English 399: Syllabus

[Home Page] [Course Descriptions & Schedule] [Study Basics]

English 399:
Syllabus & Texts, Winter 2000

List of Texts, in order of assignments; date of publication in parentheses:

Lewis Thomas, selections from The Medusa and The Snail (1979) -- in packet
Sawako Ariyoshi, The Doctor's Wife (1978)
Richard Selzer, selections from Mortal Lessons (1987) -- on reserve
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1831)
Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Rappacini's Daughter" (1844) -- on reserve
H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)
J. Bronowski, selections from Science and Human Values (1965) -- on reserve
Friedrich Dürrenmatt, The Physicists (1962)
The Andromeda Strain [film; viewed in class] (1970)
Colin Bruce, selections from The Einstein Paradox (1997) -- in packet
Lucretius, selections from On the Nature of Things (ca. 60 BCE) -- on reserve
Galileo, "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" (1615) -- on reserve
Bertolt Brecht, Galileo (1938; 1947)
Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths" (1941) -- on reserve
Don DeLillo, Ratner's Star (1976)

Syllabus, Winter 2000:

Schedule of Assignments -- Note that you must obtain copies of some items through the library reserve desk (or on your own). In most cases, but not all, book copies as well as photocopies are available.

Jan. 5 Course introduction
Jan. 7 Thomas [packet]

Jan. 10 Ariyoshi, Chapters 1-6
12 Ariyoshi, Chapters 7-10; Selzer [reserve]
14 Ariyoshi, finish

Jan. 17 [holiday]
19 Shelley, Chapters 1-17
21 Shelley, finish

Jan. 24 Hawthorne, "Rappacini's Daughter" [reserve]
26 Wells, Chapters 1-13
28 Wells, finish **Reading logs due

Jan. 31 Bronowski [reserve]
Feb. 2 Dürrenmatt, Act I
4 Dürrenmatt, Act II

Feb. 7 Andromeda Strain [film]
9 A.S.
11 A.S. **Project report #1 due

Feb. 14 Bruce [packet]
16 Lucretius [reserve]
18 Lucretius

Feb. 21 Galileo [reserve] **Reading logs due
23 Brecht, Scenes 1-7
25 Brecht, finish

Feb. 28 Borges, "Garden of Forking Paths" [reserve] **Report #2 due
Mar. 1 DeLillo, Chapters 1-5
3 DeLillo, Chapters 6-9

Mar. 6 DeLillo, Chapters 10-12
8 DeLillo, pp 279-360
10 DeLillo, finish **Reading logs due

Finals week:

Monday -- Projects due before 3 p.m.
Exam time - Weds. 10 am to noon -- Project presentations, w/summaries

Top of Page

[Introduction] [Syllabus & Texts] [Assignments] [Resources] [Grading]