Spring 2004

T C E603 • E603: Composition and Reading in World Literature

Course Description

Revelation: When we think of revelation, we often conceive of it as a “light-bulb” thing, an instance of sudden illumination. Yet literature–no less than our own lives–often describes this most basic human experience as something less sudden, and more mysterious, in nature. During our time together we’ll read what some of the most fascinating works of literature have said about revelation–about the intellectual, spiritual, and practical learning that defines active participation in the world.

About the Professor: Douglas Bruster is in the English Department, and often teaches Renaissance and twentieth-century plays. He is married, with two daughters, two dogs, and (at the time of this writing) no goldfish. Only the dogs seem to listen to him on a regular basis. He likes to play tennis and to watch college football, especially teams that run the option.

Grading Policy

Our course work will consist of discussion and short papers adding up to about 25 pages of finished written work each semester. Students who wish to explore a topic in greater depth will be allowed to write longer essays upon consultation with the instructor. Faithful attendance is required.

Texts

Inferno, Dante Paradise Lost, Milton Selected poems by Keats, Coleridge, Shelley, Wordsworth Madame Bovary, Flaubert The Cherry Orchard, Chekov The Waste Land, Eliot L’Avventura, Antonioni

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