Syllabus
ENGL 2110 World Literature, Fall 2025
Section 09: 12:00-12:50 p.m., Arts & Sciences 155
Section 04: 1:00-1:50 p.m., Arts & Sciences 155
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
478.445.0964
Office Hours: MW 2:00-3:15 p.m., Arts & Sciences 330 and Zoom
The course catalog describes ENGL 2110 as "a survey of important works of world literature." This section of world literature will interpret canonical and classical world literature through literary, cultural, and ethical lenses. This course's Academic Assessment page describes our outcomes:
- Appraise significant works from a variety of cultural traditions;
- Examine the historical, social, cultural, and intellectual contexts of these works;
- Distinguish qualities of genre and the role of culture in shaping genre;
- Articulate reasoned analysis of texts and contexts in correct, effective oral and written form.
This course fulfills the Humanities requirement of the core curriculum. Assignments include a research project and three in-class essay exams.
course textbooks (Amazon or GCSU Bookstore)
Puchner, The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Vol. 1, Shorter 5th ed.
Shafer-Landau, A Concise Introduction to Ethics, Concise ed.
Assignments and Grade Distribution
three exams, 30% each
You will take three in class essay exams (no notes, closed book) test your literary, cultural, and ethical understanding of world literature.
research project, 10%
Groups of 3-4 students will research a work of world literature and present their findings to the class. Use this spreadsheet to calculate your course grade.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an attendance record, a course grade calculation spreadsheet, FAQ, a GeorgiaVIEW walkthrough, a guide to literary analysis, a research methods guide, and paper templates. We will use GeorgiaVIEW for assignment submission and the course packet; if you experience technical issues with GeorgiaVIEW, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478.445.2520. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Attendance
Because this liberal arts course values contemporaneous discussion over fixed lecture, regular attendance is required. In courses that meet one day per week, such as ENGL 6601, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond two; furthermore, any student who misses four or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. In courses that meet two days per week, such as ENGL 4960 and 4970, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond three; furthermore, any student who misses seven or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. In courses that meet three days per week, such as ENGL 2110, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond six; furthermore, any student who misses ten or more classes for any reason will be dropped from the course and fail. I suggest you use your skip days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and web surfing will be treated as absences. Unexcused absences include work, family obligations, and scheduled doctor's appointments. Excused absences include family emergency, medical emergency, religious observance, and participation in a college-sponsored activity. Do not attend class while symptomatic or testing positive for COVID-19. During isolation, retrieve class notes from a classmate and consult with me about make up work. Absences due to isolation will be considered excused if appropriate documentation from Student Health Services or Academic Advising is provided. If you continue to test positive after the date the university gave you for an excused absence, your positive test counts as an excused absence. If you have a medical condition, extracurricular activity, or job that you anticipate will cause you to miss more than four days of class, I suggest you drop this section. The university absence policy can be found here. You can check your class attendance record here.
MLA Style and Length Requirements
Part of writing in a discipline is adhering to the field's style guide. While other disciplines use APA or Chicago style, literature and composition follows MLA style. Assignments such as in-class exams, discussion board responses, informal/journal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted; however, formal assignments and take-home exams must employ MLA style. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) margins, header, and heading, 2) font, font size, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length (not including Works Cited page) while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a additional one-third letter grade penalty. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the MLA style checklist. Feel free to use these templates that are preformatted to MLA style.
Late Assignments
We're all busy with multiple classes and commitments, and adhering to deadlines is critical for the smooth running of the course. There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Because your completion of this course's major learning outcomes depends on the completion of pertinent assignments, failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within five days of its due date may result in failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date may result in failure of the course.
Academic Honesty
The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." The Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog define academic dishonesty as "Plagiarizing, including the submission of others’ ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own. When direct quotations are used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline" and "Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course," among other false representations. Including writing generated by LLMs, also known as AI, in your work is improper and dishonest. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, "since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge," any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty may fail the assignment and the course. This course uses plagiarism prevention technology from TurnItIn. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Writing Center
Writing consultants will work with any student writer working on any project in any discipline. To learn more about Writing Center locations, hours, scheduling, and services, please visit here. Send questions to writing.center@gcsu.edu.
Required Syllabus Statements
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Mental Health, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, Student Use of Copyrighted Materials, Electronic Recording Policy, Academic Grievance or Appeals, and Fire Drills can be found here.
- NAWL refers to The Norton Anthology of World Literature; CITE refers to A Concise Introduction to Ethics.
- This schedule is subject to change, so check back for possible revisions.
Introductions |
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Sappho, poems (NAWL 369-87) |
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Shafer-Landau, What Is Morality? (CITE 1-16) |
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Aristophanes, Lysistrata (NAWL 446-506) |
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Aristophanes, Lysistrata (NAWL 446-506) |
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Shafer-Landau, Moral Reasoning (CITE 17-36) |
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No Class: Labor Day Holiday |
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Ovid, from Metamorphosis (NAWL 613-56) |
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Shafer-Landau, Skepticism about Morality (CITE 37-59) |
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The Ghagavad-Gita (NAWL 706-24) |
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Confucius, from Analects (NAWL 754-66) |
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Shafer-Landau, The Good Life (CITE 60-74) |
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Laozi, from Daodejing (CITE 767-76) |
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Shafer-Landau, Natural Law (CITE 75-91) |
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Augustine, from Confessions (NAWL 829-56) |
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Dante, from The Divine Comedy: Inferno (NAWL 989-1053) |
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Dante, from The Divine Comedy: Inferno (NAWL 1053-1109) |
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Shafer-Landau, Consequentialism (CITE 92-108) |
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Li Bo, poetry (NAWL 1220-5, 1232-4) |
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Du Fu, poetry (NAWL 1226-31, 1235-6) |
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Shafer-Landau, Kantian Ethics (CITE 109-29) |
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No Class: Fall Break |
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Shonagon, from The Pillow Book (NAWL 1239-74) |
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Shafer-Landau, Social Contract Theory (CITE 130-44) |
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Shikibu, from The Tale of Genji (NAWL 1275-1343) |
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Shikibu, from The Tale of Genji (NAWL 1243-1411) |
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Shafer-Landau, The Ethics of Prima Facie Duties (CITE 144-56) |
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Nagast, from The Glory of Kings (NAWL 1481-99) |
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Petrarch, from Scattered Rhymes (NAWL 1560-69) |
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Petrarch, from Scattered Rhymes (NAWL 1560-69) |
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No Class: Professor at Conference |
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Machiavelli, from The Prince (NAWL1570-94) |
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Machiavelli, from The Prince (NAWL1570-94) |
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Shafer-Landau, Virtue Ethics (CITE 157-71) |
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Navarre, from The Heptameron (NAWL 1595-1605) |
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Montaigne, from Essays (NAWL 1606-18) |
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Shafer-Landau, Feminist Ethics and the Ethics of Care (CITE 172-84) |
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Cervantes, from Don Quixote (NAWL1624-72) |
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Cervantes, from Don Quixote (NAWL1672-722) |
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Cervantes, from Don Quixote (NAWL1722-79) |
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Shakespeare, The Tempest (NAWL 1779-99) |
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Shakespeare, The Tempest (NAWL 1799-821) |
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Shakespeare, The Tempest (NAWL 1821-37) |
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Exam Review |
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W, 12-10 |