Description of Course Goals and Curriculum
This course serves as an introduction to some of the world’s great literature, both past and present, ancient and modern, through the universal theme of exile. Works such as The Slave, The Odyssey, Season of Migration, and several others are discussed over the course of the semester, progressing from Ancient Greece to Modern America. This course also teaches you write a comparative critical essay on a literary theme, motif, or idea pertinent to the semester’s readings. Finally, a key component of the course rests on participating in class discussion. As a small seminar, this class heavily relies on discussion and the sharing of ideas between students and professor.
As an introductory course, this class is very accessible to students with little literature and/or writing background. Many freshmen enroll in this course having not taken their writing seminar, and are able to succeed. Professor Levy is very good at providing students with the right amount of background information necessary to understand each novel or text, and very few times in the semester did students feel overwhelmed or lost about their place in the course. Feedback was frequent and helpful, and due to the generally small class size, Professor Levy gets to know and care about the success of each of her students.
Learning From Classroom Instruction
The class consisted of two 1.5 hour sessions every week with no break in the middle of each section. We spent two and a half weeks on a major novel and each session consisted of a discussion of the reading's major plot points, central themes, and character development. Students generally posed broader questions about the connections between that session’s reading and that of another “unit” and discussion often dominated the rest of the session.
Coming prepared to class was essential in this course. Due to the small class size, it became very evident when a student had not completed the reading or the assignment for the week. In order to fully enjoy and take away anything from the course, it is highly recommended to have completed the reading for the week, and come prepared with key points for discussion.
Reading is usually around 200 pages a week. It is recommended to first read a summary, either on SparkNotes or another website, prior to reading the assigned pages. This can help guide your reading and prevent focusing on non-essential details. Jot down ideas or impressions that come to you whilst you read, as those thoughts will become useful when you discuss the chapters later on in the week. Focus on connections with other texts or points made in class, as that will be the key focus of the in-class discussions.
In terms of class notes, many students took copious notes on their computers. Others only jotted down key points. It is up to you to decide what method works best for you. Keep in mind that your peers will often make good points that you might not remember when it comes to writing your weekly response or midterm papers.
Participation is central to this course. Due to its small class size, every individual is expected to contribute, be it in the form of questions or general responses to the text. Students who tend to dominate in the participation sector are encouraged to talk and contribute, but are also reminded to let those who speak less have their change. Students who usually avoid discussion are given a very welcoming and safe environment to step out of their comfort zone and engage in discussion with their peers. Professor Levy emphasizes that the class is ours, and that our contributions will dictate the direction in which the course goes, and ultimately what we will take out from the course.
Learning For and From Assignments
This course had three key assessments: weekly response papers, a midterm paper, and a final paper. All assessments are “take-home” and we are given ample time and instruction to complete them.
The weekly response papers (20%) serve the purpose of synthesizing the often-times busy sessions we have each week. Students are expected to flesh out a point or two they found central to their understanding of the week’s material. Generally each student talks about something different and we briefly discuss them at the beginning of each week. These assignments are informal, and graded on a completion basis.
The midterm paper (25%) is an open-ended 6-8 page paper through which we can discuss a novel, theme, or character from any of the texts studied up to that point. A rough draft is to be handed in a week before it is due so Professor Levy can give the student feedback and points of improvement.
The final paper (35%) is a more guided 8-10 page essay in which we answer one of six prompts based off of the texts from the second half of the course. This paper emphasizes cross-textual connections, and serves as a synthesis of all of the discussions from the course of the term.
The rest of the course grade (20%) is based on attendance and participation.
Professor Levy gives students extensive feedback and expectations are always reasonable and clearly communicated. She is flexible with student schedules and understanding of extraneous circumstances that might necessitate rearrangement.
External Resources
Students are encouraged to make use of the Writing Center when writing their midterm and final assessments. Other rescues include SparkNotes and other online summary/review websites that aid in guided reading of the various texts covered.
Some students found audiobooks as a more effective way of processing the novels, and several of the texts covered in this course can be found as audiobooks through various university or public libraries.
What Students Should Know About This Course For Purposes Of Course Selection
This course is very recommended as an engaging and fun way of learning about our world’s diverse and rich literature. Students with limited background can very much succeed in this course with a bit of effort and enthusiasm.
Overall, the most time-consuming aspect of the course is the reading load, which took a couple of hours each weekend. However, this helps to prepare many younger students the reading load expected of a lot of higher level humanities and social science courses. For first semester freshman, it also helps expose them to the level of writing expected of Princeton students in a non-intimidating and very guided fashion.