This course is a survey of World Literature. We will read a wide variety of works in multiple genres including fiction (short stories and novels), poetry (including epic), drama, and non-fiction. In this course we will work to generate questions, explore philosophical concerns and perspectives, and identify themes that may be specific to a particular culture and time period and/or universal in nature. We will understand the relationship between works of literature and the culture and conditions in which they were created. We will identify and explore universal human questions and concerns that transcend cultures and appear to be universal among all people. We will explore the central concerns shared by all humanity with regard to issues of group identity, individual purpose, and oppression. Also, we will explore the relationship between the life and circumstances of writers and the works they have created. We will gain an appreciation for the writers’ art while strengthening our own written and oral communication skills through journal writing, in class written responses to literature, formal MLA research and writing, and in-class presentations and discussions.
Areas of Focus:
-Non Fiction
"Falling Man" (USA-New York)
"Four Freedoms Speech" (USA)
...and Many, Many More!
-Short Stories
"1001 Nights" (Middle East and Egypt)
"My Forbidden Face" Excerpt (Middle East)
"Night" Excerpt (German)
-Novel
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" (Middle East)
-Epic
"Dante's Inferno" (Italian)
-Drama
"Macbeth" (British)
Poetry
Many Poets (World-Wide)
-Non Fiction
"Falling Man" (USA-New York)
"Four Freedoms Speech" (USA)
...and Many, Many More!
-Short Stories
"1001 Nights" (Middle East and Egypt)
"My Forbidden Face" Excerpt (Middle East)
"Night" Excerpt (German)
-Novel
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" (Middle East)
-Epic
"Dante's Inferno" (Italian)
-Drama
"Macbeth" (British)
Poetry
Many Poets (World-Wide)