COLT 101 – INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE LITERATURE crn 11718 / FALL -­‐ 2015 MWF, 11 -­‐11:50 Middlebrook office hours: 240A McKenzie Weds. 12-­‐1:30 PROF. LEAH MIDDLEBROOK Thurs. 2 – 2:50 Graduate Teaching Fellows: 305 Villard Hall Rachel Branson, Jason Lester *** COURSE DESCRIPTION: Can the history, future and alternative realities of literature be captured in one single book? Maybe so, if that book is Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel Don Quixote. In this course, you will be asked to read Don Quixote for fun and interest –it is a novel that inspires a lot of delight and surprise, and unlocking some of its pleasures is a one key objective of COLT 101. But we will also consider how Don Quixote represents “literature” as a historical and cultural phenomenon, one that is shaped and informed by notions of world, self and language that were just rising to prominence during the years in which Cervantes penned and published his book, notions which may now be in eclipse. As we read and discuss, we will make forays into some other works: poems by Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Pablo Neruda, Adrienne Rich and William Shakespeare (among others). We will also establish contexts for the novel in Spanish, European and Mediterranean history; in the rise of a notion of social, cultural and political “modernity”; and in the live, mobile, active present. Students should be aware that a central objective of this course is to develop skills of active reading, reflection and critical engagement. Assignments include journaling on specific topics and then building from those informal exercises to developing substantial blog posts that link Don Quixote, a novel from 1605, to twenty-­‐first century culture. We will provide clear instruction and support on this process -­‐-­‐it may look unfamiliar in the context of a literature course. Miguel de Cervantes thought outside the box as he composed the novel, so it’s fitting that we engage with it in a creative way. Note: We will use Edith Grossman’s English version of the novel as our core text, but this is a multicultural course in which polylingual students are warmly welcomed. Don Quixote has been translated into many languages, and we hope students will share their expertise on a range of different translations. REQUIRED TEXT, avail. at the UO Bookstore (Grossman translation required): Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Trans. Edith Grossman. New York: Harper Perennial. 2005. Print. **Note: Grossman’s translation is also available in audio format, and listening to the novel is a good support for reading it. I completely approve of engaging with the book by listening to it; however, you must bring a copy of the book to class and to section. You are responsible for bringing your text to every class meeting (lecture and section). COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 1
Critical vocabulary terms and concepts ideas covered in this course: Over the course of the term, we expect you to grow familiar with the following terms and to integrate them into your written work and in-­‐class comments. A-­‐level written work in this course demonstrates your grasp of how to use each of these terms accurately, where and as they are called for. Be attentive to how these terms are presented, defined and discussed in class, since we use them in quite specific ways in literature; looking them up out of context may not provide you with useful results. A successful grasp of the meaning of these terms is fundamental to the final exam. Chivalry Code Episteme Genre Hermeneutic Interpretation Manuscript Modernity Neoplatonism / “platonic” friendship Novel Objectification Paradigm Pastoral Secularization Self/other – objectification Subject, and how the subject is constituted COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 2
Meetings schedule and agenda – lecture topics may vary some based on where our work together as a group goes, but in general, this is what I have in mind: WEEK 1 – (week of Sept. 28) -­‐ Introduction to course; the fame of Don Quixote; inventing a genre Lecture topics: Poetry (includes ‘fiction’), history, novel The book Books of chivalry Contexts in Spanish history Identity Traditional and modern The making of Don Quixote and his first sally Idealism and reality – do knights use money? The first Inn Due on WEDNESDAY Sept. 30 – read Prologue and chapter 1 Due in SECTION THIS WEEK – brief survey of ideas about Don Quixote This week, ask …1 person in your residence …1 person you encounter in a store or on the street, someone you don’t know …1 older person in your family –a grandparent, a close family friend of a grandparent’s generation, or a great aunt/uncle the following: *Have you read all or part of Don Quixote? *If you have, what do you remember about it? *If you haven’t, have you heard of it? What have you heard? *Have you heard the word ‘quixotic’? What does it mean to you? *Have you heard the word ‘quijotesco/a’? What does it mean to you? Write down the answers and bring them with you to section for discussion. Due on FRIDAY Oct. 2 – read through chapter 6 Due on MONDAY Oct. 5 – (1) read through chapter 11; read “Phenomenal Woman,” Maya Angelou (Week 1 folder, Canvas) (2) journal entry 1, “Assembling an identity”– see below, “Course policies” for formatting guidelines and how to turn in your entry WEEK 2 – (week of Oct. 5) -­‐ Codes of narration; manuscript, book and novel; Cide Hamete Benengeli; on journal entries Lecture topics: Inventing a genre Spain and the transmission of ancient knowledge The cultural role of the marketplace Convivencia Idealism and reality – do knights eat? COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 3
Don Quixote and Sancho Don Quixote and women Cervantes and women Due on MONDAY Oct. 12 – (1) read through chapter 14; read Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck” (Week 2 folder, Canvas) (2) journal entry 2, “Marcela, Grisóstomo and the question of consent” WEEK 3 – (week of Oct. 12) -­‐ The episode of Marcela and Grisóstomo; from journal entry to blog post Lecture topics: The pastoral genre – men and women play at goat and sheep herding Master and servant The golden age The emergent bourgeoisie Petrarchan tradition Pedro’s story Grisóstomo’s lament Marcela’s defense Due on MONDAY Oct. 19 – (1) read through chapter 21; read Pablo Neruda, “Walking around” (Week 3 folder, Canvas) (2) journal entry 3, “The character of Sancho Panza” Due on FRIDAY Oct. 23 – Blog post 1 WEEK 4 – (week of Oct. 19) – The beating by the Yanguesans; the second inn; Don Quixote and Sancho Lecture topics: The encounter with the Yanguesans The devil never sleeps Maritornes Bedroom farce The Holy Brotherhood The enchanted castle Betrayal (the blanket-­‐toss) Purging and recalibration The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance Due on FRIDAY Oct. 23 – Blog post 1 Due on MONDAY Oct. 26 – (1) read through chapter 27 (2) journal entry 4, “Imprisonment as a social institution” WEEK 5 – (week of Oct. 26) – The helmet of Mambrino; Don Quixote’s dream; the adventure of the galley slaves Lecture topics: COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 4
A new phase in DQ’s and Sancho’s relationship A matter of perspective Hermeneutics The adventure of the galley slaves – power, freedom, the body and the state Documents and certificates Doubles -­‐ Ginés de Pasamonte / Cervantes? Cardenio / Don Quixote? The Sierra Morena Reality and fantasy…or idealism? The construction of the novel – chapter 23 Due on MONDAY Nov. 2 – (1) read chapters 28-­‐32 & 36-­‐38 (skip The Tale of Foolish Curiosity) (2) journal entry 5, “What is a hermeneutic, and what does the barber’s basin have to do with it?” WEEK 6 (week of Nov. 2) – Cardenio, Luscinda, Dorotea, Fernando resolved; another look at blogging Lecture topics: The novella tradition The secular and the divine More on hermeneutics The Inn as microcosm of Spanish society Due on MONDAY Nov. 9 – (1) read chapters 39 – 42 (2) read the materials collected in Week 6 folder, Canvas (3) journal entry 6, “They were our neighbors” WEEK 7 (Week of Nov. 9) – The captive, Ricote, the discourse and ideology of Christian Spain Lecture topics: Al-­‐andalus and the Christian conquest Forced conversions and expulsions, 1499 – 1614 A question of form: why place the Captive’s tale next to Fernando / Dorotea? Statelessness Due on MONDAY Nov. 16 -­‐ (1) make appointment to meet with your GTF or Prof. Middlebrook about second Blog post (all topics must be approved by Tuesday Nov. 22) (2) read chapters 44 – 48 (3) journal entry 7, “The dark night of the soul” COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 5
WEEK 8 (Week of Nov. 16) -­‐ Don Quixote forsaken and betrayed; Don Quixote as Christ figure Lecture topics: Christ in the garden of Gethsemane Don Quixote abandoned by his guides Is it all real? An enchantment? Assignments through the end of the term: (1) finish Don Quixote (2) Responses to blog post due (3) Meet with Middlebrook or GTF re blog post 2 (4) Blog post 2 due 12/2 5 p.m. WEEK 9 (Week of Nov. 23) -­‐ Don Quixote and the Canon; responses to blogs due NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT MEET ON WEDS OR FRI OF THANKSGIVING WEEK Middlebrook available for consultation by appt. all day Tues. Nov. 24 WEEK 10 (Week of 11/30) – Ending without closure – Does Don Quixote end, or does it just stop?; questions about final exam ***
COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 6
Course policies COURSE GRADES ARE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS : ATTENDANCE, LECTURE: 10% JOURNAL ENTRIES: 50% (seven entries, 10% each, 2 lowest grades dropped) BLOG POST 1 due 10/23, 5 p.m. 10% BLOG POST 2 due 12/2, 5 p.m. 10% RESPONSES TO OCT. BLOG ENTRIES due 11/16 10% SECTION: 10% Attendance and tardiness: Your regular attendance in lecture and in section is vital to the goals of this course. You may miss 3 lectures without penalty. After three absences from lecture, your grade may begin to drop. Early departure will always count as absence unless it is discussed with me in advance. In some cases, consistent late arrival will count as an absence. Please see “Working environment,” below, for policies regarding lateness and classroom disruption. All absences from section must be discussed with your GTF in advance. Approval is not automatic. Reading and participation: All students are expected to have completed the reading assignments before class and to come prepared to discuss the material. All students must also bring the appropriate text with them to every class session. Any student who arrives to class un prepared will be marked as absent. Journal entries: Journal entries should be 500-­‐750 words long; they should be typed, single-­‐ or double-­‐spaced, which ever is most comfortable for you, 12-­‐point font, 1-­‐inch margins. Hand them in in hard copy, Mondays at the end of class, and bring another copy of your week’s entry to section. All journal entries should be labeled with your name, the date and your GTF’s name. Each journal entry should have a title and page numbers. Blog posts: We will discuss how to develop a journal entry into a blog post in class this term. As a rule of thumb, remember that each blog post should be from 650-­‐800 words long, must be developed from a journal entry and should discuss at least one passage from Don Quixote through the perspective of one of the topics below. Your post should engage with one older source (pre-­‐20st century) and one more contemporary source (21st century) on your topic. Posts will be evaluated for quality of engagement, quality of expression and evidence of creativity. You are encouraged to incorporate audio and video into your posts –that’s great! But remember to frame these elements with respect to the passage under discussion (i.e., let your creative and associative mind go wild, but also give context for your creative leaps). All blog projects must be approved by your GTF or me at least a week in advance of the postin deadline, and you are strongly encouraged to meet with us as you develop your blog posts. COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 7
Protocols for submission of work: Unless we have made prior arrangements due to an emergency, failure to turn an assignment in on time will result in the following penalties: • Handed in or posted on the due date, but late: -­‐10% (highest possible grade, 90%) • Handed in or posted the next day: -­‐20% (highest possible grade, 80%) • Handed in or posted two days late: -­‐30% (highest possible grade, 70%) • Handed in or posted three or more days late: Assignment will not be accepted All work must be properly documented using MLA format. Here’s a guide, courtesy of the generous folks at Purdue: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ For information on plagiarism and academic integrity, see below. Incompletes: Incompletes are strongly discouraged, and are only approved in cases of genuine emergency. You must contact me to begin the process of filing for an Incomplete as soon as you realize that completing the class may be an issue. Note that your GTF does not have the authority to grant Incompletes; they must be approved by the Instructor of Record (me). Accessibility: The Comparative Literature Department and I are committed to the creation of inclusive learning environments. Please review the syllabus and notify me in Week 1 about disability-­‐related barriers to your participation. You may also wish to contact the Accessible Education Center in 164 Oregon Hall at 541-­‐346-­‐1155 or [email protected] for assistance. Academic integrity and honesty: All work submitted in this course must be your own and must be written exclusively for Comparative Literature 101. The use of any source (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly documented. Please refer to the Code of Student Conduct on the website for the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for a definition of plagiarism. The Comparative Literature Department complies with all university policies regarding the reporting, investigation and sanctioning of academic dishonesty. http://uodos.uoregon.edu/StudentConductandCommunityStandards/tabid/68/Default.aspx Powerful language, real topics: Don Quixote raises complex issues of identity, sexuality, violence, love, hatred, religious faith and religious conflict, privilege and race. Our work in this course is to analyze the novel in a twenty-­‐first century context, which means that we will occasionally work on some sensitive topics. I ask all of us to work as a community to foster an atmosphere of respect for diverse experiences and points of view. “Respect” does not mean silence; it means due regard. I want you to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to offer interpretations, to raise red flags. Please also listen attentively to the suggestions and corrections offered by others: ideally, the kinds of literature we are reading in COLT 101 provide opportunities for all of us to move from ignorance to insight. Intolerant and/or harassing language and/or behavior in or outside of class is unacceptable and will lead to sanctions. Please accept my appreciation in advance for your raising with me any concerns that may arise in the wake of a lecture, reading assignment or class meeting. COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 8
Mandatory reporting: State law and UO Policy require me to report any information I receive regarding child abuse, neglect, sexual harassment and gender-­‐based violence (all UO faculty and staff are “mandatory reporters”). These rules extend to your GTF as well. I encourage you to approach me to discuss any concerns or questions you might have about this policy. I will work with you to help our discussion stay within the bounds of confidentiality. Working environment: Please be respectful of me and of your fellow students by arriving promptly, not leaving early, and refraining from distracting behaviors such as phone-­‐checking and talking with neighbors about material unrelated to our course. I will mark you as absent and/or ask you to leave the room if your behavior is interfering with my ability to lecture. This paragraph serves as your warning regarding disruptive behaviors. No further notice is required before I begin to issue sanctions. If you would like to discuss any of the policies described above, I am happy to do so. Please come to my office hours or make an appointment. COLT 101 - MIDDLEBROOK – Fall 15 - SYLLABUS / - 9