ENGL 2110 World Literature

Dr. Patrick M. Erben

Close Reading

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Please read carefully!

  1. Assignment Goal:To present-day readers, the words, syntax, and ideas of the text we will study will seem like they have been written in a foreign language—and they have! The translations we will read of many classics of world literature may allow us a degree of accessibility, but they do not necessarily make it any easier for us to understand the meaning of these texts. Thus, we have to pay close attention to the construction of characters, plots, settings, images, symbols, etc. to comprehend the larger meaning of these works. Twice this semester, I will ask you to select a short passage of a longer work or a short poem and pick it apart, i.e. “translate” the passage into your own words and explain its points, ideas, and arguments.
  1. Assignment Description:
  2. Pick a specific “scene,” section, or episode (even as short as a paragraph) from any of the reading assignments so far. Read the scene several times and consider, as possible prompts, any of the questions at the bottom of the handout! In addition to analyzing a specific section from our readings on its own terms, you may also compare a section or element to a modern-day adaptation. E.g. you could compare how The Odyssey as well as the movie O Brother Where Art Thou approach the issue of the central character’s suffering and trials (does suffering make the character a hero or anti-hero? Is there any humor or only gravity in suffering? Is suffering self-inflicted or not?
  3. Identify a single and specific element you would like to discuss in your close reading, such as the theme of violence, suffering, or gender difference.
  4. Formulate a very narrow and focused claim about the role of this element in your scene/section. In other words, what does a specific section in The Odyssey say about the use of ritual violence in the Greek world? What does Dido’s indictment speech of Aeneas say about views of women’s emotions and character in the Roman world?
  5. Write a 3-page (minimum) essay developing your claim.
  6. Your essay should pay very close attention to rhetorical techniques. In your conclusion, develop what your specific scene analysis says about the larger questions addressed in the class so far!
  7. Choose an interesting and original title for your essay!
  1. Length:

3 pages, minimum. Times New Roman, 12-point. “Works Cited” does not count toward the page minimum, but you don’t have to start a new page (save paper!).

  1. Format:

Please follow ALL rules for paper format (header, page numbers, margins, etc.) given in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Follow parenthetical, in-text documentation for all quotations and references. ALL written assignments MUST include a “Works Cited” list (following the MLA Handbook), even if you only cite a film, image, or the textbook! For the sake of saving paper, your “Works Cited” does not have to start on a separate page (but, again, it does not count toward your minimum length requirement). In the “Works Cited” list, references to a work in our anthology must follow the format for “Works in Anthologies.”

Your analysis should be written in academic prose. I expect not only correct grammar, punctuation, syntax, and spelling but also attention to style and argument development. The close reading should advance a tightly focused claim and advance this claim in well-developed, coherent, and unified paragraphs. Given the page-limit, avoid excessively long quotations.

  1. Grading Criteria:

For all assignments, the grading criteria for 2000-4000 level courses of the Department of English apply. In addition:

  1. Going beyond the obvious: I am looking for critical analysis, not just plot summary (although a very brief recap of the scene may be useful)!
  2. Attention to details and use of evidence.
  3. Applying specific analysis to larger critical questions.
  1. Portion of Overall Course Grade: 10%
  1. How to turn it in:

I will only accept printed papers turned in at the beginning of class on the day stated in the course schedule. If you have to miss class that day, you must make PRIOR arrangements with me. I will not accept any late work if you have not contacted me ahead of time.

  1. Due Date: Monday, 9/21.

Themes/Questions/Ideas to explore within your specific passage:

How do Greek/Roman epics establish the character of “the hero”? What does this concept of heroism express about the values of the culture?

How do you think heroism is tied to manhood? What distinguishes manhood or manliness? And what are the challenges and dangers to manliness/manhood?

What gender conflicts do these epics inscribe or discuss? Do they take specific sides, especially in championing male over female qualities/characteristics?

What are the specific dangers inherent in manhood and womanhood, according to these texts? (e.g. hubris, anger/wrath, and ambition for men; indecisiveness, deception, emotional instability, excessive desire in women….I hope you all get that I’m pointing out the stereotypes here!). Here, it would be useful to pick a specific character and see how he/she is described through his/her own words and actions, as well as the characterization through others (e.g. how do the suitors talk about Penelope?)

What challenges to gender order can you find and how are they being dealt with?

What do these epics say about the nature of suffering? Is it dignifying? Part of the human condition? How do characters deal with their trials and what does this say about proper or improper conduct?

How are the gods involved (or implicated) in human affairs and suffering? How do these texts deal with questions of justice/injustice? (why me? Why do the gods hate me…? How did I deserve…?)

What is the role of violence, especially in war, in these epics? Is there a difference between just or unjust violence? What does all this violence say about the human condition? How do characters and societies deal with violence? Is there any resolution?

How do the texts deal with difference or “otherness”? What role do the monsters play in The Odyssey? What is the reason for the hatred between Carthage and Rome, and how is explained?

What does Sappho’s poetry say about the condition of love? How is it felt, dealt with, experienced? What kinds of love are there? Are there any similarities between the “love” of Sappho’s poetry and the “war” of The Odyssey?

How does Ovid’s poetry express the value system, beliefs, and sensibilities of the Roman empire? What do the Metamorphoses say about human identity or simply being human? How does it deal with the relationship between human and non-human (divine, supernatural) forces?