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Spring 1998 TR 1:30 - 2:45 Sakamaki C103 |
John Zuern Office: Kuykendall 219 Office Phone: 956-3019 zuern@hawaii.edu Office Hours: MWF 10 -11 and by appointment |
In this course we will be reading a range of texts from Mesopotamia to medieval Europe in order to engage some of the concerns that continue to shape literary production in the western world. Our discussions will address thematic dimensions of the materials as well as social and historical issues that are crucial for understanding the various roles literature plays in the formation and critique of cultures. The course will also give students a basic introduction to some problems in literary research: establishing the text, relating the text to its historical context, dealing with translations, and discerning the strengths and limitations of our interpretive methodologies. We will examine how the works themselves incorporate reflections upon their own transmission and interpretation.
Course materials will be supplemented by a set of Internet resources which will draw upon fields such as history, archeology, philosophy, and classical studies to give students an opportunity to explore various aspects of the periods under consideration. Some class discussion will take place in an online environment.
Our texts include The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, Aristotle's Poetics, a selection of Greek tragedies, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Augustine's Confessions, and a selection of Middle English romances.
Students in this course must have an active email account and will be expected to participate actively in on-line class discussions. Semester grades will be determined based on in-class written responses to the readings, a research paper, a midterm and a final exam, and a class presentation.