Spring 2007

T C E603B • Composition and Reading in World Literature

Course Description

During the fall we will read the epic poetry of Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Milton, Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, and the great anti-romance, Don Quixote. During the spring we will explore European Romanticism, represented here by Goethe's Faust and Carlyle's The French Revolution, and the protean genre of the modern novel in works by Dostoyevsky, Zola, Kafka, Faulkner, and Thomas Mann.

Grading Policy

Although there may be occasional lectures to provide historical background, the primary method of instruction will be class discussion of the assigned reading. You must therefore come to class prepared to participate in discussions and will be asked periodically to lead them by posing two or three critical questions for consideration. No midterms or final exams will be given, but expect to write four or five essays (4-5 typed pages long) each term, plus occasional quizzes or brief (one-page) papers in class. No late papers will be accepted. Attendance is mandatory-no one absent more than five classes in a semester will receive a passing grade.

Writing assignments: 80%
Class participation: 20%

Texts

Goethe, Faust (Part 1) Carlyle, The French Revolution Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment Zola, The Debacle Kafka, The Trial Faulkner, As I Lay Dying Mann, The Magic Mountain

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