4/27/22, 10:46 PM (LO 1) Final Essay (Sundiata and Popul Vuh) – World Literature I Section 8FG Spring 2022 CO – Georgia Online Virtual Instructio…
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(LO 1) Final Essay (Sundiata and Popul Vuh)
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World Literature I Section 8FG Spring 2022 CO
Assignments (LO 1) Final Essay (Sundiata and Popul Vuh)
Purpose: For this assignment, you’ll choose one of the topics below, evaluating Sundiata and Popul
Vuh, and write a 6-10 paragraph essay arguing for and supporting your conclusions to submit as a
well-developed essay. This assignment will build your writing, analytical, and evaluative skills.
You may be able to further flush out the writing you have already done in discussions towards these
goals. If you choose a different topic than the ones on which you have already written, the
discussion posts and responses may still be useful and inspiring to you. However, be careful you
don’t plagiarize your classmates’ work. We encourage you to use the background material in the
course to further develop your own original interpretations and arguments; researching other
secondary sources is not required for this assignment, and plagiarism of other sources will not be
tolerated.
Tasks:
First, choose one of the following two topics:
Topic #1: One of the Five Great Themes of World Literature is “Sacred & Secular.” As stated in
Unit 1B of this course, “We will find in our study of literary masterpieces from the past many
intricate negotiations between the divine and the earthly realms.” Discuss what we learn about
how divine powers and earthly beings interact in Sundiata (in an area with a syncretic religion)
and Popol Vuh (which is not a sacred text but presents the Mayan cosmology). Which values
embodied by these interactions are considered significant by their societies?
One of the passages you should quote (all or in part) and analyze is the following:
At the time when Sundiata was preparing to assert his claim over the kingdom of his fathers,
Soumaoro was the king of kings, the most powerful king in all the lands of the setting sun. The
fortified town of Sosso was the bulwark of fetishism against the word of Allah. For a long time
Soumaoro defied the whole world. Since his accession to the throne of Sosso he had defeated
nine kings whose heads served him as fetishes in his macabre chamber. . . . So his countless
sofas were very brave since they believed their king to be invincible. But Soumaoro was an evil
demon and his reign had produced nothing but bloodshed. Nothing was taboo for him. His
greatest pleasure was publicly to flog venerable old men (41).
Topic #2: Both Sundiata and Popol Vuh deal centrally with a heroic quest. Unit 1B’s
introduction to the Five Great Themes of World Literature states with regard to the hero:
“The surest way to understand what a culture of the past most values is to focus on what it
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4/27/22, 10:46 PM (LO 1) Final Essay (Sundiata and Popul Vuh) – World Literature I Section 8FG Spring 2022 CO – Georgia Online Virtual Instructio…
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Due Date
Apr 29, 2022 11:59 PM
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Rubric Name: (LO 1) Final Essay Rubric SP19
(LO 1) Final Essay Rubric SP19
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considers heroic, in that a culture recognizes its heroes as embodying its most important ideas,
the values that are essential.” Discuss what forces Sundiata and the Hero Twins Hunahpu and
Xbalanque have to overcome and how they go about doing it.
For Sundiata your presentation will probably focus on Sundiata’s historical destiny; in Popol
Vuh, the Twins’ quest will have a more mythic quality, but you probably will focus on the
meaning for the Mayan culture of the mythic events. One of the passages you should quote
(all or in part) and analyze is the following:
Hunahpú was sacrificed by Xbalanqué; one by one his arms and his legs were sliced off, his
head was cut from his body and carried away; his heart was torn from his breast and thrown
onto the grass. All the Lords of Xibalba were fascinated. They looked on in wonder, but really it
was only the dance of one man; it was Xbalanqué. “Get up!” he said, and instantly [Hunahpú]
returned to life . . . “Do the same with us! Sacrifice us!” they said. “Cut us into pieces, one by
one!” Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé said to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. . . . And so it happened
that they first sacrificed the one, who was the chief and [Lord of Xibalba], the one called HunCamé, king of Xibalba. And when Hun-Camé was dead, they overpowered Vucub-Camé, and
they did not bring either of them back to life (Part II, Ch. 13).
Second, write an essay presenting your argument. Include quotations from the texts as well as
additional details that illustrate and enhance the points you are making. Use the following as an
outline of what to include:
1. Explain the general topic and relevant themes (e.g. sacred and secular, heroes’ journeys) and
any relevant terms for that topic (suggested 1-2 paragraphs). State your thesis – a general
statement about your conclusions.
2. Apply that topic to both Sundiata and to Popul Vuh (suggested 6-8 well-developed paragraphs,
plus a concluding paragraph). Give specific examples and quotes from the texts to support
your analyses. Use in-text citations as needed. You may want to check the feedback from
your previous assignments to make sure you improve upon your earlier efforts.
3. Your final page should be your Works Cited page, in MLA format.
Don’t forget to review the guidelines for How to Succeed in the Written Assignments and the Sample
paper in MLA format. Make sure you save time to submit your draft to Tutor.com via the free
Tutoring Services link for helpful feedback before the due date. All writing assignments have
Turnitin enabled for plagiarism detection.
You’ll be graded on your ability to analyze and evaluate your topic thoughtfully through your writing,
as well as on your language, organization, and MLA formatting. Familiarize yourself with the criteria
below and the grading requirements by going under Assessments/Rubrics in your nav bar to the Final
Essay Writing Rubric SP21.
File submissions: Please submit your file as a DOC.X or PDF file.
Criteria on which you will be graded:
Your arguments are thoughtful
Your essay is well-organized
Your analysis is specific and original
Your use of language is clear and effective
Your quotations and Works Cited are correctly formatted in MLA style
This activity may use a different grading rubric than what was used in past activities. Be sure to
check the grading rubric before starting.
4/27/22, 10:46 PM (LO 1) Final Essay (Sundiata and Popul Vuh) – World Literature I Section 8FG Spring 2022 CO – Georgia Online Virtual Instructio…
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Instructions
Section 8FG of World Literature I CO Assignments for Spring 2022 (LO 1) Final Paper (Sundiata and Popul Vuh)
Purpose: For this assignment, you’ll choose one of the topics below, evaluating Sundiata and Popul Vuh, and write a 6-10 paragraph essay arguing for and supporting your conclusions to submit as a well-developed essay. This assignment will build your writing, analytical, and evaluative skills.
You may be able to further flush out the writing you have already done in discussions towards these goals.
