Syllabus

English 316N
Comparative Literature 315

Global Literature and Culture

Readings

All course content is posted on the course website.  Many of the selections are from The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces (Expanded Edition in One Volume, Maynard Mack, Ed., 1997, ISBN 0-393-97143-0).  Scanned versions of those readings and a few additional ones are posted on the course website. You should remain current with the readings and be able to access a copy of the texts during both lecture and section. That webpage also contains the reading questions, syllabus, etc. and all film clips, websites and images used in class.  All readings are posted as .pdfs, which may be downloaded and printed.  Using either Adobe Acrobat or GoodNotes, you should also be able to annotate and highlight the efiles if you wish.

The URL for the course website is: https://richmond.la.utexas.edu/

Please log in with your EID and password.

Additional music that is played at the start of class is compiled in a Spotify playlist.

You should consult the course website as the primary resource for course materials, information, and instructions.  Canvas will be used for submitting assignments, posting grades, sharing feedback/comments and for email communications.

Schedule of Topics, Readings,  Assignments

Topic 1: World Literature’s Crucible
Jan.14	Introductions
Jan.16	Before class: Read Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia, 7th century BCE), Sections 1-3, pages 10-31 In class: Epic, Myth, Tyranny and Individualism
Jan.21	Before class: Read Gilgamesh Sections 4-7, pages 31-42 In class: Loss and Coming of Age Then and Now
Topic 2: Gods and Monsters
Jan.23	Before class: No reading In class: Course Expectations (Literary Analysis Diagnostic)
Jan.28	Before class: Read Euripides Medea (Greece, 5th century BCE), lines 1-742, pages 433-451 In class: Gender, Imperialism and Orientalism
Jan.30	Before class: Read Medea, lines 743-1394, pages 451-465 In class: Guilt, Innocence and Revenge FIRST TRAVELOGUE DUE
Feb.4	Before class: Read Chuang Chou (China, 4th-3rd century BCE), Chapter 2, pages 555-565 In class: Taoism and the Limits of the Human
Feb.6	Before class: Read Kālidāsa, Śakuntalā (India, 4th Century CE), Acts I-III, pages 746-774 In class: Rasa or What a Play Should Do
Feb.11	Before class: Read Śakuntalā, Acts IV-VII, pages 774-811 In class: Rings of Power or the Power of Love
Topic 3: Literature Defers Death and Expands Life
Feb.13	Before class: Read The Thousand and One Nights (Persia, Syria and Egypt, 14th Century CE) Pages 923-948 In class: Shahrazad’s Fiction as Salvation
Feb.18	Before class: Read Dante, Inferno (Italy, 13th and 14th Century CE), Cantos I-VI, pages 1010-1039 In class: In the Midst of Life’s Journey
Feb.20	Before class: Read Inferno, Cantos XIII, XVIII, XXXII-XXXIV, pages 1060-1064, 1078-1082, and 1130-1142 In class: Which Punishment Fits which Crime? FIRST ESSAY DUE
Topic 4: Letting Go or Just Escaping
Feb.25	Before class: Read Montaigne, Three Essays, especially Of Cannibals (France, 16th Century CE), pages 1502-1523 In class: Brave New Worlds and Selves
Feb.27	Before class: Read Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, “A Letter Worthy of Athena” and “Foolish Men” (Mexico, 17th Century CE) In class: New Letters to Old Masters
Mar.4	Before class: Read Bashō, The Narrow Road of the Interior (Japan, 17th Century CE), pages 2108-34 In class: Selfhood’s Journey and the Loss of Self
Mar.6	Before class: Read Goethe, Faust, Part I (Germany, 18th and 19th Century CE), pages 2159-82 In class: Ambition and Betrayal in the Modern University
Mar.11	Before class: Read Goethe, pages 2183-2217 In class: What is the Price of a Soul?
Mar.13	Before class: Read Goethe, pages 2217-2263 In class: Who Wins?  Good, Evil, or “the Girl”? TRAVELOGUE PART I DUE
Mar.17-21	SPRING BREAK
Mar.25	Before class: No Reading In class: Expectations for Prospectus and Video Project
Topic 5: Threats and Hallucinations
Mar.27	Before class: Read Pushkin, The Queen of Spades (Russia, 19th Century CE), pages 2284-305 In class: Why You Should Never Gamble PROSPECTUS DUE
Apr.1	Before class: Read Baudelaire, from The Flowers of Evil (France, 19th Century CE), pages 2420-2432 In class: “It Has All Been Said Before”
Apr.3	Before class: Read Proust, Overture, Swann’s Way, Remembrances of Things Past (France, 19th and 20th Century CE), pages 2674-2713 In class: Tea, Cookies and Memory
Topic 6: Future, Possible Selves
Apr.8	Before class: Read Woolf, An Unwritten Novel (England 19th/20th Century CE), pages 2735-46 In class: Daydreaming on the Home Front
Apr.1o	Before class: Read Borges, “The Garden of Forking Paths” (Argentina, 20th Century CE), pages 2871-2881 In class: Imaginary Selves Trapped in Reality’s Labyrinths
Apr. 15	Before class: Read Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Nigeria, 20th Century CE), pages 2931-80 In class: Worlds in Conflict
Apr. 17	Before class: Read Achebe, pages 2980-3030 In class: Can There Be Life after Empire? VIDEO PROJECT DUE
Apr. 22	Before class: Read García Márquez, “Eyes of a Blue Dog” and “Death Constant Beyond Love”(Colombia and Mexico, 20th Century CE) In class: Magical Realism: Love, Death, and Politics
Apr. 24	Before class: el Charni, “The Way to Poppy Street”(Tunisia, 21st Century CE) In class: Never Look Back
Apr. 29	TRAVELOGUE PART II DUE
	HAVE GREAT SUMMERS!

In addition to the lectures listed above, you are required to attend the discussion section to which you have been assigned.  There will be no section meetings during the first and last week of classes.  Attendance will be taken at the start of each section meeting. 

PREREQUISITES:  English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306 or 306Q, or Tutorial Course 603A; and a passing score on the reading section of the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test.

FLAGS:  The course carries 1 flag: global cultures

This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.

English 316N may be used to fulfill the humanities component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:  communication skills, critical thinking skills, personal responsibility, and social responsibility.

HONOR CODE, ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, HOLIDAYS

The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Each class participant is expected to adhere to these principles throughout the course, in dealing with the instructors, fellow students, and in completing all written assignments for the course. Your instructors will do the same.

Academic Integrity: Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s own work. For additional information on Academic Integrity, see https://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/conduct/

Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of a pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

EVACUATION PROCEDURES

Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated.  Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy.  Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Other important Emergency Information:  http://www.utexas.edu/safety/preparedness/

SHARING OF COURSE MATERIALS IS PROHIBITED

No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. I am well aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in sanctions, including failure in the course.

CLASS RECORDINGS

All of class recordings, including your video projects, are reserved only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could lead to Student Misconduct proceedings.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS

• You have a right to a learning environment that supports mental and physical wellness.
• You have a right to respect.
• You have a right to be assessed and graded fairly.
• You have a right to freedom of opinion and expression.
• You have a right to privacy and confidentiality.
• You have a right to meaningful and equal participation, to self-organize groups to improve your learning environment.
• You have a right to learn in an environment that is welcoming to all people. No student shall be isolated, excluded or diminished in any way.

With these rights come responsibilities:

• You are responsible for taking care of yourself, managing your time, and communicating with the teaching team and with others if things start to feel out of control or overwhelming.
• You are responsible for acting in a way that is worthy of respect and always respectful of others.
• Your experience with this course is directly related to the quality of the energy that you bring to it, and your energy shapes the quality of your peers’ experiences.
• You are responsible for creating an inclusive environment and for speaking up when someone is excluded.
• You are responsible for holding yourself accountable to these standards, holding each other to these standards and holding the teaching team accountable, as well.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name, unless they have added a “preferred name” with the Gender and Sexuality Center (http://diversity.utexas.edu/genderandsexuality/publications-and resources/). Your TA and I will happily honor your request to address you by a name that is different from what appears on the official roster, and by the gender pronouns you use (she / he / they / ze, etc). Please advise us of any changes early in the semester so that we may make appropriate updates to my records. For instructions on how to add your pronouns to Canvas, visit https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/633028/pages/profile-pronouns.

SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The university is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive learning environment consistent with university policy and federal and state law. Please let me know if you experience any barriers to learning so I can work with you to ensure you have equal opportunity to participate fully in this course. If you are a student with a disability, or think you may have a disability, and need accommodations, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Please refer to SSD’s website for contact and more information: http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/. If you are already registered with SSD, please deliver your Accommodation Letter to me as early as possible in the semester so we can discuss your approved accommodations and needs in this course.

COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

The Counseling and Mental Health Center serves UT’s diverse campus community by providing high quality, innovative and culturally informed mental health programs and services that enhance and support students’ well-being, academic and life goals. To learn more about your counseling and mental health options, call CMHC at (512) 471-3515. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call the CMHC Crisis Line 24/7 at (512) 471-2255.

THE SANGER LEARNING CENTER

Did you know that more than one-third of UT undergraduate students use the Sanger Learning Center each year to improve their academic performance? All students are welcome to take advantage of the Sanger Center’s classes and workshops, private learning specialist appointments, peer academic coaching, and tutoring for more than 70 courses in 15 different subject areas. For more information, please visit:

http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/slc or call 512-471-3614 (JES A332).

UNDERGRADUATE WRITING CENTER

http://uwc.utexas.edu/Libraries:http://www.lib.utexas.edu/

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

http://www.utexas.edu/its/

STUDENT EMERGENCY SERVICES

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/

BeVOCAL

BeVocal is a university-wide initiative to promote the idea that individual Longhorns have the power to prevent high-risk behavior and harm. At UT Austin all Longhorns have the power to intervene and reduce harm. To learn more about BeVocal and how you can help to build a culture of care on campus, go to: https://wellnessnetwork.utexas.edu/BeVocal.

TITLE IX REPORTING

Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature, dating/domestic violence and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature occurs in our community, the university can: 1. Intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating. 2. Provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have become involved in a Title IX investigation. 3.Investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies. Beginning January 1, 2020, Texas Senate Bill 212 requires all employees of Texas universities, including faculty, report any information to the Title IX Office regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking that is disclosed to them. Texas law requires that all employees who witness or receive any information of this type (including, but not limited to, writing assignments, class discussions, or one-on-one conversations) must be reported. I am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one – including virtually online. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you would like to speak with someone who can provide support or remedies without making an official report to the university, please email advocate@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about reporting options and resources, visit http://www.titleix.utexas.edu/,  contact the Title IX Office via email at titleix@austin.utexas.edu, or call 512-471-0419. Although graduate teaching and research assistants are not subject to Texas Senate Bill 212, they are still mandatory reporters under Federal Title IX laws and are required to report a wide range of behaviors we refer to as unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature, including the types of conduct covered under Texas Senate Bill 212. The Title IX office has developed supportive ways to respond to a survivor and compiled campus resources to support survivors.

Q DROP POLICY

If you want to drop a class after the12th class day, you’ll need to execute a Q drop before the Q-drop deadline, which typically occurs near the middle of the semester. Under Texas law, you are only allowed six Q drops while you are in college at any public Texas institution. For more information, see: http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/csacc/academic/adddrop/qdrop.