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ENG 251: Film and Literature, Summer I 2019
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Bradley Hall, Y-16 e-mail: brian.murphy@ncc.edu |
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. |
Important
Announcements and Updates: Click HERE
Print-friendly (MS Word) course outline here.
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Model for Evaluation of Student Writing
Revision and Editing Checklist
Essay Outline
“Everyone who sees films based on novels feels able to comment, at levels ranging from the gossipy to the erudite, on the nature and success of the adaptation involved. That is, the interest in adaptation [...] ranges backwards and forwards from those who talk of novels as being ’betrayed’ by boorish film-makers to those who regard the practice of comparing film and novel a waste of time.”
—Brian
McFarlane, Novel to Film
“Dystopian fiction enables readers to taste a darker timeline, albeit one that a protagonist invariably triumphs over. The world could be a lot worse, you think while reading. But the thrill goes beyond the vicarious. A dystopian worldview, whether derived from fiction or real-world events, can have therapeutic value—no matter which side of the aisle your politics belong on.”
—Charley
Locke, “The Real
Reason Dystopian Fiction Is Roaring Back”
DESCRIPTION:
This
course examines narrative conventions used in both literature and film as well
as what is unique to each art. Students study concepts including
characterization, narrative, genre, form, symbolism and convention in both
media. Content, themes, and film production are studied in historical context.
Writing is an integral component of the course. SUNY
GEN ED-GHUM; NCC
GEN ED-HUM, LIT
Prerequisites: ENG 102 or ENG 109.
This course explores the complex interplay between film and literature. Selected literary works are analyzed in relation to film versions of the same works in order to gain an understanding of the possibilities—and problems—involved in the transposition to film. As this is a course in literature and film analysis, students do not need to have taken other film courses before taking this course. However, it is assumed that students have successfully completed the prerequisites for this course, ENG 101 and ENG 102 (or their equivalent). Therefore, students are expected to have the necessary background and experience in analyzing, discussing, and responding to literature, as well as the ability to conduct independent research and to write correctly documented research essays using MLA format. Students are cautioned that this course requires extensive reading and writing in addition to viewing films and taking part in class discussions. Students not prepared to read (up to 150+ pages/week), to write on a regular basis, and to take an active part in class discussions should not consider taking this course.
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Course Goals |
Learning Outcomes |
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Writing
Literacy:
to produce precise, clear, grammatically-correct,
well-developed, and well-organized writing appropriate to academic,
social, and occupational fields |
Students
will produce coherent texts within common college level forms and revise and
improve such texts. |
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Critical
Thinking:
to be able to question information and to use reason to determine what to
believe or what to do |
Students
will identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own and
others’ work and develop well-reasoned arguments. |
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Informational
Literacy:
to locate, evaluate, and incorporate relevant source materials into the
construction and expression of an informed point of view |
Students
will access and utilize basic computer and internet functions, demonstrating
appropriate and effective utilization of programs and functions; use basic
research techniques, demonstrating appropriate, effective research skills;
locate, evaluate, organize, and synthesize information from a variety of
sources, demonstrating the ability to implement an effective search strategy
to obtain reliable information; and apply ethical and legal standards for use
of source information, demonstrating the application of accepted ethical and
legal restrictions on the use of published works. |
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Cultural
Literacy:
to engage with literary texts that reflect the diversity of the human experience
in a variety of historical and cultural framework |
Students
will recognize the diversity and similarities of the ways in which people in
different cultural traditions perceive and experience their lives;
demonstrate understanding of the various influences that shape perspectives,
values, and identities; and demonstrate understanding of social divisions
such as gender, ability, ethnicity, and racial formations in a pluralistic
nation and world. |
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Humanities
Competency: |
Students are able to analyze or interpret texts, ideas, discourse systems, and the human values they reflect. |
Students will
Enhance their ability to understand, appreciate, and
discuss works of literature through extensive reading and discussion of short
stories, novels and plays.
Analyze works of fiction and drama for plot structure,
setting, characterization, theme, and narrative point of view.
Develop an understanding of critical analysis of film
through careful examination of cinematic adaptations of literary texts,
focusing on character development, dramatic structure, and performance.
Learn and utilize the terminology of film analysis,
both those terms shared with literary discussion (character, plot, theme,
setting) and those specific to cinema (lighting, montage, special effects,
etc.).
Demonstrate an understanding of the possibilities
and problems involved in the transposition of literature to film, applying
terminology and critical skills acquired during the semester to analyze a
cinematic adaptation of a text not discussed in class.
TEXTS:
(see also Additional Textbook
Options, below)
The choice of texts and films cannot in any sense be considered an exhaustive or even seriously representative one. Instead, the aim has been to select sufficiently diverse literary and analytical texts to allow the study of a number of different approaches to the concept of dystopia, as well as to provide sufficient examples of cinematic adaptation, including multiple versions—or visions—of a text, and modernizations or adaptations of classic works of literature.
All of the following texts will be available the Nassau Community College bookstore. purchase your course materials from the bookstore. Alternatively, although I have ordered specific editions, these texts are all widely available in several different mass market editions; almost any edition that you find will be acceptable, so check school or public libraries and used bookstores. Prices listed at Amazon.com (below) do not include shipping, and are accurate as of posting date only; no guarantees of prices or availability are express or implied§.
Atwood, Margaret. The
Handmaid's Tale. New York:
Anchor, 1998. ISBN 978-0-385-49081-8 (Available used starting at $2.30 at Amazon.com***)
NCC College Bookstore prices:
· Print, new: $16.00
· Print, used: $12.00
· Print, new rental: $8.80
· Print, used rental: $4.40
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit
451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN
978-1-4516-7331-9 ( Available used starting at $3.77 at Amazon.com***)
NCC College Bookstore prices:
· Print, new: $16.00
· Print, used: $12.00
· Print, new rental: $8.80
· Print, used rental: $4.40
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York: Norton, 1995. ISBN 978-0-393-31283-6 (Available used starting at $2.88 at Amazon.com***)
NCC College Bookstore prices:
· Print, new: $16.00
· Print, used: $12.00
· Print, new rental: $10.40
· Print, used rental: $6.40
· eBook, buy: $15.00
Orwell, George. 1984. New
York: Signet Classic, 1950, 2009. ISBN 978-0-451-52493-5 (Available used starting at $1.24 at Amazon.com
NCC College Bookstore prices:
· Print, new: $10.00
· Print, used: $7.50
· Print, new rental: $5.50
· Print, used rental: $4.00
Additional required readings will made available as photocopies or as links, including
Alderman, Naomi. “Dystopian Dreams: How Feminist Science Fiction Predicted the Future.” The Guardian 25 Mar. 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/25/dystopian-dreams-how-feminist-science-fiction-predicted-the-future
Brooks, David. “The Child in the Basement.” New York Times 12 Jan. 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/opinion/david-brooks-the-child-in-the-basement.html?_r=0.
Crow, Jonathan. “Huxley to Orwell: My Hellish Vision of the Future Is Better than Yours.” OpenCulture.com 27 Mar. 2015. http://www.openculture.com/2015/03/huxley-to-orwell-my-hellish-vision-of-the-future-is-better-than-yours.html
Geffen, Sasha. “Death by Paradise.” Dystopia Now! MTV News. 30 March 2017. http://www.mtv.com/news/2998368/death-by-paradise/.
Le Guin, Ursula K. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” (from The Wind's Twelve Quarters: Short Stories by Ursula Le Guin.) Utilitarianism.com. 2017. https://www.utilitarianism.com/nu/omelas.pdf.
Lepore, Jill. “A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction.” The New Yorker 5, 12 June 2017. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/05/a-golden-age-for-dystopian-fiction
Locke, Charley. “The Real Reason Dystopian Fiction Is Roaring Back.” Wired.com. 22 Feb. 2017. https://www.wired.com/2017/02/dystopian-fiction-why-we-read/
Mead, Rebecca. “Margaret Atwood: The Prophet of Dystopia.” The New Yorker 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/margaret-atwood-the-prophet-of-dystopia
Phillips, Brian. “In the Temple of Gum: How Pop-Culture Dystopias Can Help Us Understand Our Current Moment.” Dystopia Now! MTV News. 27 March 2017. http://www.mtv.com/news/2996978/in-the-temple-of-gum/.
Shattuck, Kathryn. “Elisabeth Moss on Her Emmy Nomination and The Handmaid’s Tale.” (published as “Speaking Up for a Show and for Principle.”) New York Times 14 Aug. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/arts/television/elisabeth-moss-interview-emmys-handmaids-tale.html.
And more to come....
Recommended:
Hacker, Diana
and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers,
7 ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012, or another current college-level
handbook including 2009 MLA updates. (Available
used starting at $21.35 at Amazon.com
Note: The sixth edition of Rules for Writers with 2009 MLA
Updates is also available, and quite a bit less expensive (Available used starting at $14.00 at Amazon.com
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond, Revised 9 ed.. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. (Available used starting at $9.00 at Amazon.com)
A good
college-level dictionary (Available used starting at $0.01 at Amazon.com
Additional recommended readings, predominantly critical essays or background information, will be indicated on the schedule (see Outline, below) with an asterisk (*).
Recommended additional texts:**
Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. (Available starting at $1.00 at Amazon.com)***
Bradbury, Ray. A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010. ( Available used starting at $5.99 at Amazon.com)
Cahir, Linda Costanzo. Literature into Film: Theory and Practical Approaches. [New York?]: McFarland, 2006.(Available used starting at $21.84 at Amazon.com)
Casagrande, June. Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite. New York: Penguin, 2006. (Available starting at $3.94 at Amazon.com)
---. Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices That Will Get You Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs—Even If You’re Right. New York: Penguin, 2008 (Available used starting at $6.61 at Amazon.com).
Cathcart, Thomas and Daniel Klein. “Logic.” Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes. New York: Abrams Image, 2006. 27-49. (Available used starting at $6.73 at Amazon.com)
---. Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak through Philosophy and Jokes. New York: Abrams Image, 2007. 27-49 (Available used starting at $10.85 at Amazon.com).
Corrigan, Timothy, ed. Film and Literature: An Introduction and Reader. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. 340-356. (Available starting at $11.00 at Amazon.com)
---. Film and Literature: An Introduction and Reader, 2 ed. [New York?]: Routledge, 2011. (Available used starting at $32.10 at Amazon.com)
Crystal, David. Words, Words, Words. New York: Oxford U P, 2006 (Available used starting at $9.28 at Amazon.com).
Denby, David. Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. (Available starting at $0.29 at Amazon.com).
Desmond, John M. Adaptation: Studying Film and Literature. Boston/New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. (Available used starting at $23.00 at Amazon.com)
Dirda, Michael. Classics for Pleasure. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007. (Available starting at $1.49 at Amazon.com)
Ehdrich, Louise. Future Home of the Living God . New York: Harper Collins, 2017. (Available starting at $13.99 at Amazon.com)
Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature
Like a Professor. [New York: Harper, 2008?]. (Available
used starting at $3.21 at Amazon.com
---. How to Read Novels Like a Professor.
New York: Harper, 2008. (Available
used starting at $4.51 at Amazon.com
Garvey, Mark. Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. New York: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 2009. (Available starting at $14.48 at Amazon.com).
Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies, 10 ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005. (Available starting at $54.00 at Amazon.com)
Hamilton, Tim. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation. [New York?]: Hill and Wang, 2009. (Available starting at $2.86 at Amazon.com).
Harari, Yuval
Noah. 21 Lessons for the 21st
Century. Spiegal & Grau, 2018. (Available used, starting at $8.75, at
Amazon.com***).
---. Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.
Harper Collins, 2017. (Available used,
starting at $11.49, at Amazon.com***).
---. Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind.
HarperCollins, 2015. (Available used,
starting at $9.49, at Amazon.com***).
Harrison, Stephanie. Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great Stories That Have Inspired Great Films. [New York?]: Three Rivers P, 2005. (Available used starting at $8.50 at Amazon.com)
Lederer, Richard. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language. Charleston, SC: Wyrick & Company, 1987 (Available used starting at $0.01 at Amazon.com).
---. More Anguished English: An Expose of Embarrassing Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English. New York: Dell, 1994 (Available used starting at $0.01 at Amazon.com).
Levitin, Daniel J. A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age. New York: Dutton/Penguin, 2016. ( Available new starting at $9.53 at Amazon - cheaper than used!)
McFarlane, Brian. Novel to Film: An Introduction to the Theory of Adaptation. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996. (Available used starting at $9.99 at Amazon.com)
Mendelsohn, Daniel and Zoe Heller. “What Are We Meant to Get Out of Movies Based on Short Stories and Novels?” New York Times Sunday Book Review 29 Dec. 2013.
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond, Revised 9 ed.. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. (Available used starting at $9.00 at Amazon.com)
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Penguin, 1985, 2005. (Available used starting at $6.74 at Amazon.com).
Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books, 2004 (Available used starting at $2.70 at Amazon.com).
Scheibach, Michael. Atomic Narratives and American Youth: Coming of Age with the Atom, 1945–1955. Mcfarland, 2003.
Seger, Linda. The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact and Fiction into Film. [New York?]: Owl Books, 1992. (Available starting at $1.25 at Amazon.com )
Vankin, Jonathan. Based on a True Story: Fact and Fantasy in 100 Favorite Movies. Chicago: Chicago Review P, 2005. (Available starting at $4.99at Amazon.com)
Wynorski, Jim, ed. They Came from Outer Space: 12 Classic Science Fiction Tales That Became Major Motion Pictures. New York: Doubleday, 1980. ( Available used starting at $8.00 at Amazon.com )
* Note that some major reading selections for the semester are available online, as indicated by links (see Schedule, below). However, students must have a copy of the appropriate text(s) with them for each class session, whether they have purchased the textbooks, obtained paperback versions or library copies. or printed out hardcopy from the Internet; no excuses about computer or printer problems will be accepted.
** Recommended additional texts are not required purchases and have not been ordered for the course; however, they provide—depending on the course— alternative readings, historical and cultural backgrounds, criticism, personal literary responses, or entertaining (irreverent, possibly sacrilegious) revisions. Students who find themselves becoming deeply interested in one or more of the required readings may find these interesting and/or useful. When indicated with a dagger (†), texts are only provisionally recommended, as I have not read these works yet, although they have received excellent reviews or recommendations.
*** Prices listed at Amazon.com do not include shipping, and are accurate as of original posting date only; no guarantees of prices or availability are express or implied§.
Attendance:
As per the Nassau Community College attendance regulation,
“Students are expected to attend all classes. Absences due to illness or for
other serious reasons may be excused at the discretion of the instructor.
Students are advised that excessive absences may have a negative impact on
their academic performance and/or outcome.” Students must not only attend
every class but also arrive on time, be prepared, and take an active part in
class (see Participation, below);
students may be required to sign in each class session to verify their
attendance. Excessive absences or latenesses will
adversely affect your grade: Students may miss no more than three classes;
further absences will result in a reduction of the final grade by one full
letter grade for each additional absence. Students unable to attend class
should contact the instructor regarding their absence;
in addition, students are responsible for submitting all work on time
regardless of absences. In addition, once students get to class, they
are expected to stay in the classroom until the class is over. Leaving class
early or getting up in the middle of class is considered disruptive behavior
and should happen only in extreme emergencies.
Classroom
Behavior:
Students are expected to be present, prepared, attentive, and active
participants in the learning process. As such, any distracting or inappropriate
behavior or unauthorized use of electronic devices* is strictly prohibited.
Students who wish to use a laptop for note-taking may be allowed to do
so at the instructor’s discretion, but will be required to sit in the front row
and to submit a copy of their notes to the professor at the end of each class;
failure to do so will result in being recorded as absent. Eating, sleeping,
texting, or other inappropriate behavior may result in your being asked to
leave the class and will adversely affect your final grade. According to the “Student
Code of Conduct,” “The College is committed to providing an atmosphere in
which students have freedom to learn and engage in the search for truth,
knowledge, and reason in accordance with the standards set forth by the
academic community. Conduct that adversely affects a student’s responsible
membership in the academic community shall result in appropriate disciplinary
action.” Appropriate disciplinary action may include but is not limited to
probation, suspension, and expulsion from the college. See the Nassau
Community College “Classroom
Management Policy” and “Student
Code of Conduct” in the
college catalog.
*On cell
phone use in class, see Andrew Lepp, Jacob E.
Barkley, and Aryn C. Karpinski. “The Relationship
between Cell Phone Use and Academic Performance in a Sample of U.S. College
Students.” SAGE Open 19 Feb. 2015.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another’s words, ideas, or
facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else,
either in whole or in part, as one’s own work; or submitting work previously
submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism, cheating, or other
forms of academic dishonesty on any assignment will result in failure (a grade
of zero) for that assignment and may result in further disciplinary action, including
but not limited to failure for the course and expulsion from the college.
See the Nassau Community College policy on “Academic
Dishonesty & Plagiarism.”
Homework/Essay Submission:
All writing assignments must be received by the instructor on or before
the due date, by the beginning of the class period, as indicated on the schedule, below. Students may also
be required to submit an electronic copy of their work via TurnItIn.com;
details to be announced. Essays submitted by email will not be accepted,
and late work if accepted will be penalized 10% for each day it is late;
see below. All at-home work must be
typed (in 12-point Times New Roman), double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and
stapled when submitted. In-class work must be neatly printed in blue or black
ink on loose-leaf composition paper or in bluebooks provided by the instructor
and double-spaced§. All essays must also include a proper heading
(see Purdue Online
Writing Lab’s Formatting and Style Guide), including Word Count; have an appropriate, original title; contain a clear, explicit,
assertive, objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined);
and (unless otherwise indicated) avoid use of I or you
throughout. Finally, all work should be grammatically correct, free of
errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be
evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation
of Student Writing. Please refer to the Paragraph
Outline or Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist for
additional assistance.
§ On format, handwriting, and neatness, see Chase, Clinton
I. “Essay Test Scoring: Interaction of Relevant Variables.” Journal of
Educational Measurement 23.1 (1986): 33-41; and Marshall, Jon C. and Jerry
M. Powers. “Writing Neatness, Composition Errors, and Essay Grades.” Journal
of Educational Measurement 6.2 (1988): 306-324.
Make-up Exams/Late Work:
All assignment deadlines and scheduled exam dates are provided at the
beginning of the semester; therefore, no make-up opportunities will be offered
or late work accepted, except under extraordinary circumstances with
appropriate documentation, and late work will be penalized 10% for each
day or portion thereof it is submitted after the due date. Note: As
all work is due at the beginning of the class period, this includes work
submitted after class has begun on the due date.
Excuses such as “crashed computers,” “lost flash drives,” or “empty printer ink cartridges” will not be accepted. All essays or work should be saved both on your computer’s hard drive and again on removable storage device as well as uploaded to cloud storage. (OneDrive, et cetera) Students should also keep backup copies of all work submitted.
*See also, Mike Adams, “The
Dead Grandmother/Exam Syndrome.”
Disabilities and Accommodations:
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that
may impact on your ability to carry out the assigned coursework, I urge you to
contact the staff at the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), Building
U (516 572-7241), TTY (516) 572-7617. The counselors at CSD will review your
concerns and determine to what reasonable accommodations you are entitled as
covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All information and documentation pertaining
to personal disabilities will be kept confidential.
Additional Assistance: Students should avail themselves of the Writing Center, located in Bradley Hall (Bldg. Y), 572-7195, and on the second floor of the Library, room L 233, 572-3595. The Writing Center offers one-on-one tutoring as well as workshops. email: wcenter@ncc.edu.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (5 %):
As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are
expected both to attend every session and to take an active part in
class—joining in discussions and raising questions. Discussion is one of the
best ways to clarify your understandings and to test your conclusions. Open discussion always involves
personal exposure, and thus the taking of risks: your ideas may not be the same
as your fellow students’ or even the instructor’s. Yet as
long as your points are honest and supportable, they need to be
respected by all of us in the classroom. Questions, discussion, disagreement,
and laughter are all encouraged in this class. (However, ridicule or scoffing
is never tolerated.)
QUIZZES (7.5 %):
With the exception of the first day, class may
begin with a short (five- to ten-minute) quiz or response paper on the
reading(s) for the day, at the instructor’s discretion. Quizzes cannot
be made up; if you miss a quiz due to absence or lateness, that grade will be
regarded as a 0. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be
dropped. Total number of quizzes during the
semester determines the point value of each; that is, the more quizzes during
the semester, the less each individual quiz is worth.
RESPONSE PAPERS (5 @ 10 %):
Students will complete at least five short essays during the
semester, on topics to be assigned (see Response Paper Topics, below). Essays must be at least 2-3
pages long (500-750 words), typed, double-spaced, grammatically correct, and
submitted on or before the due date indicated on the schedule, below. Essays will be evaluated according
to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing.
Please refer to the Essay Outline and Revision and Editing Checklist.
RESEARCH
PAPER (27.5 % total)
Students will also complete an argumentative
(persuasive) Research
Essay of at least seven to twelve pages (a
minimum of 1500-2500 words), using a minimum of five to seven primary or
secondary sources (secondary sources must be reliable: scholarly
criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites such as
e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe,
or Gradesaver.com), correctly documented utilizing MLA format (see
also Documenting Films in MLA Style), with a cover page
and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not
count toward the seven-page requirement). Topics should be selected from
a list of suggestions provided (see Research
Paper Topics, below), or developed in consultation with the instructor. The research essay will be completed in stages during the
semester; points will accrue as follows:
Topic Selection (2.5 %):
Before beginning the research essay assignment, students will develop and
submit a clear, well-written, one-page explanation of the topic chosen from the
list provided and the reason for selection. This proposal should include a
preliminary idea of the plan of the paper, its intention or research question,
and a preliminary thesis.
Annotated
Bibliography (5 %):
Students will develop and submit an annotated bibliography for the research essay assignment, with a
minimum of five to seven sources, correctly documented according to MLA
format.
Research
Paper: Final Draft (20 %):
The final draft of the research paper must be submitted in a folder, including
copies of all sources used and all of the above
assignments associated with the research paper.
FINAL
EXAM (10%):
Students will complete a final exam during the official final exam period,
evaluating students’ recognition and comprehension of material studied during
the previous weeks. This exam will cover specific texts and films, as well as
the principles of cinematic adaptation and critical analysis, and may combine
objective questions and short essay answers. Students may be allowed to
use notes or textbooks for the essay portion of the exams only.
EXTRA CREDIT (possibly various opportunities, at 1–2 points each):
Students may be notified of opportunities
for extra credit during the semester, including attendance at various cultural
events related to the class (“Recommended
Field Trips”). If students
attend one or more of these events, and provide evidence of attendance (ticket
stub, program, unretouched digital image, et cetera) along with a typed
one- to two-page personal response (review, analysis, reflection,
critique, et cetera), they can receive additional points: a single event
and written response is worth 2 points extra credit; attendance at additional
events will earn one additional point each. Note: you may not attend
the same events two or more times for additional extra credit!
Note: As a general rule, extra credit only helps if you
have already completed all of the assigned work, and
will not make up for missing an essay (or two, or three). Extra credit
opportunities for Fall 2017 will be announced in class, and they will also be
posted here as well as on the class
Announcements page, so do not ask at the end of the semester for “extra credit” to bring your
average up.
Extra credit opportunities to date:
Hogarth: Cruelty and Humor
The Morgan Library and Museum
225 Madison Avenue at 36th
Street, New York, NY 10016
May 24 through September 22, 2019
The satirical scenes of the celebrated
English artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) are iconic representations of
eighteenth-century urban life at a time of great socio-economic disparity. An
academic outsider and an activist, Hogarth was driven to innovate, creating new
genres and modes of expression in his painting, printmaking, and drawing in his
effort to elevate the status of British art. This exhibition will investigate
the ways the artist used humor, satire, and political commentary to engage a
broad audience and agitate for legislation and political goals.
The exhibition features the Morgan’s
exceptional cache of six sheets preparatory for two of Hogarth’s most revered
print series, both issued in February 1751: Beer Street and Gin
Lane and The Four Stages of Cruelty. The story of Hogarth’s
images reveal an artist who addressed the ills and
injustices of life in a modern metropolis, exploring the connections between
violence, crime, alcohol abuse, and cruelty to animals in ways that would
amuse, occasionally shock, and edify his audience.
Final average will be calculated as follows:
|
5 % |
|
|
7.5 % |
|
|
Response Papers: 5 @ 10 % |
50 % |
|
27.5 % |
|
|
Topic
Selection (2.5 %) |
|
|
Annotated
Bibliography (5 %) |
|
|
Final Draft
(20 %) |
|
|
10 % |
|
|
Total |
100 % |
|
Extra
Credit (if any) will be added to the final total. |
|
Final average
will determine the grade received for the course, as follows:
|
Final
Percentage |
Final
Grade |
|
90–100+ |
A |
|
85–89 |
B+ |
|
80–84 |
B |
|
75–79 |
C+ |
|
70–74 |
C |
|
65–69 |
D+ |
|
60–64 |
D |
|
0–59 |
F |
|
Note: Percentages
ending in .5 or greater are rounded up. Therefore, 79.5 rounds to 80, a B,
but 79.4 rounds to 79, a C+. |
|
SCHEDULE AND PROJECTED OUTLINE:
|
Monday, 27 May |
Memorial Day – COLLEGE HOLIDAY – offices closed |
|
Tuesday, 28 May |
Summer I classes
begin |
|
Wednesday, 29 May |
Summer I classes last day drop/add |
|
Friday, 31 May |
Summer I classes meet on a
Monday schedule |
|
Monday, 3 June |
Summer I last day drop without a W
grade |
|
Friday, 7 June |
Summer I classes do not meet; College
offices closed |
|
Thursday, 13 June |
Summer I last day automatic W |
|
Friday, 14 June |
Summer I classes do not meet; College
offices closed |
|
Friday, 21 June |
Summer I classes do not meet; College
offices closed |
|
Thursday, 27 June |
Summer I ends |
|
Note: All dates subject to change; |
|
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments
Note: All readings below are required and must be completed by
the day indicated; the only exceptions are those indicated with an asterisk
(*), which are recommended additional readings or resources.
Red text indicates due dates or links to assignments; Blue text indicates links to assignments, resources, or online versions of
texts (Note: While every effort is made to verify the accuracy
and usefulness of these links and their contents, no guarantees are made.
Please notify me of any broken or outdated links at brian.murphy@ncc.edu).
Note: This schedule is subject to revision according to the
instructor’s discretion, the Academic
Calendar for the semester, school closings due to inclement weather or
other reasons, and the progress of the class. Additions or changes will be
announced in class, and they will also be posted here as well as on the class Announcements page.
|
Monday, 27 May |
Memorial Day – COLLEGE
HOLIDAY – offices closed |
|
Tuesday, 28 May |
Summer I classes begin Introduction: Syllabus, texts, policies, assignments Viewing: Utopian Dreams and Dystopian Nightmares (Episode 5 of How Great Science Fiction Works, The Great Courses, 2016: 33:00) *See also: Harari, Yuval Noah. “Science Fiction:
The Future Is Not What You See in the Movies.” 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Spiegal
& Grau, 2018. 250-259. |
|
Wednesday, 29 May |
Summer I classes
last day drop/add Utopia and Dystopia, Elements of Dystopian Literature Readings:
Le Guin, Ursula K. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” (from The Wind's Twelve Quarters: Short Stories by Ursula Le
Guin.) Utilitarianism.com.
2017. https://www.utilitarianism.com/nu/omelas.pdf. Lepore, Jill. “A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction.”
The
New Yorker 5, 12 June 2017. Locke,
Charley. “The Real Reason Dystopian Fiction Is Roaring
Back.” Wired.com.
22 Feb. 2017. Viewing: George Orwell's 1984 (Documentary, 1980, 26:32) *See also: Weiss, Josh. “Patty Jenkins Teases Why She Chose 1984 as the Setting for Wonder Woman Sequel.” SyFy Wire 22 May 2019. The Spanish Civil War (information) Guernica (information), also here; see image, here. Animal Farm (full text) |
|
Thursday, 30 May |
Reading: Orwell’s
1984. Read at
least through Part 1 (1–104) Viewing: George Orwell's 1984
(Westinghouse Studio One, 1953, 50:38) *See also (New links): Davenport, Coral, and Mark
Landler. “Trump
Administration Hardens Its Attack on Climate Science.” New York Times 27 May 2019. Digital Millennium Copyright Act Harari, Yuval Noah. “Post-Truth:
Some Fake News Lasts Forever.” 21 Lessons
for the 21st Century. Spiegal
& Grau, 2018. 250-259 and, ironically, Flood, Allison. “Yuval Noah Harari Admits Approving Censored Russian
Translation.” The Guardian 26 July 2019. Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” (.pdf) Older links: Phillips, Brian. “In the Temple
of Gum: How Pop-Culture Dystopias Can Help Us Understand Our Current Moment.” Dystopia Now! MTV News. 27 March 2017. Smith, Ethan Indigo. “The Matrix of
1984 and the Allegory of the Cave.” The Minds Journal.com [Jan.?] 2016. Apple’s 1984 Superbowl commercial and “Lisa's 1984 Fantasy.” (parody of the commercial) from “The Last Traction
Hero.” (Season 28, Episode 9) Online
summary and quizzes at Online-Literature.com The Eurythmics “Sex Crime 1984” Michael Anderson’s 1984, 1956; Rudolph Cartier’s BBC television version, 1984, 1954. Summary and Analysis at SparkNotes.com. Online quiz on George Orwell’s 1984 here. |
|
Friday, 31 May |
Summer I classes meet on a
Monday schedule Research
Topic Due Reading: Orwell’s
1984 continued. Read at least
through Part 2 (105–224) Viewing: Rudolph Cartier’s 1984 (BBC, 1954, 1:47:34) |
|
Monday,
3 June |
Summer I last day drop
without a W grade Reading: Orwell’s 1984 continued. Read through Part 3, Appendix: “The Principles of Newspeak,” and Afterword (225–326) Viewing:
Radford’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, a.k.a. 1984
(1984): Available on Amazon,
YouTube, Google Play, iTunes, Tubi
(free), and Vudu (free with ads)
*See also (New link): Ferris, Suzanne. “Emma becomes Clueless.” (full text, .pdf) |
|
Tuesday,
4 June |
Reading: Orwell’s 1984 continued. Viewing:
Radford’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, a.k.a. 1984
(1984) In-class
writing assignment? |
|
Wednesday, 5 June |
Reading: Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange. Read at least through Introduction and Part 1 (ix–xv, 1–81)
*See also: A Nadsat
Glossary, and another
Nadsat
Glossary “Singing in the Rain” from Singin' in the Rain “Gee Officer Krupke!” from West Side Story Summary and Analysis at SparkNotes.com. Online quiz on Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork
Orange here. Other (non-Clockwork Orange) links: Michiko Kakutani, “Inside the
World of Big Data: 'The Circle,' Dave Eggers's New Novel.” New York Times 3 Oct. 2013. Web. Albeck-Ripka, Livia. “Apocalyptic Fiction, Too Close for Comfort.” New York Times 10 Oct. 2017: D7. (published online as “Is Climate-Themed Fiction All Too Real? We Asked the Experts.” 26 Sep. 2017). |
|
Thursday, 6 June |
Reading: Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange continued. Read at least through Part 2 (83–143) Viewing:
Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971):
Available on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and Netflix *See also, from The
Simpsons: |
|
Friday, 7 June |
Summer I classes do not
meet; College offices closed |
|
Monday, 10 June |
Reading: Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange continued. Read through Part 3
(145–212), including Chapter 21. (Part III, Chapter 7);
Burgess, Anthony. “A Clockwork Orange Resucked.” (Burgess’ introduction to the 1986
American edition.) Viewing: Kubrick’s
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Response
Paper 6 due; *See also: McDowell, Edwin. “Clockwork
Orange Regains Chapter 21.” New York Times 31 Dec. 1986. Melis, Matt. “The Real
Cure: A Clockwork Orange's Missing Ending.” Consequence of Sound. Feb. 2015. Web. |
|
Tuesday, 11 June |
Reading: Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange continued. Viewing: Kubrick’s
A Clockwork Orange (1971); To watch at home: Stanley Kubrick's Adaptation of “A Clockwork Orange” (Discussed by Anthony Burgess, Malcolm McDowell, and William Everson) (Camera Three, 1972: 28:58); A Clockwork Orange (Documentary, 2011; 51:56) *See also: Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of
Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and
for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.” ---. Gulliver’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. |
|
Wednesday, 12 June |
Reading: Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Read at least through Introduction and Part 1 (xi–xvi, 1–65) Viewing: Fahrenheit 451, the Novel: A Conversation with Author Ray Bradbury (0:11:30); The Making of Fahrenheit 451 (0:44:30) (DVD Bonus Materials) *See also: Bradbury, Ray. A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories. New York: Harper Perennial, 2010. Summary and Analysis at SparkNotes.com. Online quiz on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 here. |
|
Thursday, 13 June |
Summer I last day automatic
W Reading: Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 continued. Read at least through Part 2 (67–106) Viewing: Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451 (1966) *See also: Arnold,
Matthew. “Dover Beach.” |
|
Friday, 14 June |
Summer I classes do not
meet; College offices closed |
|
Monday, 17 June |
Reading: Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 continued. Read at least through Part 3 (107–158) Viewing: Ramin Bahrani’s Fahrenheit 451 (2018) *See also: Robertson, Adi. “HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 Turns a Warning about
Media into a Tirade against Tech Trends.” The Verge
19 May 2018. Travers, Ben. “‘Fahrenheit
451’: Michael B. Jordan and Ramin Bahrani Break Down the Big Differences from Book to
Screen.” IndieWire 19
May 2018. |
|
Tuesday, 18 June |
Reading: Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 continued. Read at least through Part 3 (107–158) Viewing: Ramin Bahrani’s Fahrenheit
451 (2018) |
|
Wednesday, 19 June |
Reading: Atwood’s The
Handmaid's Tale. Read at least
Introduction and Parts I–V (xiii–xix, 1–75) Note: Parts I-V include
Chapters 1 through 13. Do not stop at the end of Chapter 5, page 29! Viewing: Bill Moyers on Faith & Reason: Margaret Atwood (Educational, 2006: 34:36) *See also: Alderman, Naomi. “Dystopian
Dreams: How Feminist Science Fiction Predicted the Future.” The Guardian 25 Mar. 2017. Mead, Rebecca. “Margaret
Atwood: The Prophet of Dystopia.” The New
Yorker 17 Apr.
2017. Mujib Mashal, “Their
Identities Denied, Afghan Women Ask, ‘Where Is My Name?’ .” New York
Times 31 July
2017. Web. Summary and Analysis at SparkNotes.com. Online quiz on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s
Tale here. |
|
Thursday, 20 June |
Research Paper Due: Typed, finished draft for
comments and suggestions Reading: Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale continued. Read at least through Part X (77–188) Viewing: Schlöndorff’s The Handmaid's Tale (1990): Available on YouTube, Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play |
|
Friday, 21 June |
Summer I classes do not
meet; College offices closed |
|
Monday, 24 June |
Reading: Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale continued. Read through Part XV and “Historical Notes” (189–311) Viewing: Schlöndorff’s The Handmaid's Tale (1990) *See also: Truong, Peggy. “19 Major Differences between The Handmaid's Tale
Book vs. Show.” Cosmopolitan 14 June
2017. |
|
Tuesday, 25 June |
Reading: Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale continued.
Viewing: Schlöndorff’s The Handmaid's Tale (1990) Research
Paper returned |
|
Wednesday, 26 June |
Final Exam; Research
Paper Revisions Due (Final research project, in folder with all
ancillary materials) |
|
Thursday, 27 June |
Summer I ends |
|
Note: All dates subject to change; |
|
Response Paper
Topics:
For most classes, a question or topic will
be provided. You may complete any five response papers, but your
response must be on the assigned topic for the class it is submitted,
and must be submitted on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class
period, or it will receive a zero (0). Late work will not be accepted. Students
may complete more than five response papers for extra credit: only the best
five scores will be utilized in determining final grades.
Instructions: Respond to each
question or topic in a brief, well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of
at least two to three pages (500-750 words). Your essay should
include independent analysis and demonstrate careful thought, but no
research is necessary, nor should any secondary sources be used. This
is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the
texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be
considered grounds for failure. Although these are personal responses,
and therefore there is no “correct” answer, remember that they are still formal
essays: in your analyses, formulate a clear, explicit, assertive (persuasive), objectively-worded thesis statement, and avoid use of “I” or
“you” throughout. Do not attempt to address all aspects of the text, but
carefully focus your topic, and avoid merely paraphrasing or summarizing the
work. Be sure to support your answers with specific references to the work.
Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and grammatically correct; essays will be evaluated
according to the Model for Evaluation of Student
Writing.
1) Choose from one
of the following:
Numerous writers, including Jill Lepore, Charley Locke, and Brian Phillips, have observed that since the election of 2016, there has been a significant rise of interest in dystopian literature. Sales of works such as 1984 and It Can't Happen Here have skyrocketed, seemingly propelled up the sales charts by current events. However, why this sudden interest? Clearly phrases such as “alternative facts” led to a resurgence of interest in 1984, but why read dystopian literature? What is its value, be it in our current socio-political milieu, or ever?
Sasha Geffen asks, “What would it take to build utopia—a universally humane, livable earth—without walls?” It seems that utopian and dystopian literature often stem from the same impulse, a desire to show how the world could be, either as a model to strive toward or as a cautionary tale. She also suggests that one person's utopia could be another's dystopia, that paradise for “us” often seems to involve somehow keeping “them” out, however we define “us” and “them,” excluding or even persecuting “the other.” Is it possible, as she asks, to have a true utopia, or must utopia always be simultaneously utopian and dystopian?
2) Choose from one
of the following:
One of the criteria common to dystopian literature is the separation of humanity from nature, the abolition of so-called “natural” impulses and desires. Consider the relationship between Smith and Julia and the very idea of “sexcrime.” Is sex a revolutionary action in 1984? Why, or why not?
What is Orwell’s 1984 really about? That is, if it can be said to have a theme, what is that theme? Is it concerned with truth, with politics, with war, with language, with man’s place in the cosmos? What is Orwell saying—not about Smith, or even Oceania, but about modern life, society, or the human condition?
3) The
Westinghouse Studio One Production of George Orwell's 1984
(1953) presents a purposed
retelling of the novel. Consider the socio-cultural and/or political milieu
that generated both the novel (1949) and this version; in terms of story
elements (plot, character, theme...) and film elements (cinematography,
framing, use of light and shadow, music...) how is this adaptation
successful or unsuccessful? That is, how well does it achieve its purpose?
4) Despite his
penchant for violence and criminality, Alex appreciates classical music, both
symphonic and operatic, stating that “Music always sort of sharpened me
up...and made me feel like old Bog himself, ready to make with the old donner
and blitzen and have vecks
and ptitsas creeching away
in my ha power.” (I.3) Why does Burgess choose to give us a narrator who
appreciates Mozart, Beethoven, and others, and what does this suggest about the
connection between cultural education, aesthetic sensibility, and civilized
behavior, if anything?
5) After Alex has
been “cured” of his impulse to violence, Dr. Brodsky says, “Our subject
is...impelled towards the good by, paradoxically, being impelled towards evil.
The intention to act violently is accompanied by strong feelings of physical
distress, To counter these the subject has to switch
to a diametrically opposed attitude.” However, the Chaplain objects, arguing
that Alex “has no real choice.... Self-interest, the fear of physical pain
drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. Its insincerity was clearly
to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature
capable of moral choice.” Ludovico’s Technique works, that is, it achieves its
goal, but is Alex “good” now? Can one be good absent the ability to choose
evil?
6) Why “A
Clockwork Orange”? That is, what is the real significance of the title, beyond
F. Alexander’s apparent belief that “all lewdies
nowadays were being turned into machines and that they were really—you and me
and him and kiss-my-sharries—more like a natural
growth like a fruit”? What does Burgess seem to be saying here—not about
Alex, or even Ludovico’s Technique, but about society or the human
condition?
7) The original American edition of A Clockwork Orange
included only twenty chapters, not twenty-one, and even though he made the film
in England, Stanley Kubrick chose to follow the American version. What does
the lack of Chapter 21 mean, to the text and the film?
8) When Captain Beatty visits Montag at home in Fahrenheit
451, he delivers an
impassioned albeit limited explanation of the firemen's
purpose and history, stating at one point, “We must all be alike. Not
everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made
equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no
mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against” (55-6). Kurt
Vonnegut explores a similar theme in his short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” in which all
citizens are made “equal,” as does Aldous Huxley in A Brave New World,
and others. Is democracy somehow suspect? That is, why is literal equality,
whether natural or imposed, seen as threatening or dangerous?
9) After Montag reads from Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach,” Mrs. Bowles exclaims, “I've always said, poetry and
tears, poetry and suicide and awful feelings, poetry and sickness; all
that mush!...Why do people want to hurt people? Not enough hurt in the
world, you got to tease people with stuff like that!” (97). Later in the same
section, as the firemen rush to the site of yet another burning, Beatty shouts,
“Here we go to keep the world happy, Montag!” (106). Is poetry,
reading, or knowledge a source of misery? Is it better to be uneducated,
unaware, but happy?
10) In Atomic
Narratives and American Youth: Coming of Age with the Atom, 1945–1955, Michael Scheibach writes,
[Bradbury], like Orwell, also portrayed a world where individuality was threatened by social control and authoritarian power, obvious allusions to the threat of communism. Although Bradbury offered a post-holocaust ending, he reflected Orwell's overall negativity toward the massification of society. To both authors media had become the primary means of monitoring the populace and placating it at the same time. These books are clearly atomic narratives because they contain themes of atomic destruction, loss of individuality, lack of control, fear of conformity, and alienation from society.
Both
authors were writing in the mid-twentieth century, however, decades before the
personal computers and cell phones, the Internet, and social media. Drawing
upon evidence from these two and potentially other texts, explore this idea: Is
media—in these texts, and in our society—a means of both monitoring and
placating society?
11) A dystopia is,
virtually by definition, a possible world, one that logically and at
least semi-plausibly arises from our current world. (Or from the time period in
which the work was written.) Furthermore, dystopian works generally focus on
society and its impact on the individual. As such, certain works of science
fiction or fantasy, while interesting, are not dystopian. Consider the
society depicted in The Handmaid's Tale: Is the development of the Republic of Gilead possible?
Plausible? Why, or why not?
12) In “Their Identities Denied, Afghan Women Ask,
‘Where Is My Name?,’” Mujib Mashal writes,
The denial of women’s basic identity in public is
emblematic of how deep misogyny runs in this society, when even male
schoolchildren often get into fights to defend their honor, which they are
taught is besmirched if someone mentions their mother’s or sister’s name.
Hassan Rizayee, an Afghan sociologist, said the
custom was rooted in tribal ways of life:
“According to tribal
logic, the important thing is the ownership of a woman’s body,” Mr. Rizayee said. “The body of a woman belongs to a man, and
other people should not even use her body indirectly, such as looking at her.
Based on this logic, the body, face and name of the woman belong to the man.”
Similarly, in The
Handmaid's Tale, women’s identities
are subsumed by the use of names such as Offred and their bodies concealed;
however, this clearly does not stem from “honor” or “tribal ways of life,” as
Gilead is a near-future theocracy/theonomy in the United States. Why and how
does the subjugation—or ownership—of women in the Republic of Gilead differ
from that described by Mashal as extant in Afghan
culture?
13) The children
born to handmaids are, if healthy, adopted into and raised by the families the
handmaids serve. However, this creates a thorny question, one not addressed in
the novel nor in the movie:
Once the first generation of fertile women drafted as handmaids has
been...depleted, let’s say, where do more handmaids come from?
14) “Historical
Notes,” the last section of The Handmaid's Tale, seems to suggest that the Republic of Gilead is
short-lived, at best. Furthermore, the names, cultural origins, and relative
positions of the conference presenters and attendees also seem to suggest not
just the overthrow or dissolution of Gilead, but a radical shift from
contemporary world politics, as well. How do the “Historical Notes” function
as a coda and as a suggestion of a better society, even a Utopia?
Research Paper:
Due in stages (see below)
Compose a clear, well-written, properly
documented (MLA format) argumentative
essay of at least seven to twelve pages (1500-2500 words minimum), with a cover
page and Works
Cited page (cover
page and Works
Cited do not count toward
the seven-page requirement). The paper must be argumentative (persuasive), with
a clear, explicit, and assertive thesis statement, and must use a minimum
of five to seven sources, including three to five secondary sources; secondary
sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews,
or “analysis” from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com. You must
include at least one short quotation, one long—block—quotation, and one
paraphrase, and these sources must be properly documented (utilizing MLA format), and integrated
into your writing smoothly and correctly. See also Research
Paper checklist.
* On use of Wikipedia
in college-level research, see Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales
on PBS NewsHour, here: “I don't think at a university level it
makes sense to cite any encyclopedia in an academic paper. That's just not what
an encyclopedia's role is in the research process. Maybe if you're in junior
high, you know? If some kid out there is twelve years old and they wrote
something and they put in a footnote, we should be thrilled, right? That's his
first start on the idea of crediting other people with ideas and things like
that, but at the university level? No, it's a bit junior high to cite an
encyclopedia.”
Please refer to the following as well:
Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
Incorporating Sources (class handout)
Class Plagiarism Policy (on syllabus), as well as the Nassau Community College
Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism (page 63 in the
college catalog).
You might also find
the following additional resources useful:
Works
Cited page (Instructions & Sample) (Microsoft Word
document)
Avoiding Plagiarism (Houghton-Mifflin web site)
Practice Incorporating Sources into Your Work (Houghton-Mifflin web site)
MLA format (Purdue
university's Online Writing Lab)
Topic Selection and Preliminary Thesis: Due Friday, 31 May
You must establish a plan and a clear thesis before you can begin to put together a focused, well-organized, and purposeful research essay. Therefore, as your first step in the research essay assignment, you must develop and submit a clear, well-written, one-page explanation of the topic you have chosen, your reason for the selection, your focus and opinion, and a clear, well-written, explicit, and assertive preliminary thesis. This proposal may also include a preliminary idea of the plan of the paper, its intention or research question. Note: Choose your topic carefully. You will not be allowed to change your topic once you have made your selection, although you may change your position on the particular issue and will, presumably, modify your thesis during the process of research and writing. *Note: Students must obtain prior approval for independent topics; speak to me before or after class or email me to set up an appointment during my office hours.Your work should take the following form:
Topic: the topic selected from the list provided or one you have developed in consultation with the instructor.
Rationale: why you have chosen to research and write about this particular topic.
Focus: a narrowed form of the subject, and the issue or debate involved.
Opinion: your subjective opinion on the debate or issue.
Thesis: your opinion, worded objectively.For example:
Topic: War and Dystopia in Harlan Ellison’s “Soldier Out of Time,” The Terminator, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Note: this is not a real topic choice!)
Rationale: I selected this topic because I saw all of the Terminator films and I just heard the newest one will feature Linda Hamilton again. I am curious about how the film versions differ and why, and what relation they all have to the short story.
Focus: How do these works differ in terms of realism and audience appreciation? Is each a true dystopia, or merely an end-of-the-world scenario, and how do we distinguish between the two?
Opinion: I think that while all three are okay, the Terminator films are more interesting for contemporary audiences.
Thesis: While “Soldier Out of Time” is at least innovative and interesting for its time, the movie series captures and expands upon the central conceit of the story in an entertaining, realistic, and commercially successful manner, despite presenting less of a critique of contemporary society and thus diverging from traditional notions of dystopia.1) A number of works of dystopian literature, in addition to those discussed in class, have been adapted to film (cinema or television), sometimes more than once. Choose one such text, other than those on the syllabus, and analyze a cinematic adaptation or, even better, two or more different film versions (see Sample Introduction). How does each version adapt, revise, or alter the story? What is changed or left out, and why? How do all of these individual changes contribute to a different interpretation of the text; that is, what is the significant difference between the versions? And, finally, how does the socio-cultural milieu of each film inform these differences? Some suggested works (see me if you have others in mind):
2) Many familiar tropes, ideas, or themes appear over and over again in dystopian works either in literature, in film, or both. For example, numerous texts and films assume our world becomes unimaginably horrible due to one or more of the following:
Select a recurrent trope such as one of these, and analyze how it features in at least three texts and/or films, ideally from at least three different decades, not including those on the syllabus. For example, “When Animals Attack” could in theory include such diverse works as Daphne du Maurier’s “The Birds” (filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963) to Night of the Lepus (1972) to James Patterson’s Zoo, and countless others. As above, your discussion should focus on the significant difference between the interpretations, and how (and why) the socio-cultural milieu of each film creates and reveals these differences.
*Note: A dystopia is, virtually by definition, a possible world, one that logically and at least semi-plausibly arises from our current world. (Or from the time period in which the author was living, as in the case of Jack London’s The Iron Heel, 1908, and E.M. Forster’s The Machine Stops, 1909.) Furthermore, dystopian works generally focus on society and its impact on the individual. As such, certain works of science fiction or fantasy, while interesting, are not dystopian. I Am Legend? Dystopian. (Maybe.) Dracula? Not dystopian.
Annotated Preliminary Bibliography: Due Thursday, 13 June
You must submit an annotated preliminary bibliography with a minimum of five to seven sources, correctly cited according to MLA style. This may include up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary sources; secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com; instead, use the library resources, including the available electronic databases such as Academic Search Complete, InfoTrac General OneFile, Lexis-Nexis Academic, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Points of View Reference Center, and CQ Researcher, to locate appropriate sources. To access the databases from home, click on the individual database link. Then, when prompted, enter your username (N #) and password (PIN). You may also utilize MRQE.com, The Movie Review Query Engine, but be sure to select only professional, reliable reviews: New York Times? Probably okay. JoBlo's Movie Emporium? Not so much.In addition to a correct citation for each source, you must include a description or summary of the source, at least one paragraph long, and an explanation of how you foresee incorporating it into your essay. For additional information on Annotated Bibliographies, see the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)’s Annotated Bibliographies, as well as “Sample Annotated Bibliography” and Ebel, Kimberly, “Class and Gender in Cinderella: Annotated Bibliography.”
You might also find the following additional resources useful:
Preliminary Draft: Due Thursday, 20 June
A finished, typed draft of the completed research essay must be submitted for review, evaluation, and comments. This should be a complete draft of your research essay, using a minimum of three to five secondary sources, five to seven pages, and including both a cover page and Works Cited page. This draft is worth 5% of your final grade; failure to bring the required essay will result in a zero for the assignment.
Note: You do not need to submit the folder containing copies of your sources at this time.
Research Paper: Due Wednesday, 26 June
The final research essay must be submitted, in its folder with all supporting materials: photocopies or printouts of all sources, Topic Selection and Preliminary Thesis, Annotated Preliminary Bibliography, Preliminary Draft, outline–if you have completed one–and any other related materials. Be sure to print out or photocopy all secondary sources, and highlight all relevant passages, whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Failure to submit a complete folder according to these instructions will be grounds for failure on the assignment. In addition, plagiarism, either in whole or in part, will result in automatic failure (a grade of zero) for the assignment. You must also submit a copy via TurnItIn.com, in the folder labeled RESEARCH ESSAY REVISION.
Failure to submit the complete folder on the due date will result in a zero for the assignment.
Final Exam: Wednesday, 26 June
Students
will complete a final exam during the official final exam period, evaluating
students’ recognition and comprehension of material studied during the previous
weeks
Part I: Multiple Choice (40%)
Closed Book!
No textbook, notebook or additional papers allowed. For each of the questions,
choose the best answer and
write its letter on the blank to the right of the question. (1 point each)
Part
II: Essay (50%)
Once
you have completed Part I, write an essay on the
topic provided. Before you begin to write, take time to plan your essays
carefully, and leave yourself enough time to carefully review, revise, and
edit. Essays should focus carefully on the topic and contain a clear beginning
(an introduction, with a clear, strong, assertive thesis that is underlined),
a middle (the body paragraphs, each supporting your thesis), and end
(conclusion), and use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the
reader.
The
essay should be persuasive; that is, argumentative (making a claim) rather than
purely informative. Be sure to include specific details and examples to support
your assertions. Your essays will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main
Idea, Organization, Support, and Mechanics (Words and Sentences), as well as
your use of quotations or paraphrases. Therefore, make certain your essays are
not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of
errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling.
You
may use a dictionary and/or thesaurus (print only) for this part of the exam
only, but no other materials, either electronic or hard-copy.
This is not a research essay; use of secondary sources, whether
credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.
Part
III: Short Response (10%)
In a well-developed, detailed
paragraph or two, explain what you have gained from this class. In addition,
you may wish to explain what your favorite selection was, and why; what you
liked or disliked about the class; what you would like to see changed,
expanded, deleted, et cetera. There
is no correct answer; this is for my information and course revisions only.
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Grammar, Writing, and Research Papers: |
Last Revised:
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
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