John Smith Hearts Pocahontas. Or does he?

Most recently, the Colin Farrell flick "The New World" attempted a more realistic telling of the completely unrealistic romance between John Smith and Pocahontas.

Compare the clip entitled "Spare him" to the Disney clip above.

Which do you prefer?

Final Exam Review

Your final exam will consist of two parts. The first is a critical essay (approx. 4 pages in length. You will choose one prompt from a list covering readings from THE HEPTAMERON through Bradstreet.

Topics that may be asked include:

How various authors represented the exploration of the New World

The influence of writers like Montaigne and De Las Casas on artistic representations of the New World (e.g. THE TEMPEST)

The perceived relationship between appearance and virtue

The power/responsibility of the artist (Prospero)

The second part of your final asks you to recreate one of our Socratic Seminars on paper. Reread Montaigne's "Of Coaches" in your textbook, and derive an essential question with which to begin the seminar.

Then, choose one character from each column below and have them engage in a Socratic Seminar based off of your essential question. Each character should ask at least 5 questions, and the characters should answer in a way that is true to who they are and what you know about them. Refer to the text as you have your characters responding.

I. De Las Casas, Anne Bradstreet, Shakespeare
II. Miranda, Prospero, Caliban
III. Amador, Florida, Marguerite de Navarre

You may bring your texts to the final exam, as well as any notes you think might be helpful. You MAY NOT bring any drafts.

Each portion of the final is worth 50% of the whole.

Section 029 will have their exam on Tuesday, December 11th, from 9:00-11:30
Section 042 will have their exam on Monday, December 10th, from 2:00-4:30

John Smith and William Bradford

John Smith

For Monday, please read the excerpt from John Smith's THE GENERAL HISTORIE OF VIRGINIA, as well as William Bradford's OF PLYMOUTH PLANTATION.


As you read, consider the ways these men represented their adventures in the New World. What do you think was the purpose of each piece? How do these accounts differ from stories you have heard before? How does the language differ from de las Casas' work?

INFERNO Quiz #2

Our second quiz on Dante's DIVINE COMEDY: INFERNO is a webquest. Please complete the questions below and bring to class on Monday.

1. How many cantos are there in THE DIVINE COMEDY? Why is this number significant?
2. Write one tercet in terza rima about Dante.
3. Find a painting inspired by Dante's work. Write down the name of the artist, the year it was created, its titled, and a brief description. You may also copy/paste the image onto your paper.
4. Explain what the Guelph party in Florence was and what side Dante took in their political wars. What was the consequence for Dante?
5. Find a portrait in which Dante is wearing a laurel wreath. Explain what the wreath symbolizes and describe Dante. What impression do you get of Dante, the man?

Essay #2

Essay 2 asks you to focus on one text and read it critically in order to argue a specific point. In writing the paper, you should develop an original, argumentative thesis. Simply answering the questions below do not qualify as a thesis. The questions are prompts only. The particular argument you decide to make must be your own.

Remember, as you draft your paper, that you must not summarize the work in any way. Summary will earn you a grade no higher than a C. Your audience is an academic one, so imagine that your reader is familiar with the text. Maintain an objective, sophisticated voice (no I’s, you’s, etc.). Jump right into the essay without fanfare (no need for broad opening sentences about humanity, or literature, or love, etc.). Finally, be kind to me, and avoid the phrase “paints a picture” and other clichés.

Make sure to quote from the text. Choose quotes wisely. Ask yourself WHY this quote is important to include, then back it up with a statement that analyzes the quote. Incorporate all quotes into a sentence.

Choose one of the prompts below to develop into a 4-6 page paper. Please type and double-space your paper. Use Times Roman or Courier 12 point font. Use MLA style. The paper is due Wednesday, November 7th.

Shakunatala and the Ring of Recollection

In Sanskrit plays, the emphasis is on mood over plot. The emotional mood of the play, or Rasa, is the goal of the playwright. With this in mind, what can you say about the relationship of erotic love to religion in this play?

Oedipus

Examine the role of the chorus in the play. What is its function? What kind of link does the chorus provide between the audience and the actors? What kind of emotional release does the chorus provide? How about the chorus’ role in heightening dramatic irony?

The Arabian Nights

The Arabian Nights can be read as a critique of masculinity (and misogyny, of course). Examine the ways this text is “subversive.” Look closely at Shahrazad to determine what seems to command a woman’s love in the story.

Poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu

Analyze the ways in which both Tang Dynasty poets adhere to their spiritual beliefs in their poetry. Li Bai, a Taoist, focused on a companionship with nature and a kind of spiritual freedom. This differs from Du Fu’s Confucian beliefs only slightly. Whereas the Taoist sought a long and serene life via quiet, passive methods, the rationalist Confucian practiced virtue for virtue’s sake. How are these belief systems evident in the poetry?

The Conference of the Birds

Think about the Sufi ideal of worship that asks its worshippers to love God so completely that the self is extinguished. Choose scenes in The Conference of the Birds that depict this consuming love. What difficulties do the birds (and the characters in the stories the hoopoe tells) face when attempting to love this way?

Beowulf

How would you resolve the apparent contradiction between the elements of Christian faith and Teutonic myth that appear in Beowulf? Consider the ways the narrator judges the characters and events in the story. You may also think about the dire predictions at the end. What literal or figurative future do they represent?

CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS

Our reading for today is Farid ud-Din Attar's THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS.
THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS is set in Persia, which encompasses modern-day Iran.The story is similar to the ARABIAN NIGHTS in that it deals with the Islamic world and is set within a frame. However, this particular sect of Islam, Sufism, is distinct and unique. Perhaps you've heard of whirling dervishes?



The idea here is to dance as a form of spiritual ritual, with the ultimate goal of achieving purification and reaching God.

Attar's influence extends through the years. In fact, the story of "The Princess Who Loved a Slave" may remind you of Shakespeare!

My Mistress's Eyes
William Shakespeare

My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lip's red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun,
If hair be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
In some perfumes there is more delight
Than the breath with which my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know,
Music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Extra-Credit Essay #2: READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN

For your second extra-credit essay, you are asked to read Azar Nafisi's nonfiction work, READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN. The book focuses on Iranian professor, Azar Nafisi, and the five female students who come to her home to discuss banned works of literature. The book is about the saving power of literature in the lives of these women.

For your extra-credit essay, develop an answer to the following question in 4-5 typed and double-spaced pages:

In discussing the frame story of A Thousand and One Nights, Nafisi mentions three types of women who fell victim to the king’s “unreasonable rule” (19). How relevant are the actions and decisions of these fictional women to the lives of the women in Nafisi’s private class? Use examples from your reading of THE ARABIAN NIGHTS and from READING LOLITA to support your claim.

The essay will be due at the end of the semester.

Socratic Seminar #1: What Makes a Hero?

The unexamined life is not worth living.--Socrates

For our first Socratic seminar, our essential question deals with the qualities that make up a hero in our readings. The seminar should cover both THE ODYSSEY and GILGAMESH. You will be graded on both the questions you generated before class and on your participation.

Here are some guidelines for preparing your questions, taken from Studyguide.org. You must prepare TWO of each type of question.

WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION: Connects the text to the real world.

Example: If you had a parent who had been missing for twenty years, would you go on a quest to find him/her?

OPEN-ENDED QUESTION: an insightful question about the text that will require proof
and group discussion and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the
answer to the question.

Example: Why did Odysseus hesitate to reveal his true identity to Penelope?

UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTION: a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: After reading GILGAMESH, can you pick out the theme of impermanence?

LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTION: a question dealing with HOW an author
chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of
view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?

Example: In GILGAMESH, what is the symbolic function of the female characters?

Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar

1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of memory. You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text.

2. It's OK to "pass" when asked to contribute.

3. Do not participate if you are not prepared. A seminar should not be a bull session.

4. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.

5. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to come back to.

6. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.

7. Listen carefully.

8. Speak up so that all can hear you.

9. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.

10. Discuss ideas rather than each other's opinions.

11. You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don't know it or admit it.

Expectations of Participants in a Socratic Seminar

When I am evaluating your Socratic Seminar participation, I ask the following questions about participants. Did they….

Speak loudly and clearly?
Cite reasons and evidence for their statements?
Use the text to find support?
Listen to others respectfully?
Stick with the subject?
Talk to each other, not just to the leader?
Paraphrase accurately?
Ask for help to clear up confusion?
Support each other?
Avoid hostile exchanges?
Question others in a civil manner?
Seem prepared?

ODYSSEY Quiz #3

Answer the following question in depth, supporting your answers with references to the text. Please type and double-space your response and bring it to the next class meeting. You will answer the remaining four questions on your sheet:

"In many ways one of the most moving moments in the poem for me is when Odysseus strings his bow at the end of the 21st book. The simile for stringing the bow describes the hero as 'an expert singer skilled at lyre and song' who tunes his harp to a new pitch. That means the bow, the killing instrument, is really a musical instrument at the same time. Story-telling at that point becomes action.

"It's as though Homer were taking his whole narrative art and conferring it upon his hero and saying, all right, take your bow and treat it as a lyre and play a new song. With that lyre-bow Odysseus recomposes his kingdom; he rids it of discordant elements--the suitors--and establishes a new era of harmony. The storytelling image and the whole activity of heroism come together and are one and the same."
--Robert Fagles, ODYSSEY translator

Consider Fagles' thoughts above. Again, the importance of the art of storytelling is being highlighted within the text itself (think of the walls of Uruk telling a story in GILGAMESH, or in a moder sense, think of the way Ferris Bueller in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" always look at the camera, telling the audience, in essence, that he is the storyteller here). Comment on this technique by the storyteller. What does it do for the story.

Essay #1

Students, I have crossed the River of Death and have returned from the House of Dust (after all appropriate and gruesome sacrifices have been made) with questions for all of you. Enlil must have been angry, because the gods gave me questions instead of answers to share with you.

Utanapishtim seems to think that if each of you writes a four to six page paper (typed, double spaced, with one inch margins all around) on the epics with which we began the fall, you, too, may be granted safe passage through this semester.

Later, Enkidu said the questions are just prompts and that it will be up to you to flesh them out. He suggested you use an axe. When I told him you didn’t have any, he suggested you use your brains.

Here then, are the questions, straight from the faraway. Choose one and work it into an original thesis. Use textual evidence in the form of quotations and paraphrasing from GILGAMESH, or THE ODYSSEY to support your claims. Use MLA style in citing the text.

Finally, Gilgamesh, in his wisdom, recommends that you conference your paper with me. While not mandatory, the gods (and I) would be pleased. Turn in your essay Friday, September 21, in class

FROM GILGAMESH:

Defend the following statement from literary critic Bernd Jager:
“Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu repeat in their voyage humanity’s passage from an original, savage state based on violence and contained by natural barriers to a new poetic, civic, and religious order that is based on neighborliness and the principle of the threshold.”

Consider the issues of sex and gender in GILGAMESH. You might look at the role of women, the ambiguous relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Enkidu and the harlot, etc.

Compare GILGAMESH to elements of the Old Testament. Why might it be significant to draw these comparisons? What universal lessons are the ancients imparting?


FROM THE ODYSSEY:

Consider Telemachus and/or Nausicaa as initiates, and their evolving identities and choices as they enter adulthood.

Consider the intensity of the violence throughout this book - do you find it unsettling or "over the top"? Why or why not? Does the epic narrator take up an attitude towards the violence?

Consider the following question: Does Odysseus want to go home?


COMPARING and CONTRASTING:

Consider the role of hero in both epics. What are the responsibilities of a hero? Are Odysseus and Gilgamesh good at the role? Or have they upset the world order with their heroics?

Compare the ways in which nature is viewed in both epics. Is the killing of Humbaba and the Cyclops merited? How might human insolence conflict with the natural world in the epics?

Compare the role of the powerful woman in both epics. Think about the ways that Circe and Ishtar use sex to control the heroes. What about the “good wife” archetypes of Utanapishtim’s wife and Penelope? Are there any similarities here?

ODYSSEY Quiz #1

Please choose one of the Odyssey-related poems in the packet I distributed on Wednesday. Then, respond to the following:

How does the poet interpret the characters in THE ODYSSEY? In what ways has the poem deviated from a conventional imagining of the character? What is the benefit of doing experiencing/writing a poem like this?

Please type your response (about 500 words) and bring to class on Friday. We will complete questions 2-5 in class.

Extra Credit #1

In order to earn up to 10 points to any of our categories (quizzes, exams, essays), complete the following:

Read Margaret Atwood's novel, THE PENELOPIAD. Then write a 5-8 page paper discussing the novel and THE ODYSSEY. Consider Atwood's vision of Penelope. How is she different? Is this a successful reading of the epic poem? What about Atwood's use of poetry, burlesque, mock trial and music? Why does she use the dead maids this way? What is their purpose? Is the novel successful overall?

DUE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th

The Odyssey as Root Metaphor

Homer's Odyssey (etext here) is often considered a root metaphor for our culture. Certainly, the quest story, as we've discussed is one still found in modern literature and film, and our definition of what makes a hero is only slightly changed from that Achaians. In short, links to THE ODYSSEY can be found everywhere.

Don't believe me?

The Brits love their Homer:



Even Homer loves Homer:



And yes, Clapton loves Homer, too:

Film Response (Quiz)

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Darmok," Captain Picard and his crew encouter an alien race that communicates only by reference to specific episodes in their history and culture. For example, suppose you wanted to express love. Instead of saying "I love you," you might say "Juliet on her balcony." The person you are speaking to would conjure up a mental image of the Shakespearean scene and thereby understand what you were trying to communicate.

Consider your reading of GILGAMESH in relation to this film. Then, think about the following questions (these are merely prompts. You can answer one or all of them, or go off on your own exploration).

1)Is there evidence that humans communicate in this manner, too?
2)Reflect upon the larger societal implications the Star Trek episode suggests. Apply this understanding to an analysis of your own community's values and expectations.
3)What is the impact of the loss of a story in human society? Conversely, what is the impact of their preservations?

This response will count as a quiz, and should be about 700-1000 words in length. Due Monday.

GILGAMESH Quiz #1

Answer the following question in a well-developed paragraph. Please use specific examples from the text to make your point. Also, please type and double space your response and bring to class on Wednesday. We will complete the quiz with questions 2-5 in class.

When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes nearly mad with grief. He even sits by the body until it starts to decay! Afterwards, he puts on animal skins and seeks the underworld and the secret of immortality.

What is Gilgamesh's motive for his search? Is it love? Fear? Something else?

Welcome to Sutton Hoo, your World Literature II weblog. Here you'll find links to supplemental readings, images and videos, as well as your quizzes and essay assignments.

An essential question drives this course: Why is storytelling significant to humans? Is it important to read ancient texts? Will the texts our era produces be significant, too?

Okay, okay. So those are three questions. As the semester progresses, I'm certain we'll come up with a few more.

For now, we begin with the oldest story on record, THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH (click on the title for an online version of the text). Below is an image of one tablet from the epic. It tells the story of a great flood, which many of you will find familiar (more on that later). The tablet was found in Northern Iraq, in what once was Mesopotamia and dates to the 7th century BC. Lucky for you, our textbook isn't in cuneiform.