The English Concentration 
in the Liberal Studies Degree 

Dr. Jim Wohlpart  
Office:  AB Two 212;  590-7181 
Hours:  MW 3-4:30 and by appointment 
e-mail:  wohlpart@fgcu.edu  
homepage:  http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/  
 

Textbook 
The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Expanded Edition.  Gen. Ed. Maynard Mack.  3rd ed. Vol. 1.  New York: Norton, 1995. (Required) 

Course Description and Goals 
This course centers on an examination of World literature and culture up to and including the Renaissance.  The course will include three primary sections, the Classical World (Greek and Roman), the Medieval Period, and the Renaissance.  The emphasis in the course will be on texts and contexts, that is, on the works we read and on the cultural, historical, economic, and political contexts in which those works were produced and disseminated.  By the end of the semester you should be able to identify various writers and their works from these periods;  describe their central concerns and achievements as well as the contexts in which they wrote;  analyze specific texts closely in relation to relevant historical contexts; and synthesize the themes of the various literary periods of this era. 

Course Requirements 
READING, ANALYSIS, and SYNTHESIS:  You will be expected to read and analyze each piece of literature before the class meeting on which it is assigned, as well as be prepared for discussion of these works.  I would strongly suggest that you read each work, along with the introduction to the author, closely before class and take notes and mark important passages.  During class, you should take careful notes on all material, which you should later recopy.  After class, you should reread the piece and, based on our class discussion, you should write a statement of the theme of the work, connecting that theme to the relevant historical background.  This kind of individual synthesis, founded on classroom discussion, will be crucial to your complete understanding of these works and the ideas connected to them and thus to your success on the exam and quizzes. 

EXAM:  One exam will be given on the material assigned for and discussed in the course which will include a substantial amount of writing (about 1500 words each).  The exam, which may include identifications, interpretations, definitions, fill in the blanks, and essays, will count 25% of the final grade. 

QUIZZES, MINI-ESSAYS, and CLASS PARTICIPATION: You will also be given mini-essays and critical thinking guides (about 2000 words of writing total) and occasional (cumulative) in-class quizzes at the beginning of class meetings on the background material and the assigned reading material;  these assignments, along with your class participation, will count a total of 25% of your final grade.  Please note that I consider the work that we do in class, which will center on your participation and discussion, one of the most important aspects of this class.   Indeed, absences will directly affect your Mini-Essay/Quiz/Class Participation grade. To receive an “A” for the Quiz/Class Participation grade, you can miss no classes with at least a 4.5/5 average on the quizzes and productive, active participation;  to receive a “B,” you can miss no more than one class with at least a 4/5 average and productive, active participation;  a “C,” two classes with at least a 3.5/5 average and productive, active participation; etc. 

LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY:  You will also write one essay for this class, approximately 1500-1750 words in length (about 6 double spaced pages) without the use or consultation of research.  This essay will count 25% of your final grade. The topic for this essay will be your own to develop but should come from our classroom discussion;  the paper that you turn in must be written for this class to answer this assignment (no plagiarism and no duplication of papers is allowed in the English program!).  You will need to follow all guidelines for good essay writing:  a provocative title;  an informative lead-in that sets up your argument and a clear, focused thesis;  good development;  unity;  coherence;  and a well thought out, non-repetitive conclusion.  You will be graded on the correctness of the citation and documentation of your quotations and paraphrases (use MLA internal documentation). In order to get credit for the essay, you must participate in any workshops and turn in a completed draft of your essay on the rough draft due date. 

SUMMARY-RESPONSE ESSAY:  Finally, you will complete a summary-response essay in reaction to an assigned piece of research (about 1000 words). You will need to read the assigned article closely, analyzing the argument as it unfolds and determining the thesis.  Then you will need to write an essay that summarizes the thesis and the argument of the article (2-4 paragraphs) and that responds to the strengths and/or weaknesses of the article (2-4 paragraphs).  Your summary should clearly state the thesis of the article and should explain how the critic develops the thesis.  Your response should provide a clear thesis, agreeing or disagreeing with the article, and provide evidence for your stance;  this evidence can come from an analysis of the critic’s argument and/or from a discussion of the literary work considered in the article. 

Grades 
Any work turned in late (ie, after the beginning of class on the due date) may be down graded one letter grade per day late;  exams and quizzes cannot be taken late. 

 Exam 25% 
 Quizzes & Class Participation 25% 
 Literary Analysis Essay 25% 
 Summary-Response Essay 25% 

The grading scale for the class will be as follows: 
 A 90 to 100% =Excellent Work 
 B 80 up to 90% =Strong Work;  Well Above Average  
 C 70 up to 80% =Average/Satisfactory Work 
 D 60 up to 70% =Below Average 
 F below 60% 

Attendance 
Attendance and promptness are expected in this class.  In order to pass, you must be in attendance a minimum of 75% of the class meeting time (i.e., you can miss no more than 3 class meetings).  Please let me know in advance if you will be missing a class. I reserve the right to lower your final letter grade due to a high number of absences (i.e., 2 class meetings).  If you arrive significantly late (10-15 minutes) or leave early, you will be counted absent.  Your participation in this class is crucial to the success of this class;  if you do not attend or participate, your fellow class members are not getting their money’s worth.   
 

M 21 June––Course Introduction:  Review Policy Statement and Syllabus 
 Background and Introduction to the Classical Period 
W 23 June –– Classical Literature:  Homer, The Odyssey Books I, II, VIII, IX, XXI, XXII 
 Aristotle, Poetics 758-64 
 Sophocles, Oedipus the King 590-632 

M 28 June –– Virgil, The Aeneid 1000-1050 
 Ovid, Metamorphoses 1066-91 
 Medieval Literature:  Background and Introduction 
W 30 June ––The Wanderer 1622-25 
 Beowulf 1546-1613 
 Marie de France, Eliduc 1680-92 
 Practice Summary Response Essay 

M 5 July –– Independence Day Holiday 
W 7 July –– Summary-Response Essay Exam 
 Workshop Sample Literary Analysis Essay 

M 12 July ––  Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, Prologue 1900-1917 and “Miller’s Tale” 1917-33 
 Dante, Divine Comedy 1703-12, 1720-33, 1825-29 
W 14 July –– Renaissance Literature:  Background and Introduction 
 Machiavelli, The Prince 2437-47 
 Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel 2482-95 
 Montaigne, Essays 2522-28 
 Rough Draft of Literary Analysis Essays due 

M 19 July –– Shakespeare, Hamlet Acts I-III 
W 21 July  –– Hamlet, Acts IV-V 
 Workshop Literary Analysis Essays (students must bring completed draft of essay) 

M 26 July ––Literary Analysis Essays Due (in folder with both drafts) 
W 28 July –– Final Exam 

You will also be expected to read all biographical introductions;  relevant information from these pieces may be included in your exams.  Syllabus is subject to change;  all changes will be announced in class.