HIST 201: History of World Literature

Overview

Success in the business world requires great sensitivity to widely differing cultural contexts and to the understanding of other peoples. The study of world literature can greatly enhance this skill. This course serves as an introduction to the concepts and methods of comparative literary and cultural study on a global scale. Students move beyond appreciation to text-based analysis, a more formal comparative-literature methodology. Readings include poetry, plays, stories, epics, and sacred works from authors across many cultures over a four-thousand-year period.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Recognize authors by work and historical/cultural timeframe.
• Identify historical significance of literary works.
• Adjust reading style to historical timeframe.
• Recognize the purpose, method, and tone of an historical work.

Required Texts
HIST 201 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore