ENG 204J: Literature of the Modern World

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LITERATURE OF THE MODERN WORLD

Dr. DeFino Fall 2001 Iona College

DESCRIPTION:

Major literary works of the modern world, drawn from western and non-western literature. A close reading of texts organized by genre, including epic, tragedy, comedy, lyric and romance.

TEXTS:

Beckett, Waiting for Godot; Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude; Melville, Moby-Dick; Mishima, Patriotism; Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway; photocopies of several shorter pieces will be distributed in class.

REQUIREMENTS:

--Regular Attendance. Be here, and be on time. If you must miss class for any reason, you are responsible for getting notes, assignments, and any other class materials from another student. Multiple absences and lateness will lead to substantial grade penalties, and college policy states that students missing 20% or more of the class meetings will receive a grade of FA (failure due to absence).

--Participation (15% of course grade). To be successful, this class will require the contribution of each of its members. Come prepared to discuss assignments, to share your work, and to respond to that of your classmates.

--Acceptable completion of all assignments. Due to the volume and diversity of reading in this course, it is imperative that you keep up. Otherwise, you will become lost very quickly.

Two short papers (each 15% of course grade), offering original critical responses to course materials. They are an opportunity to treat subjects in detail, or to investigate matters either passed over or only suggested in class.

Mid-term and end-term exams (each 15% of course grade), testing your comprehension of the readings and class discussions. Thesse should give you little trouble if you are reading and paying attention.

--Academic honesty. Plagiarism (the unauthorized use of another’s words or thoughts, while passing them off as your own) will lead to automatic failure in this course.

Sep 6: Wordsworth, “Daffodils” (photocopy); excerpt from Melville, Hawthorne and His Mosses” (photocopy)

Oct 29: Cesaire, “Word” (photocopy); Wong Sam, “English-Chinese Phrasebook” (photocopy)

Nov 12, 13, 15, 19, 20: One Hundred Years of Solitude; ***second paper due Nov 20***