades.

Syllabus (This is a sample syllabus. While the basic elements of the course remain consistent across semesters, elements of the course change. For distance learning courses, the final syllabus is provided on the web site. For traditional classes, the final syllabus is provided the first day of class.)

Part 1: Literature in a Global Context

Week 1

Topic: An Introduction to World Literature
Listen to Lecture 1: An Introduction to World Literature. Barnet, Chapter 5, "What is
Literature?" Barnet, Chapter 6, "What is Interpretation?" Barnet, Chapter 7,"What
is Evaluation?" Barnet, Chapter 14, "Style and Format" Barnet, Chapter 15,
"Writing a Research Paper" Barnet, Chapter 16, "New Approaches to the
Research Paper: Literature, History, and the World Wide Web" Lim and Spenser,
"Documentation" Lim and Spenser, "The Question of Translation" Begin Graham
Greene, The End of the Affair
Assignments
Assignment 1 : A Cultural Autobiography due February 2 (10 points)

Part 2: The Literature of Europe

Week 2

Listen to Lecture 2: Writing About World Literature. Listen to Lecture 3: The
Literature of Europe. Read Barnet, Chapter 1, "The Writer as Reader: Reading
and Responding" Barnet, Chapter 2, "The Reader as Writer: Drafting and Writing"
Barnet, Chapter 3, "Two Forms of Criticism: Explication and Analysis" Barnet,
Chapter 8 "Writing About Literature: An Overview" Barnet, Chapter 9, "Writing
About Fiction" Lim and Spenser, "A Note on Fiction." D. H. Lawrence, "The Horse
Dealer's Daughter." Virginia Woolf, "The Mark on the Wall." James Joyce, "Araby."
Continue reading Graham Greene, The End of the Affair Franz Kafka, "A Hunger
Artist." Albert Camus, "The Guest."
Assignments
Assignment 2: The Literature of Europe (2 pts)

Listen to Lecture 4: European Poetry. Barnet, Chapter 11, "Writing About Poetry"
Lim and Spenser, "A Note on Poetry" W. H. Auden, "The Unknown Citizen" and
"Musee de Beaux Arts." William Butler Yeats, "Easter, 1916." Seamus Heaney,
"Digging." Complete Graham Greene, The End of the Affair. View the film The End
of the Affair. Barnet, Chapter 13, "Writing About Film"
Assignments
Assignment 3: European Poetry (2 pts)

Week 3

Listen to Lecture 5: Russian Fiction. Issac Babel, "My First Goose." Tatyana
Tolstaya, "Fire and Dust."
Assignments
Assignment 4: Russian Fiction (2 pts)

Week 4

Listen to Lecture 6: Eastern Eurpoean Fiction--A Fictitious Family. Milan Kundera,
"Edward and God."
Assignments
Assignment 5: Eastern European Fiction--A Fictitious Family (2 pts)

Listen to Lecture 7: Friedrich Durrenmatt. Barnet, Chapter 10, "Writing About
Drama" Lim and Spenser, "A Note on Drama" Friedrich Durrenmatt, The Visit.
Assignments
Assignment 6: Friedrich Durrenmatt

Listen to Lecture 8: Italo Calvino. Italo Calvino, "The Adventure of a Reader."
Assignments
Assignment 7: Italo Calvino (2 pts)

Week 5

Assignments
Assignment 8--Review of Web Sites on European Fiction (3 pts)
Assignment 9--Essay: The Literature of Europe (10 points)

Part 3: The Literature of Asia

Week 6

Listen to Lecture 9: An Introduction to Asia. See the film, "Raise the Red Lantern."
Assignments
Assignment 10: The Literature of Asia (2 pts)

Listen to Lecture 10: Lu Xun. Lu Xun, "My Old Home," "A Small Incident"
Assignments
Assignment 11: Lu Xun (2 pts)

Listen to Lecture 11: Ding Ling. Ding Ling, "When I Was in Xia Village."
Assignments
Assignment 12: Ding Ling (2 pts)

Week 7

Listen to Lecture 12: Yukio Mishima. Yukio Mishima, "Patriotism"
Assignments
Assignment 13: Yukio Mishima(2 pts)

Week 8

Listen to Lecture 13: Pramoedya Anata Toer. Pramoedya Anata Toer, "Inem"
Assignments
Assignment 14: Pramoedya Anata Toer (2pts)

Listen to Lecture 14: Mashaweta Devi. Mashaweta Devi, "Breast-Giver"
Assignments
Assignment 15: Mashaweta Devi (2 pts)

Week 9

Assignment 16--Review of Web Sites on Asian Fiction (3 pts)
Assignment 17--Essay: The Literature of Asia (10 pts)

Part 4: The Literature of Africa and the Middle East

Week 10

Listen to Lecture 15: An Introduction to Africa and the Middle East. Begin Chinua
Achebe, Things Fall Apart.
Assignments
Assignment 18: An Introduction to Africa and the Middle East (2 pts)

Week 11

Listen to Lecture 16: Chinua Achebe. Complete Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart.
Chinia Achebe, "Civil Peace."
Assignments
Assignment 19: Chinua Achebe (2 pts)

Week 12

Listen to Lecture 17: A New Tradition--African and Arabic Literature. Read Naguib
Mahfouz, "The Happy Man."
Assignments
Assignment 20: A New Tradition--African and Arabic Literature (2 pts)

Week 13

Listen to Lecture 18: Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, "The Return."
Assignments
Assignment 21: Ngugi wa Thiong'o (2 pts)

Week 14

Listen to Lecture 19: An Overview of Contemporary Israeli Literature. Read Yehuda
Amichai, "Jerusalem" and "Sort of an Apocalypse." Amoz Oz, "Nomad and Viper."
Assignments
Assignment 22: An Overview of Contemporary Israeil Literature (2 pts)

Assignments
Assignment 23: Web Sites on the Literature of Africa and the Middle East (3 pts)
Assignment 24: Essay on the Literature of Africa and the Middle East
(10 pts)

Part 5: Putting it all Together

Week 15

Course Conclusion

Listen to Lecture 20: Course Conclusion
Assignments
Assignment 25: Course Conclusion (2 pts)
Group Project
Assignment 26: Group Work (11 pts)
Course Portfolio Due