Mount Saint Vincent University English 4401 Special Topic: Tolkien and Myth-Making

Mount Saint Vincent University
	English 4401 Special Topic: Tolkien and Myth-Making Dr. Anna Smol Full unit of credit Please note that I will not be teaching this course in 2012-2013; however, if you are interested in a Directed Study course in this subject, please contact me.
Description \|\| Pre-requisites \|\| Texts \|\| Evaluation \|\| Syllabus \|\| Policies Course Description J.R.R. Tolkien began developing his personal mythology after his experiences in the trenches during the Battle of the Somme, and he continued to expand and rewrite these poems and stories throughout his life. His early aspiration was to create "a body of more or less connected legend," and although later in life he did not claim to have succeeded, he did leave extensive writings that constitute a Middle-earth legendarium comprised of stories variously classified as myth, heroic romance, or "fairy-story," to use one of his terms for fantasy. This mythology is the expression of a twentieth-century writer who is responding to some of the crucial events of his time, such as the two world wars, but who is doing so through the lens of medieval languages and literatures. In our full-year study of Tolkien's major works, we will be examining how Tolkien worked as a myth-maker and how writers and other artists coming after him have extended his mythology by participating in the world that Tolkien created. In the first term, the focus will be on understanding the medieval literature in which Tolkien was immersed and on examining how he remade such sources. We will study theories about folklore and mythology that Tolkien inherited from the nineteenth century, which he revised and redefined in his fiction and in his medieval scholarship; we will also look at his work in the light of twentieth-century theories about myth. These topics will continue into the second term, but by that time we will also focus on what some cultural studies critics have called a contemporary form of myth-making in the numerous adaptations of Tolkien's stories in professional and fan genres. An exploration of fandom and the transformative works of fans (and professionals) -- in fan fiction, art, video, drama, and film -- will be the main theoretical focus of the second term. For English students who need to fulfill historical requirements, this course counts as a half unit of credit in medieval literature and a half unit of credit in modern literature. Return to top of page Pre-requisites Although the minimum requirement for an upper-level seminar course such as this one is successful completion of one unit of literature at the 1000 level, it is strongly recommended that you have some experience in a 2000-level English course before registering in a senior seminar. No previous reading experience in medieval literature or in Tolkien is required for this course. Please contact me if you have any doubts about your eligibility. Return to top of page Texts For the Fall term: A Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse. Trans. R. Hamer. Faber & Faber. The Poetic Edda. Trans. Carolyne Larrington. Oxford World's Classics. The Saga of the Volsungs. Trans. J. Byock. Penguin Classics. Tree and Leaf. J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins. The Children of Hurin. J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins. The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins. The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins. Photocopied selections of other texts will be handed out in class. You may use other editions of these texts, but of course you will have to be prepared to search for passages when page numbers are given in class discussions. The specific editions of Winter term texts will be announced in class: they will consist of The Lord of the Rings, a version of Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as other texts in handouts or online. Return to top of page Evaluation: The final grade will consist of an equal weighting of the first and second term grades, unless students opt in January for a 40-60 split (details to be discussed in class). Fall term: December take-home exam. 30%. (Approximately 1500 words total) First-term project: 50%. Recreating Oral Tradition (recitation/retelling with written analysis of 2000 words). Detailed instructions will be handed out in class and posted on the course Moodle site. Wiki-bibliography: 10%. At least three annotated entries, substantial ongoing edits of other people's work, and a final individual edit will be required. Details to be provided in class. Participation: 10%. This component of the coursework requires that you attend classes, that you have the assigned text in hand and read before class, that you contribute to the seminar and to Moodle assignments when they are given, and that you demonstrate a professional attitude to your work and to the other people in the seminar. Winter term: The evaluation breakdown will be similar to the Fall term. Details will be posted later. Return to top of page Syllabus A tentative syllabus will be posted here and on the course Moodle site by September 8th. If you want to do some advance reading, I would recommend The Hobbit -- we will be discussing that text later in the term, but we will only have one week to cover the novel. Return to top of page Policies Language: Correct use of language is one of the criteria included in the evaluation of all written assignments. Students are also expected to make an effort to use language correctly in all non-graded written materials that they submit or post on Moodle, including e-mails to the instructor. Plagiarism, Cheating, and Misrepresentation: University regulations on plagiarism, cheating, and misrepresentation will be strictly enforced. These regulations are posted on departmental bulletin boards and information is also available in the Calendar. If in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or misrepresentation you are required to consult with me before handing in an assignment or an excuse. Attendance: Academic regulations of this university state: “Regular attendance is expected of students at all classes....It is the prerogative of the instructor to determine when a student’s scholastic standing in any course is being affected adversely by absence. The instructor then, in consultation with the appropriate dean, will determine whether or not the student should be dismissed from the course. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of any justifiable reason that causes an absence from class” (Calendar, page 30). Please read the complete regulations in your Calendar. Students will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to notify the instructor by e-mail or voice-mail if they cannot come to class (before the class takes place). Students will be held responsible for knowing what discussion topics or assignments were announced in class, whether they attended the class or not -- these are posted on the course Moodle site. If students miss more than one class in a row, they will be expected to provide appropriate documentation such as a doctor’s note to verify their absence and to excuse them from receiving a grade of 0 for any class work given during the period of absence. Deadlines and essays: Assignments must be typed and proofread before being handed in. Late assignments will have one grade level deducted for every 24-hour period beyond the deadline. In other words, if an essay is due on November 10 at noon and it is handed in on November 10 at 5 p.m., the assignment will have one grade level deducted from its mark – for example, an A- would turn into a B+; a B+ would turn into a B, and so on. Weekends will count the same as weekdays. Students who are not handing in assignments directly to me in class must ask a faculty member or secretary to sign their assignments and to include the date and time the assignment was brought in. Without this information, assignments will be considered to have been handed in whenever I happen to pick them up. Students who have a valid excuse for being late, which has been discussed with me before the deadline, and which is backed up by appropriate documentation such as a verifiable doctor’s note, will be exempted from any late penalty. In return for students meeting the assignment deadlines, the instructor will undertake to return all graded assignments within two weeks of receiving them. Any failure on the part of the instructor to meet this marking deadline will result in the postponement of the next assignment deadline. Workload: Students should be aware that for every hour spent in class an average of two hours of preparation will be required outside of class on a sustained basis. Please read “Normal Course Load” in the Calendar, page 28, for a more complete explanation. Consultations: I will be pleased to discuss with students any concerns or ideas about the course work and to go over rough drafts of assignments or to review graded work, either during my posted office hours on a drop-in basis or at other specific times by previous appointment. I will also answer questions by e-mail or telephone, but I cannot guarantee immediate and 24-hour service. Students should note that it may take up to two working days to receive an answer by e-mail or phone (although I usually am able to respond faster than that). Class cancellation line: If a class has to be cancelled for reasons other than general university closure, an announcement will be posted on the course Moodle site as soon as possible. If you are travelling any distance to attend this evening course, it would be a good idea to check the Moodle site before leaving home to make sure that the class has not been cancelled for any reason. Cancellation notices should also appear on the MSVU Class Cancellation Updates webpage. Distractions: cell phones, laptops, recording devices, food, etc.: All devices must be adjusted so that they will not make any noise during class time. No recording equipment is allowed in class except by prior permission of the instructor. Laptops may be used in class only with the prior approval of the instructor. You are asked to refrain from eating in the seminar room, which is distracting to you and others. Return to top of page A. Smol's home page MSVU English home page disclaimer