EPIC – FALL 2009 -- SYLLABUS
Prof.
Robert O. Lopez: 722 Sierra Tower
Course
Overview: In this class we will study different kinds of “epic”, from ancient Rome
to nineteenth-century America, with the goal of trying to understand how the
complex and multilayered genre balances individual authorship and the
collective voice of nations.
Course
Requirements: Out of a total of 1,000 points.
Two 5-7 page papers, worth 200
points each.
A midterm exam,
worth 200 points.
A final exam,
worth 300 points.
Participation,
worth 100 points.
Schedule
of readings: Please note that all books are available at the campus bookstore.
1.
M
8/24: Intro.
2.
m
8/31: Aeneid, Books 1-2
3.
m
9/14: Aeneid, Books 3-4
4.
m
9/21: Aeneid, Books 5-6
5.
m
9/28: Aeneid, Books 7-9
6.
m
10/5: Aeneid, Books 10-12
7.
m
10/12: Inferno, Cantos 1-11
8.
m
10/19: Inferno, Cantos 12-22
9.
m
10/26: Inferno, Cantos 23-33
10. m 11/2: Boccaccio’s Decameron 2.7,
2.9, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.5, 4.9
11. m 11/9: Boccaccio’s Decameron 5.6,
5.10, 7.6, 7.7, 8.7, 10.10
1.
m
11/16: Pope, Dunciad
2.
m
11/23: Melville, Moby Dick 1-42
3.
m
11/30: Melville, Moby Dick 43-83
4.
m
12/7: Melville, Moby Dick 84-135
CODE OF HONOR
It is your professor’s policy not to take attendance. I am also extremely flexible with due dates, since I prefer to give extensions and receive quality work, rather than receive poorly done work on time. As a result, it is not necessary to email me to explain absences or extenuating circumstances affecting your work. In the interest of reducing our email burden, I prefer that students do not communicate with me via email if it is at all possible to speak during or after class.
The flexibility regarding attendance and due dates requires, however, that you show maturity and take responsibility for the work expected of you. I cannot recap lectures for classes that you have missed, nor can I elaborate at length on guiding principles for assignments I went over in class if you were not there. I advise you to find a “buddy” in class and keep in touch with him or her so you can get the notes for days you missed. If you were not in class and did not receive important information about the assignment, you will still be graded based on the same expectations as those who did attend. In other words, be an adult and come to class, and pay attention.
Because I am easygoing about attendance, I have to be much stricter about academic honesty. If you turn in papers that do not address the primary texts we read in class, or if your essay seems to be far adrift from the themes I went over during lecture times, I will usually return the paper to you and ask for a rewrite. Unfortunately, in an age of rampant Internet dishonesty, I cannot give students the benefit of the doubt; papers tend to look plagiarized if they show a general disconnect from the class discussions. Please do not become alarmed if I ask for a rewrite. I am not “turning you in” or “accusing you” of anything; I simply need for your work to adhere more closely to the assignment guidelines so we can all feel confident in the integrity of each other’s work.
To prevent plagiarism, it is also crucial that you cite everything properly and use the formatting established by the Modern Language Association. Your Penguin Handbook should provide you with most information you need, and I will supplement it from time to time with my own course study guide. If you turn in essays that use other citation methods (like APA or Chicago), this usually raises a red flag and casts doubts on the authenticity of your authorship. Please acquaint yourself with Northridge guidelines about academic honesty, and above all pay close attention to my instructions, and we should be fine. – ROL