HIST201: History of World Literature

Credit Hours:
3
Estimated Hours Per Week:
9

Overview

This course introduces students to the concepts and methods of comparative literary and cultural study on a global scale. The course looks at a broad range of texts, moving beyond appreciation to text-based analysis. Readings include poetry, plays, stories, epics and sacred works in the written and oral traditions from authors across many cultures, over a four-thousand-year period.

In the course project, Bridges to Understanding: How World Literature Provides a Window into Global Cultures, students make connections between the various cultures and draw connections to contemporary life and culture.

Course Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and define the major themes in a given piece of literature.
  • Understand the similarities and differences between the major works of literature and the epic poems that they have studied and explain those concepts in written assignments.
  • Compare/contrast the similarities and differences between literary works of various cultures and time periods from 2000 B.C.E. to approximately 1400 C.E.
  • Use literary, psychological, historical, and other perspectives to analyze epic poetry in written assignments.
  • Identify how a reader’s personal context and cultural experiences shades his or her interpretation of a work of literature.
  • Use the Internet for research, structured group activities, and interpersonal communications.
  • Given a piece of Greek literature, describe how one's personal context and cultural experiences shade one's understanding of it.
  • Identify the major themes in Confucian and Taoist writing, such as the nature of reality, the importance of dreams, what is right, action and thinking "outside the box."
  • Construct a well-developed research paper that demonstrates both an understanding of the cultural connections between the works studied in this course and an ability to synthesize information obtained from multiple sources into a unified document with a viable thesis statement, supporting documentation, and a conclusion.
  • Demonstrate an increased knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the various works of literature studied in this course.
ENROLLMENT
To enroll in this course, please complete the online application.

Required Texts
HIST201 texts are available from the JIU/Follett Bookstore