Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts

Course Description & Policies

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Comp Lit 133 will provide an introduction to the field of comparative literature, focusing on the study of world literatures and their relations to other arts, and to cultural and social currents. Requirements include regular attendance and participation, two library assignments, a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, five quizzes (depending upon class needs and progress), and three exams (including the final) based on the assigned readings and lectures.

Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the following:

• Comparative Literature as a discipline and certain aspects of its historical development;
• Basic terms used in literary study and their application in other disciplines and media;
• Important literary, artistic, and cultural movements beginning in the late 19th century (such as Symbolism, Expressionism, and Modernism);
• Types of literary criticism;
• Some of the comparatist’s functions and methods, particularly with respect to translation theory and practice;
• Key bibliographic sources central to literary studies; and
• Last but not least, some seminal texts and works of art of the modern period.

COURSE / INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXTS

• The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 2. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 2006.
• Bedford Glossary of Literary and Critical Terms. Golda Meir Reference Room. PN41.M87x

GRADING

Your grade will be determined as follows:

Attendance/Participation 10% Library Assignments (2) 20% Quizzes (average) 20% Exam I 15% Exam II 15% Final Exam 20%

Grading Scale 0-59 F 60-66 D 67-69 D+ 70-72 C- 73-76 C 77-79 C+ 80-82 B- 83-86 B 87-89 B+ 90-92 A- 93+ A

Specific guidelines for the assignments and the exams will be distributed and discussed in class.

POLICIES

Attendance/Class Participation

I shall not be instituting a numerical attendance policy for the purposes of class participation grades, although I shall take attendance each day. Needless to say, excessive absences will severely affect your ability to complete this course satisfactorily, given that the lectures and class discussions will provide the basis for the material on quizzes and exams. If you manage to accumulate 10 or more absences for any reason (virtually 1/3 of the class), you will automatically fail the course. In the event you must be late, please make every attempt to minimize the disruption your late arrival has on the class. Tardiness in excess of 2 minutes will count as 1/2 absence and in excess of 20 minutes as 1 absence for record-keeping purposes.

The success of this course, and your success in it, will depend significantly upon class participation. Therefore, you need to read the material with care and diligence and be prepared to manifest that engagement. I will keep track of who responds to questions (and how), who brings/forgets his or her book, and so on. Your grade, then, will be based on your preparedness for class; your active participation in class and group discussions; and the professional, collegial, and productive manner in which you conduct yourself in the classroom. Do not engage in behavior that detracts from my ability to teach and your colleagues' ability to learn. This includes turning off your electronic devices once class begins. If you have an exceptional circumstance that requires you to leave a phone or pager on, notify me before class. Otherwise, turn them off and put them away.

n.b. You may also be required to view a film on your own (TBA) and must visit the Milwaukee Art Museum by October 14 (see assignment guidelines).

Quizzes

I shall assign five quizzes based on the assigned readings. The quizzes dates and content will be finalized at least one class prior to the quiz date. They will be a combination of short identification (characters, terms, etc.) and brief essay (a couple of paragraphs). These quizzes may not be made up, though I will drop your lowest quiz grade. Material from the quizzes is likely to appear on the exams.

Exams

You will take 3 exams, 2 hour-long exams during the semester and one final. Guidelines for each exam will be provided in class. The final exam will be comprehensive. Exams may not be made up, and you will not be allowed to arrive late and take the exam after class has begun. Once again, emergencies and special circumstances will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Assignments

You will complete two library assignments for the course, with specific guidelines distributed in class. These assignments will require use of bibliographic and research materials as they relate to the study of Comparative Literature. Therefore, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with our library resources (physical and virtual) as soon as possible. In addition, Library Assignment #1 will require you to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum. Late assignments will be accepted, with a 5-point penalty for each class day they are late.

Email

You must check your UWM email account regularly. If I need to contact you outside of class, I will send a message to your UWM address. I encourage students to use email to supplement, complement, and clarify course readings and issues. You should not, however, use email in lieu of paying attention in class, reading the syllabus and assignment guidelines, or making a good-faith effort to answer questions on your own. I simply will not reply to questions that have already been adequately addressed (You should, however, contact me if you have to miss class and need clarification in order to be adequately prepared for the next class session). I also will not respond to emails that lack subject headings. Moreover, if your email is sloppily, carelessly, or unclearly articulated, I am unlikely to be able to provide meaningful feedback. Construct your messages in such a way as to allow me to provide the most helpful, efficient response possible. You need to allow a minimum of 24 hours response time. Lastly, I will not accept electronic submission of any course work without expressed prior consent.

Miscellaneous

I have no special policies for the course beyond those stated above or listed in the Schedule of Classes (concerning, for example, drops). As there are no essays per se required for the course, incompletes will be not be given.