Week 2 Reading Overview

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3: Homer's Iliad
Week 4: Homer's Odyssey

Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6.

Week 5: Ancient Egypt
Week 6: Ramayana

Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.]

Week 7: Japanese Mythology
Week 9: Tibetan Folk Tales

Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11.

Week 10: California/Southwest
Week 11: Alaska

Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13.

Week 12: King Arthur
Week 13: Canterbury Tales

Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15.

Week 14: Italian Popular Tales
Week 15: Dante's Inferno

Looking over the units available for this course has renewed my initial excitement about taking the class. I have encountered a number of these texts through my high school World Literature class. However, we did not spend as much time discussing some of the works as I would have liked. I am glad to have the opportunity to develop my prior knowledge through this course. In particular, I am excited about the Iliad, Odyssey, Ancient Egypt, Ramayana, and European units. I did have some difficulty narrowing down which units I wanted to read, so I can envision myself doing the extra credit reading assignment often.

I have danced Bharatanatyam (a form of Indian classical dance) for many years. In one of my dance pieces, I portrayed the scene playing out below, so I recognized it instantly.

(Rama rebukes the demoness, Surpanakha; illustration by Warwick Goble)