Great Books I

MW 6:55-8:10 p.m., Room 212 Main Hall

Spring 2005

Dr. Leslie Heaphy and Dr. Keith Lloyd

 

Contact Information

Leslie Heaphy

Office:  310 D Main Hall

Office Hours:  M 12:30-1:30. MW 4:00-5:00 and TR 12:30-1:30 or by appointment

Contact information: 330-244-3304 or Lheaphy@stark.kent.edu

 

Keith Lloyd

Office:  150 R Fine Arts

Office Hours:  MW 4:00-5:00 pm; TR 10:00-10:30, 1:30-2:30

Contact Information:  330-244-5179 or klloyd @stark.kent.edu

 

Course Description

This covers great works of literature from the ancient world to about 1700.  The books will cover a wide range of ethnic and national voices, genres and traditions.  A variety of themes and ideas will be explored through discussion, lecture, small groups, films and other methods of instruction.

 

Required Readings

The Epic of Gilgamesh Danny P. Jackson, Trans.  2d ed. Bolchazy-Carducci

Tao teh Ching Lao Tzu.  John C. H. Wu, Trans., Shambala

The Bhagavad Gita Juan Mascaro, Trans., Penguin

The Inferno Dante Alighieri.  John Ciardi, Trans., Signet

Hamlet Wm. Shakespeare.  Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, ed., Washington Square

The Tale of Genji Murasaki Shikibu.  Edw. G. Seidensticker, Trans., Vintage, 1990

Odyssey Homer.  Robert Fagles, Trans., Penguin, 1996.

The Decameron Giovanni Boccaccio.  Mark Musa and Peter Bondanella, trans., Penguin, 1982.

 

And class handouts

 

Assignments

3 Take Home Exams ………………………………………… 300 pts total

Creative Final Presentation ……………………………………50 points

Homework Assignments (16)………………………………… 110 points

Attendance …………………………………………………… 60 points

Outside Assignment Paper ……………………………………80 points

 

                        Total………………………..600 points

 

A         540-600 points

B          480-539 points

C         420-479 points

D         360-419 points

F          Below 360

 

Policies/Services

Students with Disabilities

University Policy #3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content.  If you have a documented disability and are seeking academic accommodations please contact Kathy Kulick in the Office of Student Disability Services at 330-244-3287.  Students need to understand that if they will be requesting academic accommodations, they are required to present medical documentation that addresses their disability before they are eligible for assistance through the Office of Student Disabilities, located in the new Campus Center,   office number 47.  Phone: 330-244-5047.

 

Academic Honesty

All work that students hand in is expected to be their own or from properly documented sources.  Failure to meet these expectations is plagiarism, and students could be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the "Cheating and Plagiarism" section of the University's Digest of Rules and Regulations.  According to the student code of conduct, “the use of intellectual property of others without attributing it to them is considered a serious academic offense.  Cheating or plagiarism will result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses will result in dismissal from the university.”  If we suspect a work has been plagiarized, the burden will be upon you to prove otherwise.

 

Writing Center

            Located in Main Hall, room 202, the Writing Center offers students help and instruction on any writing assignments in this class or any other.  They offer tutorials, handouts and brochures, and information on their website:  www.stark.kent.edu/writing.  There is no cost to use this service.

           

Testing Center

            The Testing Center is located in the lower level of the new Campus Center.  Call for hours and other information.  If you need to use their services for make-up tests, be sure to bring your student id with you.  All tutoring services are also located there.

 

Campus Theme

This year the Campus Theme is Globalization.  The campus theme is designed to help students see connections between the classes they are taking as different disciplines may introduce the same topic but deal with it in different ways.  The book Globalization:  A Short History is available in the library for those interested.

 

 

 

Course Outline

Week 1                                    Introduction and Historical background for Gilgamesh

 

Week 2                                    M—film, Gilgamesh Tablets 1-4

HW 1:  Identify and explain several differences you see between our world and Gilgamesh’s.  Avoid the obvious (i.e. we have cars…) Look instead for differences in perception, what was important, who was thought to be important etc…

W--Gilgamesh Tablets 5-9

 

Week 3                                    M--Gilgamesh Tablets 10-12

HW 2:  Gilgamesh goes on a journey.  Who does he meet along the way and what do they teach him?  Is his journey a success—why or why not?

                                                W—Odyssey 5-10

Week 4                                    M—Odyssey 11-14

HW 3:  Identify aspects of what the Greeks might have called civilized behavior and how did these affect Odysseus and others?

                                                W—Odyssey 15-18

Week 5                                    M—Odyssey 19-24

HW 4:  Discuss whether or not or to what extent Odysseus is a hero.  Be sure to distinguish between ancient and modern ideas about heroes.

                                                W—Gita 1-5

HW 5:  Arjuna reveals his reluctance to go and fight –what is Krishna’s response?  How do you think the Gita defines “duty”?

Week 6                                    M—Gita 6-9

                                    *********1st Exam due*****************

                                                W—Gita 10-12

HW 6:  Describe the concepts of karma, nirvana, devotion and reincarnation

Week 7                                    M—Tao 1-40

HW 7:  How does the Tao compare and contrast to the Gita?

                                                W—Tao 41-81

HW 8:  In what ways does the Tao challenge our perceptions of our culture?  What passages cause you to think differently about your own life?

Week 8                                    M—Genji Intro and 1-3

                                                W—Genji 4-6

HW 9:  What do you learn about Japan and its culture and history from Genji’s life—Be sure to cite specific passages as support.

Week 9                                    M—Genji 7-9

HW 10:  Using specific passages, show how Genji’s life and perceptions are influenced by his views on religion, women, class, etc…

                                                W—Genji 10-12

Week 10                      **********Spring Break************

 

Week 11                                  M—Inferno 1-4

                                    **********2nd exam Due*************

                                                W—Inferno 5-9

HW 11:  How does the Inferno bring together the Pagan and medieval worlds into a unified Christian vision of the world?

Week 12                                  M—Inferno 11, 15, 17, 21

                                                W—Inferno 26, 28, 30, 32-34

                                    (Skim the descriptions of the chapters we skip)

HW 12:  What will you “take home” from the Inferno and why?

Week 13                                  M—Decameron Day 1: 4, 5, 6; Day 2: 3, 4, 7

                                                W—Decameron Day 3:  1, 8, 9; Day 4:  1, 2, 6

HW 13:  What aspects of medieval culture surprise you in these stories and why?  How would you have characterized the medieval period before reading this book?

Week 14                                  M—Decameron Day 5:  2, 4, 6, 9; Day 6:  4, 7; Day 7:  1, 2

HW 14:  The Decameron starts each day with a moral lesson for the stories to illustrate—using specific stories, illustrate the kinds of moral decisions being recommended and how these do or do not fit with the stated morals in the introduction to each day.

                                                W—Decameron Day 8:  3, 6; Day 9: 3, 6; Day 10:  1, 4, 10

Week 15                                  M—Hamlet Act I and II

                                                HW 15:  What role does playing “roles” have in the play?

                                                W—Hamlet Act III

                                    *****4/27 Outside Paper assignment is due*********

Week 16                                  M—Hamlet Act IV

HW 16:  Citing specific passages as illustration, what do you think Hamlet is about?

                                                W—Hamlet Act V

Week 17                      ***********Final Exam Week*********

                        Wed. May 11th at 6 p.m.—Creative Presentations and third exam due

 

Assignments/Course policies

            Attendance

Students are expected to be in class and are responsible for all material covered.  Students will receive credit for their attendance each class period.

 

            Late Papers

With the exception of the exams since they cannot be late, all papers can be turned in late, but homework assignments will lose 1 point a day and the outside assignment will lose three points a day.

 

            Form of all Assignments

When handing in assignments, remember that they all will be photocopied for each professor.  Since this is necessary for grading purposes all papers must be:

  • Single-sided
  • Have no staples, just paper clips
  • If handwritten cannot be on pages torn from a notebook

If a paper fails to meet these criteria it will be handed back to be fixed and could be marked late as a result.

 

            Homework

There will be two questions assigned for each book the students read, a total of 16 questions.  Each homework assignment will be worth 8 points.  Late papers will be accepted, but will lose one point for every day they are late.  All homework assignments will be collected at the beginning of the class they are due.

 

            Outside Assignment Paper

Students will be expected to attend two outside events during the semester that are related to the books/topics of our class.  They will complete one paper which is due on April 27th.  The paper should be a 4-5 page, typed and double-spaced paper that compares and contrasts the two events.  Check with the instructors to be sure an event will count.  We will be arranging times to show a number of films such as “ The Mahabarata,” “The Decameron”, “Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Dead”, and “Hamlet”, during the semester.  You could also attend a yoga class, the performance of the “Complete Works of Shakespeare,” as performed on campus April 15-17 and 21-24, or a presentation such as Rahim Al Haj on Feb. 6th at 3 p.m. in the main hall auditorium.

 

            Creative Final Presentation

Each student will have the semester to work on a creative final presentation for the course.  All presentations will be done during the final exam period.  Each presentation will have 10 minutes.  A sign-up sheet will be handed out later in the semester, along with further directions about the assignment.  Since this presentation is on the final day of the semester, there can be no late assignments.  If you miss your presentation you will receive a failing grade for this assignment.

 

            Take Home Exams

Students will complete three take-home exams during the semester.  Each exam will be due one week after the final reading assignment for that exam has been completed—the dates are indicated in the course outline.  No late exams will be accepted.  All exams must be the student’s own work and must be properly documented.  Further directions about style, etc. will be handed out with the questions.  Each exam will be worth 100 points.