Major Works of Literature (HUM 201)

2021 Fall
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Humanities(HUM)
3
6/5 ECTS (for students admitted in the 2013-14 Academic Year or following years)
Zeynep Nevin Yelçe zeynepyelce@sabanciuniv.edu,
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English
Undergraduate
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Formal lecture,Interactive lecture,Seminar,Recitation,Other
Interactive,Learner centered,Discussion based learning
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CONTENT

This course explores major works of literature in a thematic and chronological framework, and introduces various traditions, movements, and innovations. Each lecture focuses on one or two works that are considered to be paradigmatic of an epoch, but includes comparisons with related works and discussions on the historical, intellectual, and aesthetic background in which they originated. Readings from a variety of authors from the Ancient World through Modernism will be the focus of this class. Discussions focus on the aesthetic and intellectual experience of reading these works as a distinct form of artistic expression. The course aims to provide the necessary knowledge of the literature of different cultures and time periods, to introduce different types of literature such as poetry, prose fiction, and drama , to encourage students to analyze literary works for meaning beyond what is immediately visible, to develop critical thinking skills through reading, discussing and writing, to extend students’ reading experience and awareness on the universal human condition , and to figure out how major works come to express human values within historical and social context.

OBJECTIVE

This course introduces a few significant works of literature that influenced their own times and continue to have an impact on our understanding of the world and its cultures.

We engage in an in depth reading of literary works, focusing mainly on Western civilization. We study the genres of epic, poetry, myth, drama, prose narrative with a view to understand the nature and meaning of the shift from the oral traditions to written culture and to the advance of modernity. The main objective is to intrıduce students to various genres and periods in literature to enable them to develop their own appreciation and understanding of literature.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • demonstrate skilled familiarity with literary texts of Western literature and correctly distinguish their different genres and time periods
  • identify some of the persistent myths and archetypes of Western culture and recognize their appearance in contemporary culture
  • recognize artistic and stylistic features of poetry and prose and their sub-genres
  • recognize what constitutes the object of study for literature scholars and how that knowledge is obtained, evaluated and expanded upon
  • evaluate a claim made about a work of literature
  • construct their own arguments about a text and support them with evidence from the text
  • explain how individual works of literature are both a product of the culture in which they are produced and at the same time shape that culture
  • specifically, interpret literary works from multiple angles and comparatively

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES


1. Understand the world, their country, their society, as well as themselves and have awareness of ethical problems, social rights, values and responsibility to the self and to others. 4

2. Understand different disciplines from natural and social sciences to mathematics and art, and develop interdisciplinary approaches in thinking and practice. 5

3. Think critically, follow innovations and developments in science and technology, demonstrate personal and organizational entrepreneurship and engage in life-long learning in various subjects; have the ability to continue to educate him/herself. 5

4. Communicate effectively in Turkish and English by oral, written, graphical and technological means. 3

5. Take individual and team responsibility, function effectively and respectively as an individual and a member or a leader of a team; and have the skills to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams. 2


1. Possess sufficient knowledge of mathematics, science, fundamental engineering, computational methods and program-specific engineering topics; use theoretical and applied knowledge of these areas in complex engineering problems. 1

2. Identify, define, formulate and solve complex engineering problems while considering the UN Sustainable Development Goals; choose and apply suitable analysis, design, estimation/prediction and modeling methods for this purpose. 1

3. Develop, choose and use modern techniques and tools that are needed for analysis and solution of complex problems faced in engineering applications; use information technologies effectively. 1

4. Have the ability to design a complex system, process, instrument or a product under realistic constraints and conditions, with the goal of fulfilling creative current and future requirements. 1

5. Use research methods, including conducting literature reviews, designing experiments, performing experiments, collecting data, analyzing results, and interpreting results, to investigate complex engineering problems or discipline-specific research topics. 1

6. Possess knowledge of business practices such as project management, risk management, change management, and economic feasibility analysis; awareness on entrepreneurship and innovation. 1

7. Possess knowledge of impact of engineering solutions on society, health and safety, the economy, sustainability, and the environment within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; awareness on legal outcomes of engineering solutions; awareness of acting impartially and inclusively without any form of discrimination; act in accordance with ethical principles, possessing knowledge of professional and ethical responsibilities. 1

8. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, on technical subjects, considering the diverse characteristics of the target audience (such as education, language, and profession). 4


1. Develop knowledge of theories, concepts, and research methods in humanities and social sciences. 4

2. Assess how global, national and regional developments affect society. 4

3. Know how to access and evaluate data from various sources of information. 4

ASSESSMENT METHODS and CRITERIA

  Percentage (%)
Final 30
Midterm 25
Assignment 15
Participation 20
Written Report 10

RECOMENDED or REQUIRED READINGS

Readings

Calvino?s ?Why Read the Classics?
Gilgamesh
Selection from Homer?s Odyssey
Selection from Virgil?s Aeneid
Selection from Ferdowsi?s Shahnameh
Selection from Dante?s Divine Comedy
Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
Shakespeare?s Othello
Voltaire?s Candide
Swift?s ?A Modest Proposal?
Austen?s Pride and Prejudice
Shelley?s Frankenstein
Tolstoy?s ?Death of Ivan Ilyich?
Woolf?s ?A Room of One?s Own?

Optional Readings

To be found on the course web