Course Description

Required Texts:

Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande People. Trans. David C. Conrad. Hackett Publishing; New York, 2004. ISBN 0-87220-697-1. Price $9.95.
All other course materials can be found online at Library Reserve, however, if you prefer to use a text, you can purchase the following:

Literatures of Africa, Asia, The Middle East and America ISBN 0-02-306065-4; this contains everything we will need. There are also separate volumes available online but with the exception of the one on the Middle East, these are not easy to find.

Course Purpose: To introduce students to the traditional literatures of non-western cultures through readings, in translation, from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, China, Japan, and the Americas. Students will become aware of the roots of contemporary cultures, looking at the history and contexts of the literatures that have formed them, and move toward an understanding, through the readings, of the paths these cultures have taken. The ability to read critically and analytically, recognize interelationships between imaginative works and ideas, and write effectively are goals, as is the continued opening of students' world views. (fulfills GER Lit requirement and Global Knowledge co req. See Rules and Regs for Objectives, Outcomes and Assessments.)

Course Requirements:
One Paper of at least 1000 words. Paper is worth 35%
The Midterm exam is 20% and the Final is 20%. Two Quizzes are 5% each

Assignments/Responses are 10% all together.

Presentation is worth up to 5 points.

Reading assignments are listed on the Calendar and you will be reminded before each class. The readings average 5+ pages close reading, with attention to longer sections of text for context and familiarity.
Your writing assignments will be evaluated according to the standards for content, organization, format, grammar and mechanics as defined in “Writing Standards” on the website.


Attendance: Class attendance is necessary. After three absences your grade will be affected. Keep up with the assignments and come to class prepared to discuss them; otherwise, you will fall behind and the effect will expand beyond recovery. (see "Rules and Regs" link on this course website for University regulations)

Disabilities: Students with disabilities or special needs will be accommodated in accordance with University policy. (see Rules and Regs link)

Academic Honesty: By continuing in this course, you confirm that you will abide by the University's policy. (see Rules and Regs link)

Assignments continued

There are altogether six geographically based Units we will cover this semester:
Unit 1: Africa
Unit 2: The Near and Middle East
Unit 3: South Asia
Unit 4: China
Unit 5: Japan
Unit 6: The Americas

There is one Paper due during the course. You will sign up for a Paper on one of: Africa, The Middle East, or South Asia, OR a Paper on one of China, Japan, or the Americas. According what area you choose, your Paper will be DUE mid semester or at the end (see Calendar for exact dates); you can always turn it in earlier. You may also do comparisons or a combination of cultural areas as long as the main concentration of your papers deals with an area from Unit 1, 2,or 3 for the first OR Unit 4, 5, or 6 for the second. Remember, ***all papers must deal with the text(s) we have read for class.***

Below you’ll see a list questions under three main headings, which will help you to find more specific topics for your Paper and Responses First though, there are a number of ways you can approach writing the Paper:
· The culture can be looked at as a whole, or with reference to a certain aspect of it: spiritual beliefs, historical context, social customs or conditions. The stories and poems we read can then be used to clarify an argument you make about this.
· A story or poem can be examined separately, arguing a view of how it might be read or interpreted
· Two or more stories or poems can be compared according to theme, content, character, or whatever will aid in illuminating them both,
· Stories or poems can be discussed with reference to other literary works, media, or events of the world
· Texts can be interpreted creatively, including putting them in another form


Six short Responses, one for each Unit are DUE the class after we finish the Unit (see Calendar for exact date). The Response is your reaction to any of the texts, Presentations, or discussions we have done in class. You can react according to your own experience or to something you have read or seen, as long as it has to do with what we are studying. If you wish, you can use the Study Questions as a guide if you can't think of anything of your own to write. If you use a text, you may choose which one(s) you wish to respond to; I would also suggest that you use one of these Responses as beginning work on your paper, where you can propose and ask questions; you'll get a quick response.

Online class put Responses INSIDE the email and lable the Subject line: FL ENG 219 Response for Unit X ___.

Responses for The Middle East, South Asia, China, and Japan are worth 2 points each; Responses for Africa, Middle East and the Americas are worth 1or 2 points each. Students decide which one of those three will be a longer Response, and indicate that. You will need a total of 10 points for the Responses all together. A two point Response must be at least 325 words (about a page and a half 1.5 spaced), a one point Response must be at least 250 words. I will remind you which ones need to be longer!

One oral Presentation is required of each student. There will be a sign up sheet so think about which area of the world interests you the most. These presentations will be about 5 minutes, longer only if you must, and can be on any topic related to the cultural area we are studying. Note these Presentations are directed toward your fellow students as the audience. The Presentation is worth up to 5 points on your final grade.

Questions for Consideration

Cultural contexts: Geographical, Spiritual, Historical
What is the earth like in this part of the world?
· Can you see relationships between how people would live in response to their surroundings and the literature they produce?
· Look for specific references to weather, animals, geographical features in these texts. What images occur? How are they used?
· What is/are the Creation myth(s) for this culture?
· What kinds of spiritual, philosophical, or religious beliefs infuse this culture?
· How do these beliefs come out in the literature? Notice the existence of these beliefs may not be obvious in the texts as such but appear in actions or situations, choices of words and images, characters and responses.
· Do certain events form a context for a particular reading?
· How is this culture's society arranged? What are its characteristic features? Can you find them reflected in the readings?
· Who is the author and what relationship does she or he have to the time and society in which she or he lived?
As Literature
· With regard to audience, what special considerations are needed to understand this text: was it originally part of an oral tradition i.e. performed?
· What was the status of the author/writer/performer in this culture?
· What features of this work stand out for you: use of metaphor, vividness or action, intensity of emotion, characters, shifting time sense or point of view? Something else?
Comparatively
· Can modern consideration of race, class or gender be applied to these readings?
· What texts can you think of from Western cultures that might hold a comparable position to any of these we are studying? Pay attention to the context and use of the texts: can you compare the functions?
· Looking at the type of reading, for example creation myth or national epic, lyrical poem or folktale, can you match any of these across cultures

Writing Assignments

For Each Paper:
In an essay of at least 1000 words, respond to the appropriate assignment as given. Use and demonstrate what you have learned in ENG 101: substantial content, unity, tight organization, proper syntax, correct mechanics, and accurate spelling. Use a handbook such as Writing, a College Handbook for advice about style and format; literature papers follow MLA. Ask questions if you do not understand, consult the Writing Standards (on Vista) for the rubric of grading.
Each paper should be substantial: do not argue for a proposition that is immediately obvious to any casual reader of the text or texts with which you are concerned. Do not simply repeat class discussions, except as a point of departure. State a precise thesis about your topic, then support that thesis with specific details from the literature, including at least three or four exact quotations (which are not included as part of your 1000 words). The thesis should assert a specific proposal, not just rephrase the assignment (If the assignment is to compare X and Y, a good thesis would not be that "X and are comparable"). When comparing two items, you will probably want to emphasize either similarities or differences but your essay should contain both.
Give each paper a title, and perhaps a subtitle, that describes the paper's specific contents. The reader should know from your title which authors, texts, and/or characters your paper contains.
Organize each essay, and each paragraph, into units of attention as well as units of information. Arrange each unit to create expectation and fulfill it through an orderly progression of statements with a signal at the end that a conclusion has been reached. Both paragraphs and sentences within the paragraphs should have definite, obvious places that can be seen from their content. You might try looking at groups of paragraphs and at sentences within paragraphs in various orders to be sure you have the best and most logical progression and then go back and make sure each paragraph or sentence reflects the reason for your final order.
Document all your evidence, including material from your texts, and any other sources (including websites, and other quick fixes such as Cliff's Notes) with parenthetical page references. Remember that ideas and paraphrased information must be documented the same as word for word quotations. Plagiarism will be prosecuted fully.
Provide a Bibliography or List of Works Cited for all sources, remembering that the format for bibliographical entries differs from the format for footnoting. See Simon and Schuster's Handbook for Writers; again MLA is the style used for literature papers.
Papers should be typed and double-spaced. Leave a good margin on all sides for comments. Staple or clip; number your pages after the first. Online class Papers should be attached to the email.
Late papers will be penalized one-third letter grade for each day they are late.