WM II, Fall 2012 1
1223-05: World Masterpieces II
Instructor: Stephanie Wilhelm
Office: S110
Office Hours: By Appointment
Contact: stephaniewilhelm983@gmail.com (please allow 24-48 hrs. for a reply)
Required Texts:
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus: the 1818 Text. Oxford UP, 2009.
Ibsen, Henrik. Four Major Plays. Trans. James Walter McFarlane and Jens Arup. Oxford:
Oxford UP, 2008.
Ousmane, Sembène. God’s Bits of Wood. Longman, 2009.
Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus I and II: A Survivor's Tale. Pantheon, 1986.
You will also be required to view the materials posted to our course Wiki:
https://worldmasterpiecesii.wikispaces.com/
Course Description
In this course, we will study literary and other artistic works from the late eighteenth century
through the end of the twentieth. We will begin in England with one the revolutionary works of
British Romanticism, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, after which we will explore Henrik Ibsen’s
exploration of the hypocrisy of late nineteenth-century genteel society. Virginia Woolf will bring
us into the twentieth century and the era of modernism—an era defined by social and
technological progress, but also marred by the unprecedented violence of two world wars.
Finally, we will be looking at the legacies of European colonialism through the eyes of Sembene
Ousmane and the attempts to come to grips with the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust
through the graphic works of Art Spiegelman.
This course is called “World Masterpieces,” and it is worth pausing for a moment to examine the
two arguments implicit in the title: 1) that our readings represent some sort of global culture, and
2) that our readings collectively represent an outstanding aesthetic achievement. These are two
very big arguments, and we will need to question them from time to time. Does this collection of
readings adequately represent the myriad discrete cultures of this world? Could any collection of
texts ever represent global culture? And what makes these works “masterpieces”? Is it their
historical significance? Is it their influence on other writers? And why is it that masterpieces
often seem to be difficult to understand? Do important works of art and literature have to be
difficult? These are questions that we will return to throughout the semester. In our
contemporary society, where leisure is scarce and the demands on our time are ever increasing,
perhaps the most important question is this: Why bother with masterpieces at all? This is a
question that we will try—at least provisionally—to answer in the course of this term.
Requirements
1. Three papers on assigned topics. Papers must be in MLA format and follow MLA
documentation style (refer to the Trimmer Guide or any other handbook that has current MLA
format). At least one primary and one secondary source are required for each paper. Papers
WM II, Fall 2012 2
generally will be 800-1,000 words in length and word-processed, using double spacing. The
Humanities Department Grading Policy for Written Work will be used in grading papers. To
access departmental writing guidelines, please go to:
http://www.ltu.edu/currentstudents/banned_errors.asp and
http://www.ltu.edu/arts_sciences/humanities_ss_comm/writing_guidelines.asp.
2. Midterm examination: Wednesday, October 17th
3. Final examination: Wednesday, December 19th
4. Attendance and participation in class discussion, which includes the completion of study guide
questions for each work we examine.
5. I reserve the right to test your preparation and your ability to participate by giving a pop quiz
once in a while—your grades on these quizzes will be part of your participation percentage.
Grading: Your final grade will be based on
Papers (3): 15 pts. Each
Midterm: 15 pts.
Final: 25 pts.
Attendance and participation (Which includes completion of study guides): 15 pts.
= 100 pts. Total for the course
Please note: If you are a first year student, you may drop this course only after you have
discussed the reasons for your withdrawal with me and I have signed your Add-Drop form. The
Registrar will not approve the withdrawal without my signature. If I am not available, you may
ask the department chair, Professor Phillips, to approve your withdrawal and sign your form. The
last day for withdrawal from class is Wednesday, November 28th 2012.
Academic Honor Code
In addition, the University has developed an LTU Academic Honor Code, designed to
demonstrate clearly that the Lawrence Tech community expects the highest level of honesty and
integrity in all academic work. Therefore, I require from all students in this class to write in their
own hand (or type themselves) the honor pledge at the end of all assignments they complete. By
doing so, you will make a daily commitment to integrity.
The following pledge is required on all academic work submitted in this class:
“I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in completing this work, nor have I
presented someone else’s work as my own.”
I will not accept any work submitted in this class without this pledge.
Art
We will spend a minimum of four hours looking at and discussing art of the time periods we
cover in this class. This discussion forms an integral part of our analysis of the literary works
which are the main focus of our work; we will try to create connections between the art we view
and the texts we discuss. Both the midterm and the final will feature questions related to our art
WM II, Fall 2012 3
discussions. All of the art work which we will be discussing will be made available is available
to you after each art lecture on Blackboard and our course Wiki.
Exams
Midterm and final exams should be written in class in bluebooks. You will use your study guides
for each text as a means of preparing for these exams. However, you may not use them during
your exams.
Attendance
Attendance and participation are critical for this class. Much of your success in this course
depends on your consistent participation. Therefore, the department has set the following policy:
You will have four class absences, no questions asked. However, after the fourth absence,
you will be required to withdraw from the course or accept a failing grade for the class. In
addition, please not that if you miss more than twenty minutes of a class (beginning, middle,
end), you will receive an absence for the day. There is no such thing as an “excused” absence.
Use your four free absences wisely.
Please note that I reserve the right to dismiss and count as absent anyone who arrives for class
without materials or preparation necessary for participation in that class’s work. If you are not
prepared, you are not present in any useful sense of the word. If you miss a class for any
reason, it is up to you to ask a classmate what preparation is required for the next class.
Texts
I require that you have the text that is under consideration during any given class period on you.
Failure to be in class without the text prevents you from fully participating in our discussion. I
reserve the right to dismiss any student from class who does not have the necessary class
materials on him/her. In addition, all texts should show evidence that they have been read
carefully and productively, such as through underlining or highlighting important passages.
Secondary Sources
The sources you use in your papers should be serious and scholarly in nature. A reader’s guide,
such as Sparknotes or its electronic version, is not a scholarly source and thus not
acceptable as a secondary source in your papers, nor are entries from Wikipedia.
Laptops
All electronic devices, including cell phones, must be turned off before you enter the
classroom (not vibrate, OFF). If you are concerned about people being able to reach you in an
emergency, you may give them the HSSC department number: 248-204-3520. Laptops must
ALWAYS remain closed unless I instruct you otherwise. No texting in class, EVER.
Late papers
WM II, Fall 2012 4
For each calendar day a paper is turned in late, you will lose one full grade point. For example,
a paper turned in a day late that would have been given an “A,” will instead receive a “B.” I
WILL ACCEPT NO PAPERS ANY LATER THAN ONE CLASS PERIOD FOLLOWING
THE ONE WHEN THEY WERE DUE.
Blackboard and Wiki
I will regularly post course announcements and assignments and guidelines for papers on
Blackboard and our course Wiki page. I will also use Blackboard to email you, collectively
and/or individually. Please make sure your LTU account is up to date so that you can receive
messages.
SafeAssignment
SafeAssign is an anti-plagiarism tool in Blackboard designed to help both you and me. For each
of your three papers, you must submit (via Blackboard) by the due date an electronic version of
the paper (in Word) to be checked by the SafeAssignment software. The software compares your
words to content found on the Internet.
I will set up SafeAssign so that you have an opportunity to validate your paper without
submitting it to the institutional database. That means you can first look at a draft of your paper
and see whether there are areas in the paper that might be questionable as far as proper source
attribution is concerned. Once you feel comfortable with the draft, submit it.
You MUST, however, also hand in a hard copy of the paper on the paper due day. The hard copy
is the one that I mark. If you submit your paper only electronically, your paper will be graded as
not being on time. That is, if you submit to Blackboard but fail to give me a hard copy of the
paper, you will not receive a passing grade.
Email Etiquette
In most cases, I will respond to you within 24-48 hours, typically during normal business hours
(i.e., not late nights or weekends). In return, I ask that you follow these guidelines.
First, please think twice before emailing. Please understand that I have up to 60 students a
semester, so you should only email with questions that cannot be answered any other way. For
instance, do not email with questions that can be answered by looking at your syllabus or
assignment sheet (e.g., due dates). If your question can wait until our next class session, please
ask it then so that everyone can benefit. If your question is something that another student can
answer, such as what we covered during a class you missed, do not email me: instead, please
contact a classmate. You may use the email function on Blackboard to do this.
Second, if you do send an email, you must follow the format of a professional business
letter. Email tends to encourage a casual tone and a disregard for grammar—but not in this
class! Compose your email as you would a formal business letter. A sloppy email makes a
person look ignorant and uneducated. Getting into professional email habits will benefit you
both now and in the future. Trust me: both your current professors and future employers will
appreciate it.
WM II, Fall 2012 5
Some specific guidelines:

Use a descriptive subject line that includes the name of the class.

The email itself should begin with a salutation (“Dear Dr. XX” or “Dear Professor XX”).

Follow all the proper rules of grammar and spelling in the body of your email.

End with a closing and signature line (“Sincerely, Susan” or “Thank you, Joe”). It is
often a good idea to include your student ID as well.

Please note: your emails to me should never begin with “Mr.” (A great line in Austin
Powers is when Dr. Evil says, “I didn't go to evil graduate school for six years so
someone could call me ‘Mister!’”)

After you have read my response, please respond briefly so I know you received my
message. A quick “thank you” will suffice. An example of a professional email:
Return Address: jdoe@ltu.edu
Subject Line: World Masterpieces II: appointment to discuss paper
Dear Professor Wilhelm:
I would like to meet with you to discuss some problems I’ve been having with my
rough draft, but I have class during your office hours. Would it be possible to set
up a meeting for another time on Tuesday or Wednesday?
Thank you,
John Doe
Student ID: 000666666
An example of an unprofessional email, with notes indicating what is wrong:
Return Address: blowitoutyourass147@nomail.com [according to a colleague,
this is a real email address—and a completely unprofessional one]
Subject Line: English class [which class?]
[no salutation]
i am having so much truble with safeassiign. what hapned? john
[no closing, no student ID number]
The problem with the above email, aside from the fact that it makes the sender appear lazy and
ignorant, is that there is no way for me to help the student—I do not know which class he is in,
or who he is. Furthermore, the Computer Help Desk should be your first stop for technical
problems.
WM II, Fall 2012 6
The Writing Center at the AAC: Learning to write clearly, compellingly, and coherently
should be a major goal of yours in this class. The Writing Center, which is located in the
Academic Achievement Center (second floor of the Taubman building), is staffed by
experienced writers. Start your papers at least a week before they are due, and take advantage of
their expertise when drafting your essays.
Schedule (All assignments are to be completed by the beginning of the class for which they were
assigned. This schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class [when
available] and via email.)
Week One 8/29
W: Discuss – Intro to course expectations/What is a world “masterpiece”?
Read – Frankenstein, Author’s Foreward; “The Walton Letters”; Chapters 1-5
Do – Get your books, make sure you can access Bb and our Wiki page, and begin working on
study guide questions
Week Two 9/03-9/05
M: No Class, Labor Day!
W: Discuss – Romanticism and the Romantic Movement; Prometheus; the Shelleys and Lord
Byron; Frankenstein, Chapters 1-5
Read – Frankenstein, Chapters 6-10
Do – Continue with study guide questions
Week Three 9/10-9/12
M: Discuss – Images of Frankenstein (or, more accurately, his “monster”); the readings
Read - Frankenstein, Chapters 11-15
Do – Study guide questions
W: Discuss – Readings
Read – Frankenstein, Chapters 16-21
Do – Study guide questions
Week Four 9/17-9/19
M: Discusss – readings
Read – Frankenstein, chapters 22-24
Do – finish study guide questions
W: Discuss – the conclusion of Frankenstein; directions for first paper
Read – A Doll’s House, Acts I & II
WM II, Fall 2012 7
Do – Study guide questions
Week Five 9/24-9/26
M: Discuss – Ibsen and modernism; feminism and genteel society
Read: A Doll’s House, Act III and the alternative ending
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss – Conclusion(s) of A Doll’s House
Read – Ghosts, Acts I & II
Do – study guide questions, finish first paper
Week Six 10/01-10/03
M: FIRST PAPER DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS!!!
Discuss – Ghosts
Read – Ghosts, Act III
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss - Act III
Read – Hedda Gabler, Acts I & II
Do – study guide questions
Week Seven 10/08-10/10
M: Discuss – Acts I & II
Read – Hedda Gabler, Acts III & IV
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss Acts III & IV; Midterm exam
Read – The Master Builder
Do – study guide questions
Week Eight 10/15-10/17
M: Discuss – The Master Builder
Do – study for the midterm exam
W: MIDTERM EXAM!!
Read – To the Lighthouse, “The Window”
Do – Study guide questions
Week Nine 10/22-10/24
M: Discuss – modernity and the female author; WWII lit; readings
Read – TL, “Time Passes
Do – study guide questions
WM II, Fall 2012 8
W: Discuss – readings
Read – TL, “The Lighthouse”
Do- study guide questions
Week Ten 10/29-10/31
M: Discuss – readings
Read – God’s Bits of Wood, pages 1-77
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss - European colonialism in Africa; African literary voices, readings
Read – GBW, pages 78-127
Do – study guide questions
Week Eleven 11/05-11/07
M: Discuss – readings
Read – GBW, pages 128-185
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss – readings
Read - GBW, pages 186- 248
Do – study guide questions
Week Twelve 11/12-11/14
M: Discuss - conclusion, GBW; second paper directions
Read – Maus I, chapters one-three
Do – study guide questions
W: Discuss – modernity, the Other, lit post-WWII
Read – M1, chapters four-six
Do – study guide questions
Week Thirteen 11/19-11/21
M: Discuss – readings
Read – Maus II, chapters one-two
Do – study guide questions
W: SECOND PAPER DUE!!
Discuss – literature of atrocity; the graphic novel as an art form; readings
Read – M2, chapters three-five
Do – study guide questions
Week Fourteen 11/26-11/28
WM II, Fall 2012 9
M: Discuss – readings
Do – Review study guides and fill in missing gaps
W (last day to drop): Discuss – final papers and final exams
Do – pick a topic for your final paper
Week Fifteen 12/03-12/05
M: Discuss – research, peer editing, quotations, MLA format
Do – Study for final exam; begin writing final paper
W: Final exam review
Week Sixteen 12/10-12/12
M: Peer review I, final paper: Must bring three copies of rough draft (typed) to class. Must be at
least HALF of your final paper, i.e. at least three pages!!!
W: Peer review II, final paper: Must bring three copies of rough draft (typed) to class. Must be at
least 4-5 pages, with peer comments incorporated into it.
Week Seventeen 12/17-12/19
M: FINAL PAPER DUE!!
W: FINAL EXAM!!!