ENGLISH 3118
MYTHS, FAIRY TALES, AND LEGENDS
FALL 2009
Dr. Bill Thierfelder
631 244-3098
Thierfew@dowling.edu
www.thierfelderwilliams.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Sundays: 11:00 AM—12:00 PM Room 330 Racanelli Oakdale Campus
Tuesdays: 4:00—5:00 PM Classroom Building A Brookhaven Campus
Wednesdays: 4:00—5:00 PM Classroom Building A Brookhaven Campus
Thursdays: 4:00—5:00 PM Classroom Building A Brookhaven Campus
CLASS RULES:
1. No cell phones or electronic devices. No text-messaging.
2. You must have active e-mail to be in this course. There are regular on-line assignments and questions.
3. Lateness is rude and disruptive.
4. There are absolutely no make-ups or “take early’s” on any exam. No late papers are accepted. No exceptions. All tests must be taken during the assigned class period. All papers are due on or before the class period. A missed quiz or paper will result in a zero. No exceptions.
5. Every student is allowed 1 absence, 1 lateness, and 1 leave-early without penalty. After that 5 points are taken off the participation grade for the course for each absence. Four absences will result in an automatic failure for the course; no exceptions. Three points will be deducted for each lateness and leave early after the permitted single late/leave. Lateness of more than 30 minutes will be counted as an absence. Attendance is taken from the first day of class, not the first day the student starts attending. No exceptions to any of the attendance policy. Perfect attendance and no lateness’s or leave early’s will be rewarded with 5 points added to the participation grade.
6. Dr. Thierfelder will be in regular contact with all students via e-mail, phone, or regular mail regarding assignments and other “news.” He will also have all papers/tests returned to the students within one to two class periods. Failure to hand back papers in such a timely manner will result in each student receiving 5 points added to that assignment’s grade. If Dr. Thierfelder fails to meet with a class and does not provide a substitute (except in cases of a weather emergency), forcing a class to be cancelled, 5 points will be added to each student’s participation grade.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Starting with the ancient myth of Gilgamesh and his adventures with his friend Enkidu and moving down through the centuries towards modern legends like Rosa Parks with plenty of witches, gods, and elves in between, this upper level literature course proves both an entertaining and enriching exploration of our own day-to-day lives. Since in some way these wonderful tales have formed nearly every aspect of modern culture, we explore literary texts as well as many documentaries and classic films to show the connection between myths, legends, and folktales and our day-to-day lives.
PURPOSE: Students will be able to write papers, give oral presentations, and handle group discussions regarding various aspects of myths, fairytale, and legends, and their impact on world civilization. Students will recognize that mythos is not created in a vacuum, that it is influenced by (and in turn has influence over) politics, religion, and popular culture.
METHODS: Class lectures, class participation, 4 papers, 4 short exams
TEXTS:
- WORKBOOK.
-Gilgamesh. David Ferry, adaptation. New York: The Noonday Press.
-Ovid. Metamorphoses. Rolfe Humphries, translator
-Hallett and Karasek. Folk and Fairy Tales: Third Edition. Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press
-Yolen, Jane. Favorite Folktales from Around the World. New York: Pantheon Press
-Loomis and Loomis. Medieval Romances. NY: Modern Library Editions.
GRADING AND ASSESSMENT:
40% 4 Papers
40% 4 Short Exams
20% Attendance and Participation
GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course the student will be expected to:
1. Apply communication theory, analytical reading, and critical thinking skills to the interpretation of texts.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of language as a tool for learning, communication, and creative thought; this includes knowledge of mood, tone, and diction as key elements of an author’s creative palette.
3. Collect, analyze, and critically evaluate information to produce writing with appropriate documentation (i.e. successfully create short objective research papers).
4. Write well-organized argumentative and analytical essays with a firm thesis and clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
5. Follow the standards of written English, specifically in regard to sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and usage, and spelling.
6. Recognize relations between a work of literature and the cultural and socio-political world in which it is created: i.e. understand the music, art, literature, and current events of a particular era.
7. Be able to present oral reports on a particular work of literature.
8. Work co-operatively in small groups and class discussions to develop listening, speaking, interpretive, and debating skills.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment. New York: Vintage Books, 1976.
Bly, Robert. The Maiden King. New York: Henry Holt, 1998.
Campbell, Joseph. Myths to Live By. New York: Bantam Books, 1972.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology.
Leonard, Scott. Myth and Knowing. New York, McGraw Hill, 2002.
Morford, Mark. Classical Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Powell, Barry. Classical Myth. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
WRITING PAPERS AND EXAMS FOR THIS COURSE
A. All papers will be 2 pages in length for English and Humanities classes and 4 pages for Senior Seminars. No paper over the assigned length will be accepted. Learn to self-edit. NO EXCEPTIONS.
B. All papers will be typed, 1 ½ -- 2 spaces, traditional margins, 12 or 14 point font. No cover pages. Put your name in the corner; the name of course goes under your name; double space, then put the title of paper centered: double space, then begin your text. NO EXCEPTIONS
C. Some papers require research. All articles or online articles must be included with the paper. All papers must properly cite sources. No article; no grade. Put the article(s) and your paper in a pocketed folder with the paper on one side and the article(s) on the other. NO EXCEPTIONS
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1. All papers must have an introduction. Your introduction must clearly state the theme of your paper. Keep your topic focused around two or three main points, which you clearly state in your introduction. Avoid broad generalizations: Tell your reader exactly what you are going to write about. [A lawyer gets in front of the jury on the first day of the trial and tells them what he/she plans to prove.]
2. The body of your essay centers on the two or three points that you have already introduced in the opening and in the same order. [A layer brings in witnesses before the jury, saving the star witness (most important point) for last.] Failure to use illustrations such as quotes or specific references will preclude an A on your paper.
3. A. Make sure each sentence and paragraph builds on the previous one, otherwise you have blocks of ideas that can be moved without affecting the whole. Use transitional words and phrases.
B. Use transition phrases to move reader from idea to idea. Failure to do this results in choppy, incoherent writing, and precludes an A on the paper.
WEAK: The Clash of the Titans talks about the gods. They can be very selfish. I know a man like that. Perseus is told to kill Medusa in order to win Andromeda. Thetis is very angry with Zeus for having mutilated her son, Calibos.
BETTER: the Clash of the Titans tells a tangled tale of revenge and jealousy involving two young men—Perseus and Calibos—and their respective, adoring parents—Zeus and Thetis. Both Zeus and Thetis selfishly want their sons to “win” the hand of the princess Andromeda and go to astounding lengths to insure the victory. Perseus, for example, must kill the dreaded Medusa and the titan named Kraken before he can claim the beautiful princess. To “help” Perseus along, Zeus enlists the aid of several other gods to provide his son with a magical helmet, sword, shield, and even an all-wise mechanical owl.
4. All papers must have a developed conclusion that tells your reader what you’ve proven. Never introduce a new idea or topic in the conclusion. This paragraph is not a repeat of your introduction; merely to repeat means you’ve taken your reader nowhere. The conclusion is an outgrowth of the argument you have constructed. [The lawyer makes his final argument before the jury, telling them what all of his witnesses have proven.] Failure to create a meaningful conclusion precludes an A on the paper.
5. A. Many papers require quotations (specific evidence): If you are writing about an article or piece of literature, you must use quotations. Lack of documentation/citations precludes an A.
B. Make quotations part of your text:
WEAK: Tennyson misses Hallam but he knows that he did the right thing. “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” (Tag on quotes like this example preclude an A.)
BETTER: Though Tennyson misses Hallam very much, he realizes that it is always “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
OR: To remain isolated from others out of fear of getting hurt is no excuse for the Narrator. It is “better to [love],” even if it means eventual “loss,” because in daring to love, one is daring to enter fully the human experience and condition.
6. All essays about films, literature, music, painting, etc. must be written about in the present tense. The Arts are alive and well—a poem, a film, a song IS not WAS. If you do not do this or if you skip back and forth between past and present tense, you are precluded from an A on your paper.
7. Avoid shifting past to present or present to past in your paper.
WEAK: Then Sylvia goes into the woods to climb the pine tree. There she found herself looking out over a vast, new world.
BETTER: Then Sylvia goes into the woods to climb the pine tree. There she finds herself looking over a vast, new world.
8. You must use inclusive language. Sexist words like “mankind” or using “he” when you also mean to include women is not acceptable.
WEAK: A good lawyer always brings in his best witness last.
BETTER: Good lawyers always bring in their best witness last.
9. Avoid speaking directly to your reader: YOU or YOUR
WEAK: When you read line 37, you know that Shakespeare has felt love deeply.
BETTER: When readers examine this poem, especially line 37, they know that Shakespeare has felt love deeply.
10. Avoid use of short, choppy sentences: creates a “Police Report” style.
WEAK: Browning wrote “My Last Duchess” in the 1840’s. It tells the story of a greedy Duke. The Duke may have killed his most recent wife. This explains the title. (FACT…FACT…FACT…FACT)
BETTER: Browning’s 1842 poem, “My Last Duchess,” contains a clue right in its title. There is reason to believe that the greedy Duke has had several wives and that the “last” one may have met an unfortunate end.
11. Avoid repetition of the same words and phrases from one sentence to the next.
EXAMPLE: AIDS is a horrible epidemic. This epidemic has especially hit hard in Africa. In Africa it is estimated that nearly half the population of some countries is infected. Such devastating infection rates will undermine the economy of the continent. If the economy of the continent goes under, the rest of the world will follow.
12. Do not summarize the plot or content of a work. Stick to your topic. Your reader does not need Cliffs’ Notes.
13. Proofread for important grammar and usage errors, such as run-on sentences, comma splices, sentence fragments, incorrectly used idiomatic expressions, etc. CHECK for correct spelling of words and names. Your professor is not your editor; you are. More than a few important errors will automatically preclude an A on your paper. C or less is the usual grade for papers with faulty grammar and usage.
NOTE WELL: All papers and exams will use the number system of this section for correction purposes. Thus if next to a paragraph in one of your papers, you see 11, that means that repetition/redundancies is a problem. If you see 6, that means you have written about a film or story in the past tense. If you see 3, that means that you have not used transitions between paragraphs or sentences/ideas. If you see 13, that means you have a punctuation, grammar, usage, or idiom error. It is your responsibility to know grammar and usage and to get help if you need it. Etc.
GRAMMAR WEBSITE: www.grammarbook.com
STUDENT’S GUIDE TO GRADING ON PAPERS AND EXAMS IN THIS COURSE:
NOTE WELL: Even if the content of a paper, quiz, or exam is correct, poor writing automatically precludes an A. No exceptions.
A: EXCEPTIONAL. Your work is convincing, persuasive, and exceptional all around; its content and style are superior; penetrating analysis, balanced argument, apt illustrations, and specific evidence. Your work is free of grammar and usage errors.
B: GOOD, SOLID WORK. Your work is solid but not completely conclusive; there is substantial content, illustration, and fairly well controlled handling of the material, but there may be errors in organization or in mechanical details like punctuation. Lacks the polish of an A paper.
C: AVERAGE; SATISFACTORY. If your paper has grammar and usage errors, such as fragments and comma splices, your paper automatically starts out at the C level. Only partially successful in explaining or persuading. Such papers often lack substance, conclusive arguments, or specific illustrations. Insufficient use of transitions, specific illustrations, or sentence variety also mean a C. C is the average grade for a paper.
D: VERY WEAK. If you receive a D, you simply have not written a college-level paper. Even more serious errors than a C paper. It may have two or more of the following errors: organizational flaws; brief or unevenly developed paragraphs; no sentence variety; contradictions; paragraphs that can be moved around without effecting the whole; ideas that do not flow from one sentence to another; lack of transitional terms; no/faulty introduction and/or conclusion; lack of focus; excessive wordiness; serious diction/idiomatic expressions; serious errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage.
F: FAILURE. Below college-level writing [OR] suspected or proven plagiarism.
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STRUCTURE OF COURSE
For every session, there is a corresponding section in the Course Workbook. Please read all materials. Answers to homework questions are to be prepared at home before class session; we will go around the room to hear each other’s answers and ideas. Your answers are part of your Participation Grade.
SESSION 1. Sept 13 1. Introduction to the course.
2. Basic definitions.
3. Video: Sacred Ground
4. [If time allows] Video: Micmac Indian fairytale.
September 20: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
SESSION 2. Sept 27 1. Gilgamesh
2. Video: Return to Eden
SESSION 3. Oct 4 1. Egyptian Myths, Fairytales, Legends. (workbook)
2. Egyptian Creation Myth. (workbook)
3. Video: Mummies: Tales from the Egyptian Crypts
SESSION 4. Oct 11 1. Joseph Campbell (workbook)
2. Genesis: Chapters 1—10 (workbook)
3. QUIZ ONE
4. PAPER ONE (topics in workbook)
5. Greek Mythology (workbook)
6. Video: Scenes from Troy
SESSION 5. Oct 18 1. Metamorphoses: Book One (complete), Book Two (The Story of Phaeton), Book Three (The Story of Echo and Narcissus), Book Four (The Story of Pyramus and Thisbe, The Story of Salmacis).
2. Video: Scenes from The Odyssey
SESSION 6. Oct 25 1. Metamorphoses: Book Six (The Story of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela)
2. Scene from Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus
3. Metamorphoses: Book Seven (The Story of Jason and Medea)
4. Scene from Jason and the Argonauts
5. Metamorphoses: Book Seven (The Story of Cephalus and Procris), Book Eight (The Story of Daedelus), Book Ten (The Story of Pygmalion), Book Eleven (The Story of Midas, Midas Never Learns)
6. Other European Mythological Traditions (workbook)
7. Video: Scene from Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King
SESSION 7. Nov 1 1. TEST TWO
2. PAPER TWO (topics in workbook)
3. Characteristics of Fairytales (workbook)
4. J. R. R. Tolkien (workbook)
5. Video: The Iron Giant
SESSION 8. Nov 8 1. Folk and Fairy Tales: Little Red RidingHood, Little Red Riding Cap, Brier Rose, Ashputtle, Snow White, Brave Little Tailor, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast
2. Video: Millions
SESSION 9. Nov 15 1. Video: Millions
2. Folk and Fairy Tales: Maxi Luthi’s article “The Fairytale Hero”; Bruno Bettelheim’s article “The Struggle for Meaning”; The Ugly Duckling, The Nightingale
3. The Emperor’s New Clothes (workbook)
SESSION 10. Nov 22 1. Favorite Folktales: Introduction, The Tall Tales, Clever Answers, Gloosap and the Baby, The King’s Favorite, When One Man Has Two Wives, Sedna, The Monkey and the Crocodile, The Ugly Son, The Barn is Burning,, The Longwitton Dragon, The Magic Mirror of Rabbi Adam
2. Video: Frequency
SESSION 11. Nov 29 1. Video: Frequency
2. Favorite Folktales: The Snake’s Lover, Vasilisa the Beautiful, The Lawyer and the Devil, How El Bizarron Fooled the Devil, The Happy Man’s Shirt, Drinking Companions, Godfather Death.
SESSION 12. Dec 6 1. TEST THREE
2. PAPER THREE (topics in workbook)
3. Legends (workbook)
4. Biblical Legends (workbook); Video: Scene from Prince of Egypt.
5. Historical/Military Legend (workbook); Video: Scene from El Cid or Braveheart.
6. Urban Legends (workbook); Video: Scene from The Blair Witch Project; scene from The Ring
SESSION 13. Dec 13 1. Medieval Legends (workbook)
2. Arthurian Legends (workbook)
3. Perceval
4. Video: Scene from Excalibur
5. Women Warriors (workbook); Video: Boudicca
SESSION 14. Dec 20 1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
2. Modern Legends (workbook); Video: clip about Rosa Parks; Video: clip about Lance Armstrong.
3. TEST FOUR
4. PAPER FOUR (topics in workbook)
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