GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

World Literature is a three-term chronological sequence in which we survey literature from ancient to modern times. The first term (Eng 107) covers works from the beginnings of recorded civilization through the middle ages. Works from different countries and periods are used to develop your critical reading skills and appreciation of different types of literature.

COURSE GOALS, ASSUMPTIONS, AND RATIONALE

For the first term of this introductory-level, chronological survey of World Literature, I have a primary goal for students to explore and understand the nature of storytelling as one of the essential human modes for communicating knowledge and experience. I directly present and openly try to get students to share my assumption about the centrality of the narrative mode. From the earliest myths and sacred texts of creation to medieval times (the scope of this class, but, of course, on to today), narration functions to represent not only what exists and is directly experienced within a culture, but also what is imagined. These imaginings include not only the idealizations of what might and should exist, but also the negatives of what is feared and shunned, and the uncertainties of what is unknown and unknowable. Narrative, then, is not in opposition to ideas of "fact" or "truth" as properties of an "objective reality"; rather, the narrative mode encompasses both external and psychic realities.

The ancient texts of World Literature encompass more than our students' popular conceptions of fiction, fantasy, myth, and all that the term "creative writing" connotes. The narratives to be studied represent cultural history, preserving and transmitting experiences, values, and specific descriptions of how various people lived, and cultural mythmaking and storytelling. Accordingly, my approach to this course is to discuss narrative structures both for their rhetorical functions and component elements and for the interrelation of structure and content in determining the meanings and effects of texts. A limited but inclusive set of topics will be presented, raising such thematic issues as: societies' organization, attitudes, and values (including class levels, gender norms); change and growth of individuals and groups (does it imply progress?); ideal values as standards to live by vs. norms and actual behaviors.

The overall organization of this syllabus separates the presentation of Western and Asian texts, after an initial introduction of a short selection of creation myths from various cultures. This initial comparative survey sets a tone and strategy for looking generally at cross-cultural comparisons and resonances, without bringing in complex scholarly disputes about relative degrees of influence or cultural origins. After this introduction in the first week, the syllabus is organized, next, to focus in depth on the classical Greek tradition, so that students get a sense of this influential Western tradition in several works over a period of time, before broadening the focus to later Western works, as well as to Asian texts and cultures.

This approach, I believe, allows connections and comparisons among the selected texts to be more thoroughly grounded within their own contexts prior to cross-cultural examinations. First, the Greek tradition will be reinforced through the study of two authors, Homer and Aeschylus; then, some connections and echoes of this classical tradition (in subject matter and genres) will be traced through western Europe to medieval Britain. Including both the Odyssey and the Oresteia provides similar subject matter for comparison and contrast of themes, characters, authorial treatments, and differences of genre. The two related works serve as a foundation for examining Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Decameron. The figure of the hero, his values and actions in relation to the values of his society, the desecration of idealized values in actual behavior of people at all levels of society, such themes will be treated in the span of western texts before turning to Asian texts. Thus, there are no simultaneous comparisons or juxtapositions of exemplary pairs of Western and Asian texts.(e.g., comparing Confucius vs. Plato and Aristotle on ideals of personal virtue and organization of the state). However, throughout the discussion of all the texts, certain recurring topics will be central: the concept of the hero, and then the shifting interest in other people and classes (not just heroes and aristocrats); heroic and ideal values and actions; the nature of justice and instances of transgression and punishment.

Also, issues and problems of translation will be raised, although not discussed in specialized terms. When beginning each text, I will remind students that we are at the mercy of the translators. In some cases, we will view passages in original languages (as with old and middle English) or compare various translations (not only as students bring in different editions, but especially with widely differing versions of Tao Te Ching ).

APPROACHES FOR LITERACY IN OUR MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT

As educators recognize the values of multiculturalism and increasing global access to countries and cultures, our conceptions of survey courses for non-specialists and general education requirements are also changing. General literature surveys, like World Literature, are expanding subject matter beyond the established canons of American, British, and continental texts.

In addition, together with this changing subject matter, teaching and learning must go beyond the conventional exercises of requiring students to accumulate information and then report it back in periodic testing situations. There should be a variety of activities in the classroom and outside to link learning with the personal experiences and interests each of us brings to the course. The study of literature should expand our understandings, providing new intellectual and affective experiences and new ways of seeing and appreciating the world.

To achieve such increased knowledge and literacy, students need frequent opportunities to write in a variety of modes (personal, expository, argumentative). Fluency in writing can be improved by such proven techniques as: journals, dialogue notebooks, collaborative projects, and cooperative response and editing groups.

UNIT 1. Myths of creation and the origins of gods and humans.

Highlight selections from: North American native tribes (coyote stories), Indian (Vedic cosmic egg, Rg Veda 10.129), China (P'an Ku), Maori, Sumero-Babylonian, Hebrew (Genesis 1-2), and Greek (Hesiod).

Focus: myths as storytelling necessary for human communication and acculturation: to explain the unexplainable, teach values, and entertain.

Compare and contrast stories of different cultures: identify (1) content: plot (what happens), setting, and characters (agency and actions); (2) rhetorical style: abstract, intellectualized description vs. personification, fable, more informal narration.

For the different cultures, stress: (1) Greek multiple deities (local to transcendent), personification of physical and mental/emotional qualities, conflicts within the families and between generations of gods; (2) Hebrew: single creator, abstract and verbal agency; humans tested for obedience and fall; (3) Asian includes Hindu abstraction, Chinese personification and multiplicity of deities.

Culmination of the discussion is to focus on the differences between the familiar Biblical story and the multiple personifications of the Greek story, which provides background for next task of reading Homer's story with gods as characters taking part in the plot action.

UNIT 2. Homer, Odyssey

Focus: Odysseus as heroic figure, inclusive of all Greek ideals, not just brave warrior and noble king; as god-like mortal with divine aid; develop list of traits and qualities.from epithets.

Paper topic: Characterization of Odysseus (discuss strengths and weaknesses; any limitations in his qualities and actions?); possible comparisons to our heroes and what defines a hero in 20th century or own personal terms.

Themes & issues: (1) Greeks' early codes and values (e.g., hospitality, justice, honor gods) and how they are taught by mythic examples of transgression, revenge, and punishment; (2) the journey (mythic pattern) of Odysseus's, growth and development, knowledge through suffering; his pride and recklessness must be humbled before he can triumph; (3) hero's son coming of age, aspiring to father's greatness (another journey motif); (4) attitudes toward women, with Penelope idealized.

Rhetoric of storytelling: oral tradition to written texts (repetitions of epithets, stock phrases, repeated speeches, epic similes, and other poetic devices); allusions to other mythic stories and characters, especially Agamemnon and Orestes (as transition to Oresteia ).

UNIT 3. Aeschylus, Oresteian Trilogy.

Further immersion into Greek myths, but in different genre: establish parallels between the two related stories of homecoming after the Trojan War.by examining the consequences of the war for another family. (Unlike Odysseus, who has faithful Penelope and only son, Telemachus, waiting for him, Agamemnon faces murderous wife, Clytemnestra, and only son, Orestes, banished.) Thus, there is depth and integration of analysis from juxtaposing the two texts.

Focus: In addition to similar themes and issues as in Odyssey (note how later artists refer to and revise earlier stories and sources), key issue to Aeschylus is how to resolve chain of revenge (compare his conclusion of trilogy resolving all guilt and conflict to Homer's abrupt end to Odyssey ). Third play celebrates political justice of Athenian state: praise for institutionalized rational court of justice, but Athena still needed to negotiate settlement with Furies to replace code of vengeance.

Assignment: compare/contrast Orestes and Telemachus (note Homeric references to Orestes as model for Telemachus) and Penelope and Clytemnestra (also Homeric references to character and treatment of women by Agamemnon when Odysseus visits the dead).

Rhetoric, poetic language, and performative elements of Greek tragedy: repetitive imagery, song and eurythmic movement of chorus, conventions of acting and staging, Aristotle's elements of tragedy.

UNIT 4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Focus: movement across large time span to medieval world, but note at start of text the assertions of thematic and cultural connections to classical authority (legendary/fictional origins of European national myths with Trojan War story); compare and contrast qualities and actions of Christian medieval hero with Greek heroic ideals.

Themes and issues: Arthurian tradition in British historical legends; Christian vs. Greek ideals; Gawain as ideal mythic Christian hero; medieval courtesy and chivalric traditions; hero is tested, sets out on journey/quest to preserve honor of self and Arthur's court, fulfills challenge; conflicts: temptation vs. restraint, faith vs. self-doubt, honor vs. deception; conclusion: Christian humility, black magic but no divine intervention (contrast with Greeks).

Rhetoric of description: elements of culture, lavish details of feudal aristocracy (wardrobe, furnishings, dining, hunting); narrative devices of composed text representing direct storytelling to audience; structure of old English alliterative verse.

UNIT 5. Boccaccio, Decameron

Focus: transition from medieval legend to stories about all levels of emerging European renaissance society; stories as historical documents: beyond escapism and entertainment to chronicles of social behavior and values (whether or not intended by author); context of Black Plague.

Themes and issues: (1) representations of all levels of society, from high to low; (2) attitudes toward and critique of clergy (especially) and aristocracy; wider representation of women (good and bad, high and low classes); (3) organized classification of themes directly in text (especially temptation, transgression, rewards, and punishments); frank treatment of sex, marriage, greed, justice (revenge, reciprocity); role of "fortune".

Rhetoric of narration: Boccaccio's structural distancing from but direct address to audience; organization of stories and characters; tone -- humor, satire, comic justice.

UNIT 6 Confucius, Analects

Transition to Asian culture and literature, beginning with pre-Buddhist China; presentation of Confucian values and cultural orientations forms the basis for juxtaposing Taoist values and orientations (this juxtaposition of Chinese perspectives gives students a more immediate and manageable introduction to Asian materials than the abstract philosophy and mythology of Bhagavad Gita, for example).

Focus: Chinese historical context: (1) period of "warring states," organization and structure of institutions; (2) rituals in court, the "Odes," scholastic exams to enter bureaucracy; (3) Confucian ideals for social order.

Recurring themes in Analects:: (1) ideal virtues of ruling aristocratic class ("gentlemen," "nobles"); (2) benevolence ("jen") and righteousness ("yi"); (3) filial piety; assignment: attempt to classify individual sayings and sections of text according to these thematic concerns of virtuous conduct.

Rhetoric: rationalism of philosophical sayings and proverbs; dialogue vs. dialectic; didacticism vs. narration; political context (social position of "master" as respected teacher but limited political influence).

UNIT 7. Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Focus: Taoist philosophy and criticism of Confucian social values; identification with nature and natural processes ("wu-wei," actionless activity);

Themes and Issues: Taoist mysticism and asceticism: (1) priests and monks of philosophical Taoism (reclusive, meditative, seek enlightenment); wandering monks vs established hereditary temples; (2) natural settings in rural or wild locations; (3) appeal to less educated, lower and merchant/artisan classes.

Contrasts to Confucian values and appeals (list on board): Confucian (1) audience as higher social status (aristocrats, educated elite); (2) location as urban, court, government; (3) mode as reason, pragmatic rationalism; (4) practices value traditional rituals and ceremonies; (5) responsibilities to family, civic duties. Taoist (1) audience as lower social status (less educated); (2) location as rural simple life of peasants; (3) mode as intuition, superstition, mysticism; (4) practice of simple unsophisticated rural life; (5) focus on individualism, personal enlightenment.

Rhetoric of mysticism, intuition, personal enlightenment vs. social responsibility; emphasis on modes of imagery, symbolism, parables

UNIT 8. Chuang Tzu and other Taoist storytellers

Focus: Taoist stories entertain as well as teach values and morality (rewards and punishments) to less educated, superstitious classes; Taoist philosophical tales, especially Chuang Tzu, tell of Confucius and disciples interacting with Taoists, who take the advantage.

Themes and issues: (1) pervasiveness of Taoist priests' magic, supernatural powers, superstitions (charms, sorcery), fortunetelling, interpretation of dreams, curing illness; (2) quests for immortality as opposed to Buddhist reincarnation; (3) superiority of simple rustic Taoists over Confucius and his disciples.

Rhetoric of Taoist philosophical stories: strategy of narratives about Confucius and disciples vs. Taoist figures and values; why would Taoists give so much space to Confucius and his views?