Date |
Class Activities |
Homework Assignment |
UNIT 1:
CLASS, GENDER, & RACE IN BLOODCHILD |
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T 1/21 |
Course overview;
Free Write on Texts; Contextual introduction to Bloodchild; Methodological
lecture: Close reading--Literary
Elements & How
to Do a Close Reading of William Blake, "The
Chimney Sweeper" from Songs of Innocence
(1789) |
No reading due |
R 1/23 |
Student
introductions and discussion of Bloodchild |
Read: Octavia Butler, Bloodchild |
T 1/28 |
Lecture on
Marxist and feminist literary theory; Close reading of
class in a passage from Bloodchild; Gender in Klages and Butler |
Read: Althusser, excerpt from Ideology, & Klages 91-109 & 126-35; recommended: Myra Jehlen, “Gender”; O'Hara, "Class"; & Williams, "Base and Superstructure" |
R 1/30 |
Close reading of class and gender issues in a
passage from Bloodchild |
Bring Butler to class |
T 2/4 |
Lecture on critical theories of race; Close
reading of racial dynamics in a passage from Bloodchild |
Read: Smith, "Toward a Black Feminist
Criticism" & Kwame Anthony Appiah, “Race”;
recommended: Gates, "Talking Black" & JanMohammed
and Lloyd |
R 2/6 |
Peer editing workshop; Close reading of
racial dynamics in a passage from Bloodchild |
1.5 page draft of Bloodchild paper
due |
UNIT 2:
DISCOURSES IN FRANKENSTEIN |
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T 2/11 |
Contextual Introduction to Frankenstein:
Romantic Timeline & Discourses: Authorship;
Class, Nature & Empire, & History; Literature;
& Nature; Methodological lecture: Research
methods & Annotated Bibliographies |
Assignment #1: Close Analysis of Class, Gender, and/or Race paper due |
R 2/13 |
Discussion of Frankenstein; essays on
discourses related to Frankenstein assigned |
Read: Frankenstein, vol. I |
T 2/18 |
Picture Contest;
Other Discourses of Frankenstein |
Read: Frankenstein, vols. II &
III |
R 2/20 |
Discussion of Frankenstein |
Bring Shelley to class |
T 2/25 |
Lecture on discourse theory; Discourse
analysis of Frankenstein |
Read: One (assigned) essay on a discourse relevant to Frankenstein & Paul Bové, “Discourse” |
R 2/27 |
Peer editing workshop; Discourse analysis of
Frankenstein |
Research proposal for Frankenstein paper due |
T 3/4 |
Lecture on authorship theory; Debate about
authorship in Frankenstein |
Read: Roland Barthes, “The Death of the
Author”; P. B. Shelley, preface to 1818 edition of
Frankenstein (5-6); Mary Shelley, introduction to 1831
edition of Frankenstein (165-169); Charles
Robinson, "Texts in Search of an Editor" (198-204); Anne
Mellor, "Choosing a Text of Frankenstein to Teach"
(204-211); Klages, 142-146; recommended: Foucault, "What
is an Author"? |
R 3/6 |
Peer editing workshop; Discussion of
authorship in Frankenstein |
2.5-page draft of Frankenstein paper due |
UNIT 3:
DECONSTRUCTION AND QUEERNESS IN THE MAIDS |
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T 3/18 |
Contextual introduction to The Maids;
Interview; Drama;
Methodological lecture: Teaching methods |
Assignment #2: Frankenstein paper due |
R 3/20 |
Review;
Discussion of The Maids |
Read The Maids |
T 3/25 |
Lecture on deconstruction; Deconstruction of
a passage in The Maids |
Read: Lucie Guillemette and Josiane Cossette,
“Deconstruction and Différance”; Klages, pp. 53-62; recommended:
Jacques Derrida, excerpt from Dissemination |
R 3/27 |
Deconstruction of a passage in The Maids |
|
T 4/1 |
Lecture on queer theory; Discussion of how to
teach queer theory |
Read: Judith Butler, “Bodily Inscriptions,
Performative Subversions”; J. L. Austin, excerpt from How
to do Things with Words: & Klages, 111-120 |
R 4/3 |
Peer editing workshop; Discussion of
queerness in The Maids |
1.5-page draft of The Maids paper due |
UNIT 4:
POSTCOLONIALISM AND NARRATOLOGY IN CACHÉ |
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T 4/8 |
Contextual introduction to Caché;
Methodological lecture: Ethical Considerations |
Assignment #3: The Maids
paper due; watch (outside of class): Caché |
R 4/10 |
Discussion of Caché |
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T 4/15 |
Lecture on postcolonial and narrative
theories; Analysis of postcolonial narrative design of Caché |
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson,
“Narrative as a Formal System”; Patrick Williams,
“Post-colonialism and Narrative”; & Klages, 147-163;
recommended: J. Hillis Miller, “Narrative” |
R 4/17 |
Analysis of postcolonial narrative design in
Caché |
|
T 4/22 |
Lecture on art cinema; Ethical analysis of a
scene from Caché |
Read: David Bordwell, “The Art Cinema as a
Mode of Film Practice” and Robert Self, “Systems of
Ambiguity in the Art Cinema” |
R 4/24 |
Peer editing workshop; Discussion of art
cinema characteristics in Caché |
1.5-page draft of Caché paper due |
T 4/29 |
Abbreviated class so that you can start
working on your Final Paper Proposal (clarified at the
beginning of class) |
Assignment #4: Caché
paper due |
R 5/1 |
One-on-one meetings about final paper | Final paper proposal due online |
NO CLASS! |
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T 5/13 |
Final paper due by 3pm= |