Dr. John M. Ulrich
Office: 110B Belknap
E-Mail: julrich@mansfield.edu
Required Texts:
Internet Resources Page: (includes on-line syllabus and links to on-line resources related to Czech history, culture, and literature)
Course Description:
Czech literature is inseparable from Czech history. This history has often been
a painful one, indelibly marked by both the horror of the Nazi occupation and
the repression of the Communist regime. While such catastrophic events have had
an enormous impact on Czech culture, so too has Czech resistance and resilience
in the face of such violence and oppression, and Czech literature reflects this
dual aspect of the Czech identity. Using Ivan Klíma's The Spirit of Prague
as our guide to the Czech experience, we will begin our survey with Jaroslav
Hasek's subversively comic novel The Good Soldier Svjek, followed by the
nightmarish world of Franz Kafka's The Trial. Other readings will
include: children's drawings and poems from the Terezin concentration camp;
Arnost Lustig's short story collection, The Children of the Holocaust;
Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being; Bohumil Hrabal's Too
Loud a Solitude; The Garden Party and other plays by Václav Havel;
and a selection of works by contemporary Czech women writers.
Objectives:
Broadly stated, the purpose of this course is to introduce you to
twentieth-century Czech literature -- with an emphasis on its aesthetic and
historical significance. Because we will situate the literature in its
historical context, you will also gain insight into Czech history and culture
in particular, as well as the relationship between literature and history in
general.
Course Requirements:
In this course you will be expected to read carefully and thoughtfully, and to
attend and participate in class regularly. You will take two exams during the
semester -- a midterm and a final. You can also expect quizzes at the beginning
of each class; the quizzes are designed to monitor your completion of the
reading assignments, and they will be graded.
Exams:
The midterm and the final exams will include an identification/short answer
section and an essay section. You will be allowed to use your texts for the
essay portion of each exam. The final is non-cumulative.
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory. Excused absences (for illness or university-related activities,
for example) carry no penalty, though you must make me aware of the reason for
your absence in a timely fashion. Unexcused absences will affect your final
grade, according to the following scheme: 1 unexcused absence = lowered 1/2
grade; 2 = lowered one grade; 3-4 = lowered two grades; 5-7 = lowered three
grades; 8 or more = failing grade.
Grading:
Your final grade will be based primarily on your quizzes, midterm, and final,
according to the following proportions: quizzes = 20%; midterm = 40%; final =
40%. Once the grade is computed, attendance will be factored in as listed
above. Class participation is strongly encouraged; frequent and productive
participation will help raise your final grade.
ENG 3305: Czech Literature Tentative Course Schedule
Tu 1/12
Tu 1/19
Tu 1/26
Tu 2/2
Tu 2/9
Tu 2/16
Tu 2/23
Tu 3/2
Tu 3/9
Spring Break
Tu 3/16
Tu 3/23
Tu 3/30
Tu 4/6
Tu 4/13
Tu 4/20
Tu 4/27
Tu 5/4