English 203: World Literary Types
John F. Hodge High School Course Name: World Literary Types
MBU Course Description: This survey of world literature includes major writers and literary
movements from Aristotle to present. Course content includes selections from novels, poetry,
short stories, drama, and non-fiction. This course fulfills the baccalaureate degree requirement in
literature, and is prerequisite for all literature courses except ENGL 243. Prerequisite(s): ENGL
123.
John F. Hodge High School Course Description: This course will focus on international
authors and literary movements from ancient works to the present. Students will examine
various genre types and periods of literature. Students will demonstrate critical writing, reading,
and thinking skills through literary analyses of several authors’works. Research procedures will
be used in preparation of an in-depth project analyzing comparative literature.
Texts:
1. Sime, Richard, managing editor. Elements of Literature: Sixth Course. Austin, Texas:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997. ISBN 0-03-096834-8.
2. Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E. Jacobs. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and
Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998. ISBN 0-13-010076-5.
Course Objectives: This course will concentrate on developing analytical writing, with
international literature as its basis. Students will observe the function of literary devices in
conveying the meaning and theme of literature. In addition, students will come to understand the
role played by cultural differences in the literature of each country. Finally, students will learn to
assess their own writing and to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses as writers. Upon
completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Recognize the impact of Western civilization on other cultures.
2. Compare and contrast the works of authors from various cultures.
3. Discuss a literary character as a hero or an anti-hero, and demonstrate a knowledge of the
qualities of various types of heroes.
4. Demonstrate the correct use of long and short quotes in essays.
5. Learn and apply the rules for MLA style in parenthetical citation.
6. Analyze literary elements in the works of world authors and recognize their contribution
to the meaning of the works.
7. Demonstrate effective oral communication skills through presentations that analyze and
evaluate assigned literary selections.
8. Demonstrate effective written communication skills through essays that analyze and
evaluate assigned literary selections.
Description of Content:
Unit I. Ancient heroes
A. Lecture
1. The nature of a hero
2. Literary devices
a. Simile
b. Imagery
B. Texts
1. “The Head of Humbaba” from Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
2. “The Seafarer”
C. Written assignment
1. Character analysis of “The Head of Humbaba”
2. Analysis of elegiac tone in “The Seafarer”
Unit II. Greek literature
A. Lecture
1. Greek history and culture
2. Greek drama
3. Mythology
` 4. Sophocles
B. Texts
1. Oedipus Rex
2. Poems of Sappho
C. Critical analysis of Oedipus
1. Progression of his character
2. The gods’ part in his downfall
3. Oedipus’part in his own downfall
Unit III. The Middle Ages
A. Lecture
1. Boccaccio
2. Frame story
3. The romance
B. Texts
1. “Federigo’s Falcon” from the Decameron
2. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
C. Written assignments
1. Reading response to “Federigo’s Falcon”
2. Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as a romance
Unit IV. The Renaissance
A. Lecture
1. The Renaissance
2. Literary device - symbolism
3. Oral traditions
a. Parable
b. Anecdote
c. Proverb
B. Texts
1. Canto 34 from The Inferno of Dante
2. “Night” from the Koran
3. “Shell-Neck, Slim, and Grim” from The Panchatantra
4. Zen Parables compiled by Paul Reps
5. Sayings of Saadi
6. Taoist Anecdotes
7. Analects of Confucius
8. Jabo Proverbs
C. Written assignments
1. Write an analysis of one of the above selections for an oral presentation
2. Compare the religious beliefs of two of the above selections
Unit V. The Restoration
A. Lecture
1. The Age of Reason
2. Literary devices - satire and parody
3. Romantic heroes
B. Texts
1. Selection from Candide by Voltaire
2. Selection from Faust by Goethe
C. Written assignments
1. Analysis of Candide as a satire of the Church and the State
2. Reading response to Faust
Unit VI. Romanticism
A. Lecture
1. General features of romanticism
2. The Byronic Hero
3. The Gothic setting
4. Oriental poetry
B. Texts
1. “I Have Visited Again” by Alexander Pushkin
2. “Jade Flower Palace” by Tu Fu
3. “Question and Answer Among the Mountains”
4. “Word Pattern”
5. “To Tan-Chiu” all by Li Po
C. Written assignment
1. Reading response to “I Have Visited Again”
2. Imitative poem
Unit VII. The Twentieth Century
A. Lecture
1. Political and social events
2. Intellectual changes
3. War and disillusionment
B. Texts
1. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
2. “Thoughts of Hanoi” by Nguyen Thi Vinh
3. Selection from Night by Elie Wiesel
4. ”In the Shadow of War” by Ben Okri
C. Written assignments
1. Analysis of the idea of evil for various cultures
2. Reading responses
Methods of Teaching:
Lecture; class and group discussion of assigned readings; student oral presentations;
viewing and discussion of Oedipus Rex video.
Types of Assessment:
Student comprehension of course objectives will be evaluated using the following assessments:
1. Quizzes given after assigned readings
2. Quarterly exams
3. At least six essays of literary analysis
4. Final comprehensive exam
5. At least two oral presentations
Grading scale:
Student performance in this class will be evaluated with the following grading scale (found in the
John F. Hodge High School handbook):
100-95
A
76-74
C
94-90
A73-70
C89-87
B+
69-67
D+
86-84
B
66-64
D
83-80
B63-60
D79-77
C+
59-0
F