English 3348 Studies in Contemporary Culture
| Tuesdays 7:05-9:35 pm |
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| Seton 502 |
Seton 514; 457-6149 |
| .5 unit |
Office Hours: Tuesday 4:30-6:00 Thursday 1:30-2:45 . |
The gothic is not a "thing" but a mode, a way of seeing and being seen. Historically, the term was first applied to painting, then to architecture; from there, it described a kind of literature, and only later film, photography, dress, and nightclub decor. This course will look at the gothic mode across a number of different media produced since the late 1950s. We will consider fiction, film, photography, dance, and video. At the heart of the course will be theories of the gothic that help to explain its widespread popularity. We will analyze the gothic from both psychological and social viewpoints, attempting to account for the role of gender, sexuality, technology, and aesthetics in a mode that only until recently was considered artistically bankrupt. Although this is an English course, students must be willing to write about non-literary works as well as literary ones. They must also be willing to be shocked, horrified, grossed out and amused by what the gothic insists on throwing their way.
Texts (available at the MSVU bookstore):
Patrick McGrath , The Grotesque (Vintage)
Stephen King, Carrie (Pocket Books)
Peter Straub, Ghost Story (Pocket Books)
Websites, Videos, DVDs, and Readings on reserve
Evaluation
| In-Class Presentation |
10% |
| Short Essay (5-7 pp, due one week after in-class presentation) |
20% |
| Major Essay (10-12 pp; due November 28, 2006 |
30% |
| Exam | 30% |
| Overall class participation |
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Important Fine Print:
As is always the case at this university, correct use of language is one of the criteria included in the evaluation of all written assignments.
"Students are reminded that the University regulations on Plagiarism and Cheating will be strictly enforced. These regulations are posted on departmental bulletin boards and information may also be available from your professor." (Senate, March 1986)
Syllabus
| Sept. 12 |
Introduction to the course |
| Sept. 19 |
Patrick McGrath, The Grotesque |
| Sept. 26 |
Robert Wise (dir.), The Haunting (DVD on reserve); Julia Kristeva, "Approaching Abjection" (reserve binder). Please note: for a clear description of Kristeva's concept of abjection, please see Dino Felluga's terrific website, http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/psychoanalysis/kristevaabject.html
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| Oct. 3 |
William Friedkin (dir.), The Exorcist (DVD on reserve); Ellis Hanson, "Knowing Children: Desire and Interpretation in The Exorcist" (in Curiouser: On the Queerness of Children, on reserve) |
| Oct. 10 |
Stephen King, Carrie |
| Oct. 17 |
Gore Verbinski (dir), The Ring (DVD on reserve) |
| Oct. 24 |
Marilyn Manson: God is in the TV (VHS on reserve) |
| Hallowe'en |
Michael Blackwood (dir), Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis; essays on butoh (VHS on reserve; readings in reserve binder) |
| Nov. 7 |
Gothic Photography of Joel Peter Witkin; Peter Schwenger, "Corpsing the Image" (reserve binder) |
| Nov. 14 |
Peter Straub, Ghost Story |
| Nov. 21 |
Ghost Story |
| Nov. 28 |
Edgar Wright (dir), Shaun of the Dead; review and exam preparation |
http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/witkin/jpwdefault.html
http://www.edelmangallery.com/witkin.htm
http://www.correnticalde.com/joelpeterwitkin/index.shtml
In-class Presentation and Short Essay
Now that you’re all in advanced university
study, you know what makes a good classroom experience and what doesn’t;
you know what counts as good teaching and what doesn’t; you know what’s
interesting and what isn’t as far as classroom dynamics go. The purpose
of the in-class presentation is for you to teach a part of the class in line
with your experiences of good teaching and classroom management. You are expected
to pose a question for discussion and to direct the conversation in relevant
and fruitful ways: deepen the analysis of your chosen work, offer insights
your colleagues may not have thought of, pick up the slack should the conversation
fall off. You are responsible for about 15 minutes of lively presentation/conversation,
although this time period may be extended depending on what happens. Please
don’t simply read an essay to us; that’s not teaching, it’s
preaching. Should you be signed up to present on the same day as someone else
(and you will be, given that we meet once a week), you are each responsible
to contact the other(s) to make sure that your presentations are significantly
different, and that they present themselves in a logical order. Should you
wish to co-teach with another person, that’s fine; please talk to me
about this beforehand, though, so we can make sure it’s going to work.
One week after your in-class presentation, you will hand in a short, 5-7 page
essay. This essay will reflect the material you covered in class, but it should
not merely repeat it. The classroom experience should have deepened, focused,
and enriched your thinking about your work. You may want to focus on one of
the ideas that arose in class, or you may want to present a thesis that links
a number of ideas. Either way, the short essay must not merely be teaching
notes. Nor should it simply be a nice summary of what other people in class
said: don’t rely on them to give you an essay. Rather, your paper must
have a thesis that is yours, with textual evidence, Works Cited, the whole
bit.
The major essay of 10-12 pages is due on November 28, the last day of class.
It is open topic. The only rider is that you cannot write on the same work
you did your in-class presentation and short essay on.
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