English 2800: Great Works of Literature I
Baruch College, Spring 2014
Instructor: Nicole Zeftel
Email: NZeftel@gmail.com
Section: KMWC
Class Hours: Room 23-710; M/W 2:55-4:35
Office: VC 7-290K (cubicle in the English department); Wed, 5-6 PM or by appt
Course Description
In this course, we will examine a range of foundational ancient texts from different historical
contexts, asking how narrative shapes and reflects individual and cultural identity. Beginning
with creation stories from around the globe and The Book of Job, we will look at such themes
as suffering, storytelling, and tradition; themes that run throughout Aeschylus’s Oresteia and
Sophocles’ Oedipus plays as well. Moving into The Bhagavad Gita and Augustine’s Confessions,
we will examine the role of memory and religion in self-understanding, and delve further
into questions of personal narrative—themes also important in a medieval Chinese context.
Closing with Shakespeare’s Othello we will enter into “modern literature,” exploring the
meaning of such modernity, referring back to the Greek texts with which we opened the
semester. As this is a communications course, writing is emphasized both in the grading
scheme and in volume—you will be required to write a fair amount throughout the semester
both in and out of class, and therefore it is essential that you keep up on the reading and
think carefully about these themes as we move through the texts.
Required Texts for Purchase
All books listed below are available at the Baruch bookstore. You must obtain all of these
books and always come to class prepared with your books. Because we are dealing with
ancient literature, translations can vary in significant ways so it is essential that you
purchase the editions listed below. These books are all widely available, just be sure to
check both the translator and the publisher to make sure they line up with my editions
below. As well, I encourage you to order these books used as it is a good way to save money,
but keep in mind you MUST have the book with you on the day we’re using it, and used
books often take up to 2 weeks to arrive—so be sure to order them well in advance.
**All other reading will be posted to our course’s blog. It is required that you print these
materials and bring them to class. You are also permitted to read them on an electronic
reading device, however laptops are not permitted. While I realize printing may cost, I am
requiring that you do so because printing these readings is still much more cost efficient than
buying the books.
The Bhagavad Gita, Trans. Laurie L. Patton (Penguin Classics) **There are many versions of
this text so make sure you get Patton’s translation
The Oresteia, Aeschylus, Trans. Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics)
The Three Theban Plays, Sophocles, Trans. Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics)
Confessions, Augustine; Trans. Henry Chadwick (Oxford World’s Classics)
Othello, Shakespeare (Signet Classics)
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Course Requirements
Participation (includes quizzes and informal in-class writing): 15%
Two Close Readings: 20% (10% each)
Preliminary paper assignments (proposal, draft, workshop attendance): 5%
Final Paper, 5 pages in length: 20%
Blog post/student led discussion: 10%
In-class essay midterm: 15%
Final Exam: 15%
Attendance and Participation
Attendance is mandatory and if you know you are going to miss a class, please inform me in
advance. As participation is a large part of this course, unexcused absences or habitual
lateness will adversely affect your grade. Four or more classes missed during the
semester will result in an F for participation – this is strict class policy and no
exceptions will be made. Participation includes discussion, in-class writing assignments
and quizzes, and thus it is essential to come to class prepared with the reading completed.
Please be sure to bring your reading material to class—failure to do so will result in a low or
failing participation grade. Simply attending class or doing well on the quizzes will not
earn you an A in participation – A grades will only be given out to students who both
consistently participate throughout the semester and do well on in-class assignments
and quizzes. Grades will be allotted as follows:
A = Daily participation throughout the semester. Always prepared for class with reading
completed. Brings necessary material to class. Does well on quizzes.
B = Often participates. Always prepared for class with reading completed. Brings necessary
material to class. Does well on most quizzes.
C = Rarely participates / never participates, but comes to class consistently with materials
and performs adequately on quizzes.
D & F = Misses many classes and/or rarely brings material to class and/or fails majority of
quizzes.
Absolutely no laptop or cell phone use is permitted, including text messaging. Please switch your phone off
before the start of class. If you use your cell phone during class you will be marked absent
for that day. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to class, you will be marked as
“late” – two “lates” will equal one absence.
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.”
Email Policies:
The best way to reach me is by email at NZeftel@gmail.com, and I am happy to answer your
questions. However, please have the email address of at least one other student in the
course, and consider checking in with this student for issues regarding assigned reading, etc,
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before emailing me. As well, please treat all emails to me professionally, and always sign your
name.
Reading Responses/Quizzes:
We will have occasional informal reading quizzes (short answers to questions about the day’s
reading), and we will often have informal low-stakes writing assignments (more information
on those assignments to follow). Quizzes will be mostly unannounced and can occur on any
class day. For some of these quizzes, you will be allowed to reference your text. Remember
to 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 quiz grade.
Blog Post/Research & Student-led Discussion
Once during the semester, you will sign up to compose a blog post in response to the day’s
reading and you will lead class discussion. For this assignment, you will also consult a
scholarly article dealing with the text we read together in class. You will then connect the
article to the text both in your post and in your discussion. Thus you will be the “expert” on
the text for the day, and the “go-to” person in class that day (I will ask you to launch the
discussion, facilitate, respond to a question, etc). You will also have to respond to three of
your classmates’ posts on three days of your choosing (with some guidelines). More
information to follow.
Papers
All assignments must be submitted in class on the specified due dates. One long paper,
along with a draft and proposal, is required and must be at least 5 pages in length. This paper
must use at least one secondary source (this can be the same source you used for your blog,
if appropriate.) There are also two shorter close readings (2 pages in length) required. As
this is a communications course, writing is very important to your grade, and as the course
progresses we will review writing techniques and methods of critical analysis. More
information to come. Do keep in mind papers should follow standard MLA format with 12pt Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins.
Plagiarism
The Department of English fully supports Baruch College's policy on Academic Honesty,
which states, in part:
"Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism
and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college's educational mission and the students'
personal and intellectual growth. Baruch students are expected to bear individual
responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of
academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable
excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the
academic process will be sanctioned. "
Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the assignment to an F in
this course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of
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the Dean of Students. Additional information and definitions can be found
at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.html
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, research or writing as your own,
such as:
 Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and
footnotes (a functional limit is four or more words taken from the work of another)
 Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without
acknowledging them
 Using information that is not considered common knowledge without
acknowledging the source
 Failure to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignment
**Syllabus subject to change based on the pace of the course**
Mon Jan 27: Introduction to course. Reading for next class distributed
Wed Jan 29: Intro to Ancient Literature / In-class Writing Diagnostic; Reading for next
class distributed
Mon Feb 3: Creation Myths from around the world (distributed last class and posted to blog)
Wed Feb 5: The Book of Job (posted to the blog; please print, read and bring to class)
Mon Feb 10: The Book of Job; excerpt from The Babylonian Theodicy; excerpt from The Book of
the Dead (all posted to blog; please print, read and bring to class)
Wed Feb 12: Lincoln’s Birthday, College is closed
Mon Feb 17: President’s Day, college is closed
Wed Feb 19: Sophocles’ Oedipus (included in The Three Theban Plays) and “introduction to
Classical Greece” posted to the blog
Thurs Feb 20: *Close Reading Draft Due for mandatory peer review session; Classes
follow a Monday schedule!
Mon Feb 24: Sophocles’ Antigone (included in The Three Theban Plays)
Wed Feb 26: Aeschylus’s Agamemnon (included in The Oresteia)
Mon March 3: Sappho’s poetry and discussion of translation (distributed in class) *Close
Reading 1 Due
Wed March 5: Aeschylus’s The Libation Bearers (included in The Oresteia)
Mon March 10: Aeschylus’s The Eumenides (included in The Oresteia)
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Wed March 12: The Bhagavad Gita, First Discourse to Fifth Discourse, pages 3-69
Mon March 17: The Bhagavad Gita, Fifth Discourse to end of book
Wed March 19: Confucius from The Analects; article on modern-day role of Confucius
(posted to blog; please print, read and bring to class)
Mon March 24: Midterm
Wed March 26: Introduction to Medieval China, and excerpt from Ban Zhao’s Lessons for
Women and Yuan Cai’s Precepts for Social Life (all materials posted to blog; please read, print
and bring to class)
Mon March 31: Introduction to Augustine (posted to blog) and Augustine’s The Confessions,
Books I-III
Wed April 2: The Confessions Books IV, VIII *Final Paper Proposal Due in class
Mon April 7: The Confessions Book X
Wed April 9: Excerpts from modern “confessions” to be distributed in class *Close
Reading 2 Due in class
Mon April 14: Spring Break, no classes scheduled
Wed April 16: Spring Break
Mon April 21: Spring Break
Wed April 23: Shakespeare’s Othello, Acts I-III
Mon April 28: In-class Othello reading/writing exercise *Final Paper Draft Due in Class
Wed April 30: Shakespeare’s Othello, Acts 4 and 5
Mon May 5: Individual Paper Workshops
Wed May 7: Individual Paper Workshops
Mon May 12: *Final Paper Due in Class
Wed May 14: Wrap up / Final Exam Review
*Final exam to be scheduled during exam period: Date TBA
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