Dr. Scott Earle
Office: 20-9
Hours: 1:00-3:00 M,W, and by appointment
Email: searle@tcc.ctc.edu
English 234
Introduction to Mythology
Phone: 566-5283
Course Objectives: broad
English 234 will introduce you to the exciting realm of world mythology. We
will pay the most attention to the mythology of the ancient Greeks, because it is that
belief system which has had the greatest impact on our own literature and culture. But
we will also look, briefly, at the mythoi of peoples around the world. It has long been
held as axiomatic that a study of a culture’s myths can yield great insights into that
culture: what it values, what it fears, and so on. Myths can also teach us about the
general nature of humanity, and about humanity’s attempts, since the earliest times, to
explain the inexplicable.
Course Objectives: transferable skills
Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to study
myths and analyze the main elements of each; consider the cultural, moral, and aesthetic
values such a work reflects and evaluate them in light of one’s own values; write a clear
and succinct thesis statement; limit a thesis and explore its implications logically and
thoroughly; organize and develop ideas using a variety of rhetorical methods; write
essays that maintain a clear focus and sustain their thesis statements; make clear the
relationship between ideas; write essays that demonstrate an understanding of the
emotive power of words and that employ appropriate diction and usage; write effective
introductions and conclusions; write concisely and clearly; write essays that employ a
variety of sentence types and patterns; write essays free of major problems in
punctuation, spelling, and grammar; use prewriting, outlining, and revising as part of the
writing process; use library research skills in electronic, print, and other sources to gather
support for arguments; understand the basic requirements for citing and documenting
sources according to MLA guidelines; practice critical reading by analyzing and
synthesizing text elements; recognize patterns of organization at the text, paragraph, and
essay level; summarize, synthesize, and evaluate literary sources; and collaborate with
your peers to provide a positive student-centered learning environment.
Required Texts
Rosenberg, World Mythology, 2nd ed. on up
Hamilton, Mythology, any edition
Policies and Procedures:
Papers
I require two research papers, both typed and double-spaced. The pages of the
papers should be physically connected via staple or paperclip. Papers are due on the days
noted in the daily syllabus. Late papers will be dropped one letter grade for each
calendar day they are past due.
Quizzes
There will be occasional pop quizzes on reading assignments or vocabulary.
Quizzes missed cannot be made up later, but I will drop your lowest quiz grade and
average in the others.
Homework and in-class work
Homework may be assigned individually or as part of a group assignment. Class
work missed cannot be made up except in the case of illness with a doctor’s excuse.
Attendance
My official attendance policy is to divorce attendance per se from your grade.
You will not be graded on attendance. However, a quick perusal of my policies above
should reinforce how important attendance actually is to your grade in the class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism can be defined as the unauthorized use of another’s words or ideas—
passing these off as if they were your own. This is a serious academic offence that I will
train you to avoid through proper MLA documentation and discussion of library research
techniques. Should you plagiarize, however, I reserve the right to fail the paper
containing the plagiarism. At my own discretion I might mitigate the penalty to a
reduction of one letter grade from the paper; alternately, for a particularly serious offense,
I reserve the right to refer you to the college for official sanction.
Midterm and Final
There will be one midterm and one final exam. Both will have an essay
component while also covering such items as class vocabulary and reading
comprehension and retention. These tests, if missed, cannot be made up.
Students with special needs
All students are responsible for all requirements of the class, but the way they
meet these requirements may vary. If you need specific academic accommodations due
to a disability, please speak with me and with Disability Student Services (566-5338).
Appropriate documentation must be obtained from Disability Student Services in the
Counseling Center in Building 18. This documentation should be given to me before it is
needed rather than after the fact so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Withdrawal from the class
Please make yourself aware of the college’s schedule for withdrawing from class.
Withdrawing very early in the quarter can be done without my signature, and even late in
the quarter it can be done with my signature. Failure to officially withdraw while
absenting yourself in fact will result in failure of the class.
Grading summary
Two papers
Midterm
Final
Quizzes
Homework and in-class work
50%
15%
15%
10%
10%
Grading criteria set by the English Department of Tacoma Community College:
The “A” essay meets the following standards in all areas and excels in one or more of
them:
--as a whole, the paper has a complex thesis displaying considerable thought and insight
--the organization is clear and consistent with that thesis and the intended audience
--paragraphs are fully developed with effective use of evidence and explanations
--there is sustained variety of sentence style, structure and diction
--the grammatical and punctuation errors are few, and only in sophisticated usage
--there are few, if any, spelling errors
The “B” essay meets the following standards in all areas:
--as a whole, the paper proposes a thoughtful thesis, which, however, might be
considered more predictable than insightful
--the organization is clear and consistent with that thesis and the intended audience
--with few exceptions, paragraphs are fully developed, with relevant and effective use of
detail, explanations and transitions
--sentences are clear, concise and correct but do not demonstrate sophistication of style,
structure and diction
--grammar, punctuation and spelling follow accepted conventions, with a few minor
errors
The “C” essay meets the following standards with serious deficiency in one of the areas:
--as a whole, the paper proposes an identifiable thesis which, however, may be trivial,
predictable, or too general, and thus reflects shallowness of thought
--a pattern of organization exists, but it is inconsistent or incomplete
--some paragraphs lack supporting detail or adequate explanations and contain sentences
only loosely connected, lacking transitions
--most sentences are grammatically correct but are often excessively wordy or vague;
structure and style are monotonous, and diction flat or even inappropriate
--there may be a few serious errors in grammar or a profusion of minor errors
The “D” essay is seriously deficient in at least one of the following areas:
--as a whole, the paper possesses a poorly focused thesis, or a thesis which clearly
demonstrates a lack of thoughtfulness or insight on the part of the writer
--the organization is confusing, inconsistent, or incomplete
--paragraphs are poorly developed, containing little supporting detail, transitions, or
sentences clearly connected to the thesis
--the approach and tone are inappropriate to the topic and intended audience
--sentences are often incorrect in structure, wordy, vague or distracting; and word usage
is inappropriate, incorrect or inconsistent
--grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors are abundant
The “E” essay is unacceptable in any one of these areas:
--as a whole, the paper does not possess an identifiable thesis
--the paper does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment or address the assignment
--there is no discernable pattern of organization for the ideas presented
--paragraphs have no development which can be related to the thesis and within
paragraphs there is little discernible logical connection between sentences
--the paper offers no interpretation and no evidence
--presentation is so flawed (grammatically or otherwise) that the essay is unintelligible
Tentative Class Schedule
March
29th: Introduction to the class; mythology as etiology
31st: The mythology of the Greeks: the Titans and power struggles
April
5th: The mythology of the Greeks: life, death, and immortality
7th: The mythology of the Greeks: heroes
12th: The epic
14th: The epic, continued (non-Greek or Roman)
19th: Matriarchies vs. patriarchies
21st: Discussion continued
26th: The long shadow: Greek myths and Western literature
28th: Paper #1 due; TBA
May
3rd: Prep for the midterm
5th: Midterm
10th: Egyptian mythology
12th: Norse mythology
17th: Celtic mythology
19th: Indian mythology
24th: Chinese mythology
26th: Japanese mythology
31st: No class (Memorial Day)
June
2nd: Paper #2 due; Maori mythology
7th: Native American Mythoi
9th: Final Exam