World Lit 1

THIS DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE, English 245, explores international texts from early classical times (cir. 1200 BCE) to early modern globalization (cir.1600 CE). All texts are studied in English translations. The lessons and assignments are found on this website. The interactive components of the course are found on the college web site.

Gain stronger skills in reading and writing, greater knowledge of literature, and better understanding of world cultures and history. For registration or other info, email Dr. Gutchess at: gutchess@englishare.net

COURSE TEXTS AND SCHEDULE

In the schedule below, volume ABC's and page numbers refer to the following three-volume textbook:

Damrosch, David, et al., eds. The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Part One Package (Books A, B, C). New York: Pearson Education, 2nd edition 2008. Longman has posted a companion web site for this book.

Raise up prophets from the dead with the ease of book magic! Left: Zwierlein-Diehl (1969), Tafeln 63.345 (3rd century BCE Greece).

Origins and ends of the world

Aug 27. Page 1: Clay and skins. "The Ancient World" (in Damrosch A1-A10); "Enuma Elish” (online here at englishare) and “Hesiod's generation of the gods” (also here at englishare). Quiz, Journal

Aug 30. Page 2: Before the flood. “Gilgamesh” (in Damrosch A56-A97). Quiz, Journal

Sep 03. Page 3: Acts of God. Hebrew scriptures: Book of Jeremiah (online here at englishare). Quiz, Journal

Sep 06. Page 4: Powers of literature. Genesis and "Ancient Near East" (Damrosch A11-A41). Quiz, Journal

The Classical West

Sep 10. Page 5: The voyage of Odysseus. Homer's Odyssey Book 8.527 through Book 13.18 (Damrosch A354-A411). Quiz, Journal

Sep 13. Page 6: Men like animals. Homer's Iliad selection: The anger of Achilles Book 1-2, 18-19 (online here at englishare). Quiz, Journal

Sep 17. Page 7: Socrates' last days. "Tyranny and Democracy" (Damrosch A694-A726). Quiz, Journal

Sep 20. Page 8: Homer in Hades. Plutarch's Life of Alexander (online here at englishare). Quiz, Journal

Sep 24. Page 9: Eternal city. "Rome and the Roman Empire," "Virgil," and Aeneid I-IV (Damrosch A1093-1166). Quiz, Journal

Sep 27. Page 10: The Last of the heroes. "The Culture of Rome and the Beginnings of Christianity" (Damrosch A1244-A1296). Quiz, Journal

Class opens
20 Aug 2011

The Classical East

Oct 01. Page 11: Krishna destroys the first people. "Hymns from the Rig Veda" (online here at englishare), "Early South Asia" and Vyasa, Mahabharata (Damrosch A799-A853). Quiz, Journal

Oct 04. Page 12: Monkey in the middle. Inscriptions of Ashoka (A857-A860) and Valmiki, Ramayana (A860-A915). Quiz, Journal

Oct 08. Page 13: The ring of recollection. Kalidasa, Sakuntala (A944-A1008). Quiz, Journal

Oct 18. Page 14: Countercults of the Buddha. Buddhist scriptures (online here at englishare): Dhammapada and Asvaghosha's Buddhakarita.. Quiz, Journal

Oct 22. Page 15: The cult of China. "China: The Classical Tradition," "The Book of Songs," "Confucius" and "Analects" (A1017-A1061). Quiz, Journal

Oct 25. Page 16: The counterculture of China. "Daoism and its Ways" (A1061-A1091). Quiz, Journal

Out of Darkness

Oct 29. Page 17: Power of the Qur'an. Qur'an and resonances (Volume B341-373). “Sympathy the Learned” (B446-456). Quiz, Journal

Nov 01. Halloween special: Page 18: The Gothic dark age. Beowulf (selections from Damrosch B587-B611 and B634-B652). Quiz, Journal

Nov 05. Page 19: Genji and the survival of old China. Bo Juyi's "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (B97-B101), "The Heian Period" (B127-134), "Murasaki Shikibu" (B146-B148), and three selections from The Tale of Genji: young Genji episodes (B149-B171), the defense of fiction (B190-B192), and old Genji episodes (B192-B221). Quiz, Journal

Nov 08. Page 20: Romance. Chretien de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart (selections at englishare). Quiz, Journal

The Post-Dark Age

Nov 12. Page 21: Dante and the medieval invention of the self. “Dante Alighieri” (B893-896) Inferno cantos 1-10 (B903-B939). Quiz, Journal

Nov 15. Page 22: Dante goes deeper than you think. Dante, Inferno cantos 11-23 (B939-B985). Quiz, Journal

Nov 19. Page 23: Dante hits bottom. Dante, Inferno cantos 24-34 (B985-B1025). Quiz, Journal

Nov 22. Page 24: Earthy Chaucer. "Geoffrey Chaucer" (B1087-1089); "The Miller's Prologue" and "The Miller's Tale" (B1109-1125); "The Wife of Bath's Prologue" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" (B1125- 1153). Quiz, Journal

Nov 29. Page 25: Novel as counterculture. Wu Cheng’en, Journey to the West (C30-C107). Quiz, Journal

Dec 03. Page 26: Old cultures in a new world. "The Conquest and its Aftermath" (C811-C874). Quiz Journal

Dec 06. Page 27: Indians! Luis de Camoes, Lusiads (C287-C324): . Quiz, Journal

Dec 10. Page 28: Way too much reading. "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" and Don Quixote (C360-C447).

Dec 13. Reflective summary essay

Dec 17. Final exam.
Dec 19. Grades reported before noon.

INSTRUCTOR

Right (always) is the instructor, Dr. Gutchess. Chances are that's ancient Greek Goëtes (plural of Goës, meaning "sorcerer" or one who raises the dead and fixes haunted houses), Italian Gucci or Gotti (meaning different things), Swiss Goetchy, Dutch Goetchius, ensuing American misspelling Gutchess. The Indo-European root is Go, meaning "light." Not light weight! The light that shines! So let's Go!

For registration and other information email
Dr. Gutchess at: gutchess@englishare.net

Emperor of this web site, Dr. G holds a PhD in English from the University of Notre Dame, as well as JD and BA degrees.

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Individuals may use World Literature, Part One, or any of its content, freely for private study purposes. Individual classroom use is allowable provided that full acknowledgement of the source is given to all users.

ALL OTHER RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. IN PARTICULAR, COMMERCIAL USE OF THIS WEB SITE, OR ANY OF ITS CONTENT, WITHOUT THE PRIOR, WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DR. GUTCHESS OR HIS LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES IS PROHIBITED. The linking of this site by means of frames or frame windows is also prohibited. Contact gutchess@englisare.net