World Literature
Based on a broad anthology, this course examines the variety of literary genres and types in a range of cultures from the earliest times to the present day. We discuss a variety of topics alongside the readings themselves, including the problems of translation, the nature of excerpts, the nature of the hero, the formation of an authorial voice, and genres such as lyric, drama, proverb, myth, and epic. We also get a chance to read three major plays entire — Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The class is not overly demanding, but can be a lot of fun, and a comfortable introduction to reading and thinking in a literary mode.
September
Unit I: World Myths and Folktales
Unit II: The African Literary Tradition
October
Unit III: The Ancient Middle East
Unit IV: Greek and Roman Literatures
November
Unit IV: Greek and Roman Literatures
Unit V: Indian Literature
December
Unit VI: Chinese & Japanese Literatures
Christmas Break
January
Unit VII: Persian and Arabic Literatures
Unit VIII: The Middle Ages
February
Unit IX: From the Renaissance Literature to the Enlightenment
March
Unit IX: From the Renaissance Literature to the Enlightenment
Unit X: The Nineteenth Century: Romanticism to Realism
April
Unit X: The Nineteenth Century: Romanticism to Realism
Unit XI: The Twentieth Century
May
Unit XI: The Twentieth Century
June
Finals
Enrollment: To enroll in this course, or for further information on Scholars Online, please visit the Scholars Online Website.
Registration opens March 1, 2024.
This course will be offered as one two hour class once a week: Wednesdays 11:30am - 2pm Pacific. Hours are potentially flexible.