CLAS 2109: The Self and Society

Spring 2022

3 hours; 3 credits

Class Meetings: Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:05-6:20 p.m.

Online Location: https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/86883056393

Course Number: 21364

Section Number: MW5-LEC Regular

Instructor: Mary Jean McNamara

Email: mmcnamara@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Office Hours: Mondays, 3:30-5:00 p.m., and by appointment

Course Description

Introductory study of ancient cultures through close reading of a variety of texts. Attention to such questions as literary genre, material

and performance contexts, gender, political institutions, religion, philosophy, models of culture

and the creation of a classical tradition. Practice in close reading and communication by means

of critical writing, class discussion and other methods, such as collaborative group work. (Not

open to students who have completed Core Studies 1, 1.1, 1.2, or CORC 1110.)  Prerequisite:

None.

This course fulfills the World Cultures and Global Issues requirement of the Flexible Common

Core of the CUNY Pathways General Education Requirements.

In this course, students will engage with some of the major works in Western literature that

portray the tension between the ruled and the rulers. This relationship between the people and the

king, queen, emperor, sovereign, or president is one that dominates Western political and cultural

history. Over the course of the semester, students will read and analyze Greek tragedy and epic

poetry along with works from the early Renaissance up to the modern era. The selection of

readings is organized around the theme of the individual’s ability to exercise free will under a

tyranny, democracy, or empire. The focus of the reading and writing assignments will be on the

interaction between the ruled and the rulers and the ways in which these interactions bolster or

challenge hierarchy.

Course Objectives

• to identify basic terms of literary analysis relevant to the texts read in class
• to identify traditions and practices specific to ancient cultures
• to interpret themes and characters from ancient Greece and Rome
• to write interpretive prose which is clear and cogent
• to make articulate contributions to classroom discussion of texts

 

Course Requirements

Attendance

All class interaction will be confined to online meeting formats. Students are required to attend the online class sessions. Those who are not able to attend the class sessions may listen to the recordings of the class before the next class meeting. Recordings of the class will be made available under the “Resources” tab of the website.

Assessments

Students will take four in-class tests and one exam at the end of the semester.

Email and Communication Policies

Please check your Brooklyn College email and Blackboard a day or two days before class meets and on the day of class. Announcements regarding discussion questions and study guides will be sent via Blackboard and will be available on the course website.

Grading Policy  

Your grade is based on the following formula:

Attendance and class participation: 20%

Test average:  50%

Final exam: 30%

NOTE: Final exam will be held online via Zoom on Monday, May 23rd, 3:30-5-30 p.m.

 

Academic Integrity

The following excerpt is taken from Brooklyn College’s Undergraduate Bulletin:

“The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating

and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and

plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and

the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at

www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic

integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation,

the faculty member must report the violation.”

Guidelines for Online Instruction

Students participate in group discussions facilitated by the Zoom group chat feature as well as by asking questions regarding the class  and answering questions posed by the Instructor.

Tests

You will have four tests over the course of the semester. The questions will be based on the reading and classroom discussions.  No make-up quizzes will be given unless documentation of an extenuating circumstance is provided.

Final Exam

The final exam is cumulative. The final exam will be conducted via Zoom. Students will  answer questions about the reading material, recurring themes in the literature, and the relevance of these themes to current social and political issues. I will provide a study guide and will arrange an optional review session before the exam.

Academic Calendar: https://www.cuny.edu/academics/academic-calendars/

Course Schedule (Schedule of readings will be adjusted to reflect pacing and class discussions)

WEEK 1 (Jan 31 and Feb 2) Introduction to the themes of the course; discussion of how the class will be conducted; and general guidelines on how to do well in this course.

Introduction to Homer’s Odyssey, https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/9780226470498_Lattimore_intro.pdf

WEEK 2 (Feb 7 and 9) Society in Mycenean Greece

Reading assignment:  Books One and Two of the Odyssey, Odyssey–Fitzgerald translation (full text)

 

WEEK 3 (Feb 14 and 16)  The Individual and the Sea

Reading assignment: Books Three and Four of the Odyssey, Odyssey–Fitzgerald translation (full text)

 

WEEK 4 (Feb 21 and 23) Nostos: Homeward Journeys

Reading Assignment: Books Five and Six of the Odyssey, Odyssey–Fitzgerald translation (full text)

WEEK 5 (Feb 28 and March 2) Apoikia: Migrations

Reading Assignment, Books Seven and Eight of the Odyssey

*FIRST TEST: Wednesday, March 2 on Odyssey, Books 1-6

WEEK 6 (March 7 and 9)

Review first test

Reading Assignment: Books Seven and Eight (7-8) of the Odyssey

 

WEEK 7 (March 14 and 16) Memory and Security

Reading Assignment: Books Nine, Ten, and Eleven (9-11) of the Odyssey

WEEK 8 (March 21 and 23)

*SECOND TEST: MONDAY, MARCH 21st on Odyssey, Books 6-10

Reading Assignment: Books Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen (12, 13, and 14) of the Odyssey

WEEK 9 (March 28 and 30)

Reading Assignment: Books Fifteen, Sixteen, and Seventeen (15, 16, and 17) of the Odyssey

WEEK 10 (April 4 and 6)

Reading Assignment:  Books Eighteen, Nineteen, and Twenty (18, 19, and 20)of the Odyssey

WEEK 11 (April 11 and 13)

*THIRD TEST: MONDAY, APRIL 11 on Odyssey, BOOKS 11-14

CONCLUSION OF Odyssey

Reading Assignment: Books Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, and Twenty-Four  (21, 22, 23, and 24)of the Odyssey

WEEK 12 (April 18 and 20)

 

WEEK 13 (April 25 and 27)

 

WEEK 14 (May 2 and 4)

 

WEEK 15 (May 9 and 11)

 

 

Final exam will be held online via Zoom on Monday, May 23rd, 3:30-5-30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accommodations

The following excerpt is taken from Brooklyn College’s Undergraduate Bulletin:

“In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered

with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or

suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the

Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at (718) 951-5538. If you have

already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services, please provide your professor

with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodations with him/her”.

(Please refer to page 66 in the Undergraduate Bulletin for more information on disability-related

academic accommodations, http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/off_registrar/2017-2018_Undergraduate_Bulletin.pdf).

Observation of Religious Duties

The following excerpt is taken from Brooklyn College’s Undergraduate Bulletin:

“The New York State Education Law provides that no student shall be expelled or refused

admission to an institution of higher education because he or she is unable to attend classes or

participate in examinations or study or work requirements on any particular day or days because of religious beliefs.” (For more information on Brooklyn College’s policy of religious

observance, please refer to page 66 in the Undergraduate Bulletin, http://

www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/off_registrar/2017-2018_Undergraduate_Bulletin.pdf).