Vienna: Berne: Venice:
Arthur Schnitzler’s
Lt. Gusl Alan Lightman’s Thomas Mann’s
Einstein’s Dreams
Death in Venice
Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis in Prague
Rosina Lippi’s generations of women in the stories of Homestead, set in “Rosenau” in the Bregenz forest

I. ENG 330 . Special Topics: A Literary Tour of European Sites, 3 credit hours
Roseanne V. Camacho, Ph.D.
II. Course Description: This course will tour, through literature, some of the sites that students might visit, including Venice; Prague; Vienna; Berne, Switzerland; and the Bregenz forest. The readings, which are produced by both German and American writers and come from various timeframes, will be read for their cultural representations of what is "German."
III. Purpose: The purpose of this course is to maximize the opportunity to read within a specifically
European cross-cultural context.
IV. Course Objectives:
 to acknowledge the cultural relationship between reader and text
 to read carefully in order to sharpen interpretive skills
 to follow defined issues back to the text
 to write clearly, analytically, with carefully chosen detail about the literature
V. Content Outline:
A.
“Lt. Gustl”—set in turn-of-the-century Vienna by Schnitzler, an Austrian
B.
Metamorphosis
—set in early 20 th
-century Prague by Kafka, an Austrian
C.
Death in Venice— set in early 20 th
-century Venice by Mann, a German
D.
Homestead —set throughout 20 th century, written late 20 th century, by Lippi, an American
E.
Einstein’s Dreams —set in early 20 th
-century Berne, written in late 20 th
century by
Lightman, an American
VI. Instructional Activities: This course will be based on readings, responsive writings discussion, consideration of issues, and analytical writing.
VII. Field Experiences: Field trips are to be announced; they are required.
VIII. Resources: The Austrian and European environment, cultural observation, readings in literature and criticism.
IX. Grading Procedures: All essays on the readings and the final exam will be graded and averaged equally into the course grade according to the following standards:
A = outstanding work
B = above average, less than outstanding
C = average, competent, meeting all requirements of the course
D = less than average, not meeting all requirements of the course
F = failure to complete work or meet requirements; 2 or more absences late work: work late for any reason will be lowered one grade level per day. Because the time periods are so short, lateness of any kind is a substantial handicap to your evaluation and should be avoided at all costs. honest work: all submitted writing must be the student’s own. Any plagiarism or use of sources without documentation will be grounds for failure for the course.

X. Attendance Policy: Attendance at all classes is required. According to KIIS policy, “No absences are permitted without a verifiable, documented medical reason.” One absence will lower your course grade level by one whole letter; two absences are grounds for failure. All classes will have a sign-in sheet and it is your responsibility to remember to sign in.
XII. Required Texts:
1) Arthur Schnitzler, Lt. Gustl in course packet.
2) Franz Kafka. Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Classics, 1972.
3) Thomas Mann. Death in Venice. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.
4) Rosina Lippi. Homestead. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Mariner Book, 1999.
5) Alan Lightman. Einstein’s Dreams . New York: Warner Books, 1993.
6) Course packet of essays.
Course Requirements:
1) Attend all classes.
2) Read all texts on schedule.
3) Submit all assigned essays, one analytical essay on each text, at least 500 words.
4) Participate in all class exercises and discussions.
5) Take final exam in-class essay.
6) Attend all activities or trips assigned outside of class.
Class Schedule:
Friday 06/02: Introduction, syllabus, initial writing.
Sunday 06/04: “Lt. Gustl” initial discussion, personal response in-class essay
Monday 06/05: “Lt Gustl” discussion of issues, essay on honor.
Wednesday 06/07: “Lt. Gustl” final analytic essay: reading, response, redrafting notes.
Thursday 06/08: Metamorphosis initial discussion, personal response in-class essay.
Monday 06/12: Metamorphosis discussion of issues, reading of “Arachne” by Ovid.
Tuesday 06/13: Metamorphosis final analytic essay: reading, response, redrafting notes.
Wednesday 06/14: Death in Venice initial discussion, personal response in-class essay.
Thursday 06/15: Death in Venice discussion of issues, reading of essay on illness as metaphor.
Monday 06/19: Death in Venice final analytic essay: reading, response, redrafting notes.
Tuesday 06/20: Homestead discussion of text, mapping of relations.
Wednesday 06/21: Homestead discussion of issues, reading of essay by Dr. Meg Brown
Thursday 06/22: Homestead final analytic essay: reading, response, redrafting notes.
Monday 06/26:
Einstein’s Dreams
initial discussion, personal response to chapter meanings.
Tuesday 06/27: Einstein’s Dreams discussion of issues, mapping of meanings.
Wednesday 06/28:
Einstein’s Dreams final analytic essay: reading, response, redrafting notes.
Thursday 06/29: Final in-class exam essay.
XII. Prerequisites: none.