English 287:  Great Books

Course Schedule -- Part 1
Spring 2005
Be sure to take into account the pointers on "Using the Course Schedule".]

Note that not all links will work at the beginning of the course.  However, these should be backed up soon.

12 Jan (W):  Introduction to the course.

14 Jan (F):  Check out these memos to make sure you really want to stay in the course.

§§§>  Come to class having read Chapters 1-35 of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s Cat's Cradle.

After you've done your reading, browse through our Study Guide to Chapters 1-35 of Cat's Cradle.  See if there are some questions there that interest you.  If you find that you were not asking these on your own as you read the selection, ask yourself what assumptions might have led me to frame them when I was reading it.

17 Jan (M):  No class:  University/Student Holiday

19 Jan (W):  Come to class having read Chapters 36-66 of Cat's Cradle.

Again, after you've finished the reading, have a look at the Study Guide to Chapters 36-66 of Cats Cradle.

Over the long weekend, you should
  • continue your reading in Cat's Cradle, possibly completing it, so that you can do a skim review of it in preparation for the quiz on Wednesday.
  • You may wish to consult the SG to Chapters 66-96 and the SG to Chapters 97-127. 
  • Before coming to class on Wednesday, you should have visited the class message board on Cat's Cradle and made one or two contributions to it.

You should also familiarize yourself with the Table of Contents of Robert Fagles translation of Homer's The Odyssey, so that you know what the various features of this edition are that are at your disposal.

21 Jan (F):  Come to class having completed your reading of Cat's Cradle.  

24 Jan (M):  There will be a quiz over Cat's Cradle.

26 Jan (W):  Come to class having read the first four books of The Odyssey.  (This section is has come to be called "The Telemachiad," since it focuses on the delimmas of the absent Odysseus' son Telemachus, and his response to them.  In our edition, these books have been provided with convenient titles, which are not [however] to be found in the ancient manuscripts:  "Athena Inspires the Prince," "Telemachus Set Sail," "King Nestor Remembers," and "The King and Queen of Sparta.")

Before you begin your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 1-4 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

28 Jan (F):   Come to class having read Books 5 through 8 of The Odyssey.  (In this section of the epic, Odysseus is brought from his "suspension" in the cave of Calypso up to the occasion on which he himself will narrate the adventures that led to his being shipwrecked there.  In our edition, these have been given the titles "Odysseus:  Nymph and Shipwreck," "The Princess and the Stranger," "Phaeacia's Halls and Gardens," and "A Day for Songs and Contests.")

After you finish your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 5-8 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

30 Jan (M):  Come to class having read Books 9 through 12 of The Odyssey.  (This section of the epic is notable for its "folk tale" elements.  In our edition, these books have been given the titles "In the One-Eyed Giant's Cave," "The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea," "The Kingdom of the Dead," and "The Cattle of the Sun.")  

After you finish your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 9-12 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

2 Feb (W):  There will be a quiz over the first half of The Odyssey (i.e., Books 1-12).

4 Feb (F):  For today, we will begin with the second half of The Odyssey, which tells of Odysseus' struggle to regain his status as King of Ithaca.  You should aim to get through Books 13-16 by class today.  (In our edition, these have been given the titles "Ithaca at Last," "The Loyal Swineherd," "The Prince Sets Sail for Home," and "Father and Son.")  In class today, though, we will take a break from discussion and have a look at the first half or so Joel and Ethan Cohen's Oh Brother, Where Art Thou -- A Mississippi Odyssey (2000), starring George Clooney and John Turturro.

Meanwhile, after you finish your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 13-16 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

7 Feb (M):  Come to class having read Books 17-21 of The Odyssey.  (In our edition, these have been fitted with the titles "Stranger at the Gates," "The Beggar-King of Ithaca," "Penelope and Her Guest," and "Portents Gather.")

After you finish your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 17-21 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

9 Feb (W):  Aim to finish The Odyssey.  With Books 21-24, we reach the climax and denouement of the epic.  (In our edition, these books have been dubbed "Odysseus Strings His Bow," "Slaughter in the Hall," "The Great rooted Bed," and "Peace.")  

After you finish your reading of each book, you should consult the questions in the Study Guide to Books 21-24 of The Odyssey, and keep them in mind as you read.  When you are done, glance over the list again and see if you have any ideas upon some of them.

11 Feb (F):  Quiz over Books 13-24 of The Odyssey.  Before today, though, it would be well to acquaint yourself with a few facts about the times and people associated with our next readings.  Have a look at these brief items:

You should acquaint yourself with the various features of The Last Days of Socrates so that you know what the various editorial helps are.   Note that the footnotes to the General Introduction follow immediately upon it (pP. xxxv-xxxvii), and that this pattern continues with the introductions to each of the four works by Plato.  The notes to the works themselves, however, are at the very end of the book, starting at p. 207.  Skim through and get an idea of the various topics covered in each of these introductions.

Note also that there is a page of Links pertaining to The Last Days of Socrates.  You may find it useful to consult one of the timelines now, and to return to this page later as your interest prompts.  The introduction to this page gives some idea of how these readings fit into the larger scheme of our course.

  Go to Part 2 of the Course Schedule.

  Suggestions are welcome.  Please send your comments to lyman@ksu.edu .

   Contents copyright © 2005 by Lyman A. Baker. 

Permission is granted for non-commercial educational use; all other rights reserved.

  This page last updated 11 January 2005 .