Ege
University, Faculty of Letters
English Language and Literature Department
381 – LITERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT I
English Language and Literature Department
381 – LITERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT I
2015-2016
Fall Semester
Önder Çetin
Wednesday, 13:00 – 15:25 (D.1203)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the
relationship between literature and the physical environment.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
The objective of the course is to provide students with skills to understand and interpret the relationship between literature and the physical environment as a fast emerging literary theory, namely ecocriticism. In the face of global environmental crisis, ecology has become one of the most controversial issues disputed throughout many branches of the academic world, including literature. The aim of this course is to introduce prominent American nature writers and their works starting as early as 19th century, which helped to create awareness towards environment and conservation policies.
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION & POLICIES
-It is a regulation of Ege University that students should attend at least 70% of the classes each semester.
-It is a regulation of Ege University that students should attend at least 70% of the classes each semester.
-Students
are expected to attend each class having read the assigned texts and be
prepared for class discussions.
-Cell phones
must be turned off during the class hours.
-Latecomers
may come in without distracting the attention of their classmates.
EXAM INFORMATION & POLICIES
Mid-term and Final exams will be written exams in class.
COURSE GRADING
Students’ overall grades will be evaluated as follows:
- Mid-term %40
- Final 60%
(Class participation will be taken into
consideration while grading your exam papers)
REQUIRED TEXTS
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire. New York: Simon&Schuster, 1968.
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire. New York: Simon&Schuster, 1968.
Garrard, Greg. Ecocriticism: The New Critical Idiom.
Routledge: London, 2004.
Glotfelty,
Cheryll and Harold Fromm, eds. Ecocriticism
Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology. Athens, GA: U of Georgia Press,
1996.
Leopold,
Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. London:
Oxford University Press, 1966.
Lopez,
Barry. Arctic Dreams. London:
Picador, 1987.
Thoreau,
Henry D. Walden. Ed. J. Lyndon
Shanly. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.
Important Notice: The
assigned texts for each lesson are subject to change, and it is students’
responsibilty to follow the changes.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: 30 September 2015
Introduction and course organization.
Week 2: 7 October 2015
Glotfelty,
Cheryll. “Introduction: Literary Studies in an Age of Environmental Crisis.”
Glotfelty & Fromm, xv-xxxvii. (in Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology)
Ursula K.
Heise, “The Hichhiker’s Guide to Ecocriticism,” PMLA 121.2
(March 2006), 503-516.
Week 3: 14 October 2015
Walden, Henry David Thoreau (First 6 Chapters:
Economy through Visitors)
Slovic,
Scott. “Nature Writing and Environmental Psychology: The Interiority of Outdoor
Experience.” (in Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary
Ecology) 351-370.
Week 4: 21 October 2015
Walden, Henry David Thoreau (Chapters
7-8-9-10-11-12)
Week 5: 28 October 2015
Walden, Henry David Thoreau (Chapters
13-14-15-16-17-18)
Week 6: 4 November 2015
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
Week 7: 11 November 2015
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
Week 8: 18 November 2015
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
Week 9: 25 November 2015
Midterm
Week 10: 28 November 2014
Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey
Week 11: 2 December 2015
Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey
Week 12: 9 December 2015
Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey
Week 13: 16 December 2015
Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez
Week 14: 23 December 2015
Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez
Week 15: 30 December 2015
Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez
