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Rachel: I believe that reducing the world's literature into a space 'the size of a four-slice toaster' was quite the undertaking. The selection of pieces was not a task to be taken lightly as each had to represent the world in a way sufficient to due to it justice and with just the right end result - to give a glimpse into global cultures from a literary perspective. Having not read the anthology quite yet, I cannot say that it was well assembled, but I am looking forward to reading and owning it!

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Rachel: I believe that reducing the world's literature into a space 'the size of a four-slice toaster' was quite the undertaking. The selection of pieces was not a task to be taken lightly as each had to represent the world in a way sufficient to due to it justice and with just the right end result - to give a glimpse into global cultures from a literary perspective. Having not read the anthology quite yet, I cannot say that it was well assembled, but I am looking forward to reading and owning it!

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Jessi Lindsay: I agree with Professor Puchner's statement. I believe that by allowing students to experience literature from other nations than  just their own, they will have a more fulfilled education and open-minded outlook on world and other cultures. I think that being exposed to diverse and new things is never a bad thing and definitely helps individuals grow and have more insight that they can use to form their own opinions.

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Jessi Lindsay: I agree with Professor Puchner's statement. I believe that by allowing students to experience literature from other nations than  just their own, they will have a more fulfilled education and open-minded outlook on world and other cultures. I think that being exposed to diverse and new things is never a bad thing and definitely helps individuals grow and have more insight that they can use to form their own opinions.

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Chris Reardon: I think it's always going to be nearly impossible to summarize so much into just a few volumes. There's definitely going to be things left out when trying to cram so much into a short period of time and space. However, if the most important concepts and ideals are preserved, I think it's okay that not every single story ever written is included in an anthology.  

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Chris Reardon: I think it's always going to be nearly impossible to summarize so much into just a few volumes. There's definitely going to be things left out when trying to cram so much into a short period of time and space. However, if the most important concepts and ideals are preserved, I think it's okay that not every single story ever written is included in an anthology.  

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Dr G. : True, Chris! In so far as these texts offer us a glimpse of distant cultures and literatures.

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Kristen:  I agree with with the statement.  I think we have to make a huge amount of literature into more accessible form.  I think that most people have a hard time with some of the language in some of the old text. I know I do.  It takes me awhile to understand what is trying to be said.

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Kristen:  I agree with with the statement.  I think we have to make a huge amount of literature into more accessible form.  I think that most people have a hard time with some of the language in some of the old text. I know I do.  It takes me awhile to understand what is trying to be said.

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Dr G. : Kristen, we have lost the end of your comment but, yes, accessibility is key. The work of reading earlier texts suggests a kind of 'decoding"--in order to understand their messages and teachings.

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Britt: I disagree with Puchner's statement, at least, the one about the toaster. Literature does not make for good toast when it is supposed to be a reader's bread and butter. That being said, translations have always been rough and even today there is a lot of controversy over something as popular and grandly acclaimed as the Bible, and that has been translated several times over in multiple languages. The fault may be less with translation, however, and more with human interpretations. Because of how each human translates and interprets meanings, what gets recorded can be more than butchered by the time it is finished and put on shelves. But who is to say the original translation is better or worse than its incarnations? Gilgamesh is STILL being put together today, a new tablet having been found as little as seven years ago.

Literature is not a four-slice toaster: it is a vast coal bed. There is so much going on in the world of literature with translations, discoveries, and deciding which pieces are most relevant to high school and college courses that some slices get burnt when thrown into the center of the coal bed, some are cooked perfectly on the edges, and the rest are left too far away to be toasted at all. Either way, add some butter and it should be edible. And maybe take these things with a grain of salt as well.

Dr G. : Britt, some fascinating points! The questions of translation and selection are certainly of utmost importance. Both are affected by the times and the minds of readers. That said, Prof. Puchner's claim points to literature's ability to contain a people's DNA--something for us to examine more closely.

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Georgos “Will”:  It has been said that “language [literature] and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality” (Lev Vygotsky, 1968), but what if literature (which is a form of a society’s language) is erased from existence?  Who then, would pick up the pieces and restore the delicate fabric of reality?  And would there be a reality to speak of for humans to experience and understand?  I wholeheartedly agree with this professor’s assessment that we need to teach beyond the confines of our simple national literature as it will bring the next generation closer to understanding and experiencing another culture they would not have had access to before, thereby easing the friction from national boundaries that society inherently presses on the world we now live in.  There was a time when I was in the United States Navy and was stationed in Japan.  Had I been taught about some of their literature, and thereby culture, I would have been able to better interact with and understand the society in which I was experiencing.  I did not have a firm grasp, or any grasp for that matter, of Japan’s reality, and looking back on the experiences I did have there, I would have gained so much more had I been introduced to their culture via their historical and contemporary literature.  If we are to embark toward a future on a worldwide scale as one species, to grow and learn and become a human culture, we need to do no less than burst outside the familiar territory of national literature and venture into the depths of, how this particular professor voiced it, the “strange country.”
Dr G. : Will, an excellent quote from Vygotsky! Beautifully put. The notion of "past as a strange country" is telling too--in it is the sense of the text-as-country, that is, with its people, culture, language, and identity.

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Paul: I would generally agree with Professor Puchner's statements. I believe that he touches on the importance of developing a depth of knowledge with respect to world literature.

That said, I believe that the forced learning of world literature before that of ones national literature is liken to putting the cart before the horse. What he does not touch on is the importance of developing a knowledge base, and inspiring the will to expand upon that, from ensuring national literature is at the forefront.

Think of it like consuming either a slice of pizza or attempting to eat an entire pizza folded up like a calzone. Attempt to eat an entire folded pizza. You will find that you quickly feel overwhelmed, you may not appreciate the various ingredients/toppings, and you will likely quickly lose appetite for it. Then consider eating the single slice. It is likely that you will enjoy it, desire an additional slice, and will likely consume a considerable amount.

Perhaps this class will change my perspective I am trying to explain here. I believe it is important to learn about other cultures in "a global society", as stated by Puchner. I just think it can be a daunting task to attempt to build knowledge in such a way described.

Dr G. : Paul, your point is well taken! Prof. Puchner's claim points to literature's ability to contain a people's DNA--that is how literature should be read.

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Patrick: Professor Puchner makes a very strong point on the importance of studying and translating different cultures outside of a students own nation. As students, it is importance for us to have a common understanding of the plethora of cultures that surround us. Students, especially becoming teachers, need a more vast comprehension on world cultures. Teachers have to interact with students from several different nationalities. So, studying literature from all over the world and those from ancient cultures allow teachers a better chance to help all of their students succeed. As Puchner said, literature is a form of "DNA" or hindsight into the world of many different cultures. Therefore, it seems like a very plausible strategy for those to succeed in the job world.

Dr G. : Well put, Patrick! All in all, Prof. Puchner's claim points to literature's ability to contain a people's DNA. In other words, that is how literature should be approached.

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Angelina: I would agree with Professor Puchner's comment that expanding the literature taught to students to go beyond just the national literature is important, though I also feel that national literature holds a great importance as well. There is a balance to be maintained, and I both worry and wonder how one could obtain a perfectly balanced lesson on both national and global literature with such a large selection of each at hand.

Dr G. : Angelina, that is an interesting point! Why the concern though?

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Dr G. : On an anthology of world Literature:

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Dr G. : On an anthology of world Literature:

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“The past is a strange country,” [Professor Puchner] admitted. “But you have to translate that to a student."
These [texts as] “translations” of culture are more important than ever in a growing global society, “a world so interconnected,” said Puchner, that students will soon enter a work force that “may well be operating worldwide.” Among the consequences of a widening sense of global society is the need for people to understand one another outside national borders, he said. “An education in a national literature alone seems increasingly anachronistic.” Meanwhile, literature provides unique access to social norms and divergent national histories, said Puchner, “a fantastic way into the DNA of different cultures.” https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/06/world-literature-sized-right/