English 230: Great Narrative Works.  Spring 2000

Instructor: John C. Goshert
Office: 420 Heavilon Hall
Phone: 494-3767/e-mail: goshert@purdue.edu
Office Hours: MW 3:00-4:00

Syllabus and Course Policy Statement

    Required Texts (in order of assignment)

Homer.  The Odyssey.  Bantam Classics.  (Greece: c.10c B.C.E.)
Sayers (trans.)  Song of Roland.  Penguin Classics.  (France: c.1050)
Barron and Stone (ed.). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  course pack.  (England: 14c)
Shakespeare.  Hamlet.  Signet.  (England: 1600)
Voltaire.  Candide.  Penguin Classics.  (France: 18c)
Conrad.  Heart of Darkness.  Norton C.E.  (England: ca. 1900)
DeLillo.  Americana.  Penguin.  (U.S.: 1971)
Johnson.  Middle Passage.  Plume.  (U.S.: 1990)

Additional readings will be assigned occasionally from the reserve room of the HICKS library.

    Course Description

This section of the Great Narrative Works course will deal specifically (although in broadly defined terms) with the quest narrative in Europe and America.  We begin with Homer's classic quest, The Odyssey, and close with Charles Johnson's postmodernist slave narrative, Middle Passage.  While it does not provide an exhaustive list of quest narratives, this course will present a historical survey of their themes, topics, and development.

In addition to the required texts, we will delve into some general theories of narrative and of the quest narrative in particular.  We will also look at critical analyses of a number of specific texts from the course.

    Course Policies

This is a literature course, so for each class throughout the semester you are expected to show up, to have done the reading, and to be prepared to discuss the readings for the day.  In order to ensure this taking place, attendance and participation are crucial components of the course.

Of the fourteen weeks of class (not counting Spring break), there will be ten response papers due.  These papers will be about 2 pages in length and will address issues, themes, concepts, either in individual readings, or between sets of readings, as the student finds appropriate and significant.  Due Fridays.

A term paper proposal will be due on or by April 3.  The proposal will include a tentative discussion of the project and its significance, and a working bibliography that includes at least five academic sources (to be defined).

A term paper of 8-10 pages, on the (approved) topic of your choice is due the last day of class, April 28.

All written work will be done in MLA style (to be discussed in class), unless another format is approved prior to submission.  Please feel free to show me work before it's due if you want some feedback before a grade is attached to it.  Plagiarism will result in failure of the course and administrative action.  Late papers will not be accepted.

In addition to written work, each student will select a date to give a short presentation (of about 10 minutes) and lead a discussion for at least a portion of the day's class.  You are encouraged to present in groups (of no more than three), but keep in mind that the length of presentation increases accordingly with number of presenters.

    Value of Assignments

Response papers:              20%
Midterm:                           20%
Term paper proposal:         10%
Term paper:                       30%
Attendance/participation:    20%

    Schedule of Reading Assignments

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