ENGLISH 2850: GREAT WORKS OF LITERATURE II
Baruch College, Spring 2012
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:20-12:00 in 23 Lex. 709
Professor Cheryl Smith
Office: VC, Room 6-249
Office phone: 646-312-3973 (I don’t check messages every day)
Email: cheryl.smith@baruch.cuny.edu (the best way to reach me)
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 and by appointment
Required Texts
The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd Edition. Package 2 (volumes D, E, F)
Always have the day’s reading with you in order to participate and be counted present. The book package is available at
Shakespeare & Co. and through online retailers (Amazon, etc).
Course Objectives
English 2850 will introduce you to a selection of literature from 1650 to the present, covering a number of
major literary genres and examining works from around the world. You will consider the historical and
cultural contexts of the pieces we read and learn about literary themes, techniques, and terminology. In the
process, English 2850 will help you develop your analytical and writing prowess. This is a communicationintensive course that requires active class participation, oral presentations, frequent writing, group work, and
peer review. Through these activities, you will develop the:
 Increased ability to interpret meaning in literary texts by paying close attention to an author’s choice of
detail, vocabulary, and style
 Ability to discuss the relationship between different genres of literary texts and the multicultural
environments from which they spring
 Increased confidence in offering a critical evaluation and appreciation of a literary work’s strengths
and limitations
 Increased confidence in the oral presentation of ideas
 Increased ability to write critical essays employing a strong thesis statement, appropriate textual
citations, and contextual and intertextual evidence for their ideas
Course Requirements
Writing:
 Short Essays: You will write two short essays, one in and one outside of class. You will have the
option to revise the first of these essays for a higher grade. The second essay will be in the form of a
blog post to our class blog, along with at least one comment on another classmate’s post. More
information to follow.
 Reading Responses/Quizzes: we will have regular, informal, in-class writing assignments (short
responses to a prompt on our course readings) or reading quizzes (short answers to questions about
the day’s reading). These in-class writing exercises/quizzes will be mostly unannounced and can occur
on any class day. For some of these in-class assignments, you will be allowed to reference your text.
Remember to always have your book with you, so you’re prepared not only to participate in class
discussions but also to write. If you’re absent or late on the day of an in-class essay/quiz, you will
receive a grade of zero. There are no make-ups for in-class writing assignments, but I will drop your
lowest in-class essay/quiz grade. I will also offer occasional extra credit assignments, which I will
announce in class, to help boost low quiz grades.
 Final Project: You will develop a final project, individually or in a small group (your choice), on the
course materials and present it to the class during the final three weeks of the semester. The final

project will not be a traditional essay but will involve significant writing and creative work. You will
get more detailed information soon.
Late work is not accepted. You are responsible for handing in, on time, any work assigned or due
during your absence.
Attendance: Every absence beyond three will lower your course grade by one half step (an A- becomes a B+,
a B+ becomes a B, etc.). I do not give excused absences, since you have up to three absences to use at your
discretion. Class will begin and end at the scheduled time and late arrivals and early departures are very
disruptive. Therefore, every two late arrivals or early departures will count as one absence. If you arrive late to
class, it is your responsibility to speak with me at the end of the session to make sure you are recorded present
and to find out any information you may have missed. Any time you are late or depart early by more than
thirty minutes, you will be counted absent. If you do not have your book, you will be counted absent.
From the official Baruch College attendance policy: “If a freshman or sophomore is absent in excess of twice the
number of class sessions per week, the instructor must give the student a WU grade, which counts as an F. The
instructor may give a junior or senior a WU grade if he/she has excessive absences. Attendance and lateness clearly
play a role in class participation. Instructors have the right to weigh attendance, lateness, and class participation in
determining grades.”
Participation and Reading: This is not a large lecture course where you can remain anonymous; regular
attendance and active participation are required for success in this class. You have to complete reading
assignments before class so that you are always prepared to participate in discussions and do the in-class
writing assignments. In addition, on many occasions you will be given time in class to work individually or in
groups to respond to some questions about the text, develop an interpretation, and present your ideas back to
the class. If you have not done the reading, this kind of work will be impossible (not to mention very
uncomfortable) for you. That said, the reading load is very manageable; if you are having trouble keeping up
with the reading, please speak with me so we can develop a strategy to help you succeed.
I do not allow the use of laptops, cell/smart phones, pagers, and other electronic devices during class; if you
use one, you will be marked absent and asked to leave.
Grading: Your course grade will be calculated according to the following breakdown:
 Short Essays I and II = 20% each (40% total)
 Reading Responses/Quizzes = 20%
 Final Project and Presentation= 40%
Academic Honesty: Anyone caught cheating on a quiz, test, or any assignment or plagiarizing will fail the course
immediately and be referred to the college for further disciplinary action. Plagiarism occurs when you claim to be
the originator or producer of words, opinions, facts, or numbers that belong to an author whose work you found
online or in a book, magazine, or newspaper. For more information on Baruch College’s honesty policy:
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.htm
Accommodations Policy: Baruch College is committed to making individuals with disabilities full participants in
its programs, services, and activities through compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It is the policy of Baruch College that no otherwise
qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in any program, service, or activity
offered by the university. Individuals with disabilities have a right to request accommodations. If you require any
special assistance or accommodation, please let me know as soon as you can, ideally during the first three weeks of
the semester.
Smith, spring 2012
English 2850 section HTRB
Syllabus Page 2
CLASS SCHEDULE
Read selections for the day they appear on the syllabus; always bring that day’s reading to class.
Week 1
Tue Jan 31
 Introduction to the course
Thu Feb 2
 Reading: Ihara Saikaku, “The Barrelmaker Brimful of Love” (1686)
Week 2
Tue Feb 7
 Reading: Matsuo Basho, The Narrow Road of the Interior (1690-94)
Thu Feb 9
 Reading: Jean-Baptiste Molière, Tartuffe (1664)
Week 3
Tue Feb 14
 Reading: Tartuffe, continued
Thu Feb 16
 Reading: Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle I (1733-34)
Week 4
Tue Feb 21
No Class: College follows a Monday schedule
Thu Feb 23
 Short Essay I. Bring your book (Volume D). Essay will be written in class.
Week 5
Tue Feb 28
 Reading: William Blake, “The Schoolboy” (1789) (a link will be provided on our blog); John Keats,
“Ode to a Nightingale” (1817), “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” (1820) and “Bright Star” (1819)
Thu Mar 1
 Reading: Charles Baudelaire, from The Flowers of Evil: “To the Reader,” “A Carcass,” and “Song of
Autumn I”; from Paris Spleen: “Windows” and “Anywhere out of the World” (1850s and 60s)
Week 6
Tue Mar 6
 Reading: Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself (1855)
Thu Mar 8
 Reading: Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886)
Week 7
Tue Mar 13
 Reading: The Death of Ivan Ilyich continued
Smith, spring 2012
English 2850 section HTRB
Syllabus Page 3

Final Project Proposal due
Thu Mar 15
 Reading: Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Dog” (1899)
 Revision of Short Essay 1 due (optional)
 Short Essay 2 assignment distributed and discussed in class
Week 8
Tue Mar 20
 Reading: Rabindranath Tagore, “Punishment” (1893) and Lu Xun, “Upstairs in a Wineshop” (1926)
Thu Mar 22
 Short Essay 2 posted to the blog no later than 12 pm. Class suspended for essay assignment.
 Comment on at least two classmates’ Essay 2s on the blog no later than 11 pm on Sat Mar 24.
Week 9
Tue Mar 27
 Reading: Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis (1915)
 Discussion of Essay II posts and comments
Thu Mar 29
 Reading: The Metamorphosis continued
Week 10
Tue Apr 3
 Reading: Pablo Neruda, “Tonight I Can Write” (1924), “Walking Around” (1935), and “I’m
Explaining a Few Things” (1936)
Thu Apr 5
 Reading: Anna Akhmatova, “Requiem” (1920s, 1963)
April 6-15: Spring Recess
Week 11
Tue Apr 17
 Reading: Zhang Ailing, “Love in a Fallen City” (1944)
Thu Apr 19
 Reading: “Love in a Fallen City” continued
Week 12
Tue Apr 24
 Reading: Richard Wright, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” (1961)
Thu Apr 26
 Reading: Ingeborg Bachmann, “The Barking” (1972) and Anita Desai, “The Rooftop Dwellers”
(2000)
Smith, spring 2012
English 2850 section HTRB
Syllabus Page 4
Weeks 13-15: Additional readings TBA. We will also be having presentations of Final Projects from May 1-15.
Everyone will sign up for a presentation date. Stay tuned for more information on the May class schedule.
Smith, spring 2012
English 2850 section HTRB
Syllabus Page 5