English
279-01L
M 7-10 | LW 106 |
Spring 2006
Instructor:
Bridget Robin Pool | bpool@nvcc.edu | 703.450.2513
My
Homepage: www.nvcc.edu/home/bpool
Office
Hours: Mon-Thurs 2-4 and by appointment
(LR 217)
---
In
the novel, you start with a bag of words, and the way you put the words
together has meaning. In the movies, you
get another kind of vocabulary. You have little bits of film strips, each the
equivalent of words--five words or five thousand. But the strips are put together as individual
words. –Norman Mailer
COURSE
DESCRIPTION: We will analyze corresponding literary and film texts in terms of both
theme and style. To do this, we must
develop a basic understanding of both written narrative style (point of view,
characterization, structure, setting, symbol, language, and sentence patterns)
and distinctive elements of film style (composition, editing, camera angle and
distance, camera movement, sound, music, lighting, acting). Besides discussing the internal complications
of translating a written work to the big screen, we will consider cultural
influences, such as history, economics, and politics. As you can see from this distilled
description, there are a lot of issues.
Mostly, I hope you will come away from the class with a better
understanding of both written and visual texts and an ability to articulate your
opinion of those differences.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Film Art, latest edition, by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
The Birds (BFI Film Classics) by Camilla
Paglia
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Kiss of the Spider
Woman by Manuel Puig
Assorted Handouts
RECOMMENDED TEXT:
Rules for Writers 5/e by Diana Hacker—If you
are fuzzy on any aspects of grammar or proper MLA documentation, I highly
recommend that you purchase this text.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
·
15% Terms
Quiz: This will be a review of
terms, vocabulary, and basic concepts that we have studied.
·
40% Response
Papers: (8 responses at 5% each.) These response papers should be written in
clear, concise, well-organized, grammatical, standard English prose. They should be well developed, thoughtful,
specific, and critical. They should be about
2 pages each. Please format these
according to the guidelines specified in the syllabus. I will not accept these late. These short essays are designed to help you to
prepare for class discussion by analyzing the readings and films. Please note that each of these individual
writing assignments is not heavily weighted, but this aspect of the course will
ultimately have a large effect on your grade.
Don’t miss any!
·
15% In
Class Participation: You should contribute actively to class
discussions.
·
30% Research
Project: Each of you will be responsible for researching one of the film/book
combinations we are studying this semester.
You will research the critical reception of the written and visual
texts, as well as the history of the adaptation. Two weeks prior to the class we are to
discuss the texts you have researched, you need to place a prompt on the
WebBoard to spark discussion among your classmates as they are reading the
book. On the day that we are to discuss the
combination of texts you have researched, you and the other students who have
researched that topic will work together to present your findings and lead
discussion. Your 5 page MLA documented
research paper, along with photocopies of all your research materials, is due
the same day. You will receive more
complete instructions regarding this component of the course later in the
semester.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is the use
of someone else’s writing in your paper without the use of quotation marks and
an acknowledgment of the source. Plagiarism is an extremely serious offense
because you are stealing someone else’s thoughts and writing and representing
these as your own work. The following situations are some of the more common
instances of plagiarism and are to be avoided at all times: copying all or part
of another student’s paper and handing it in as your own; copying all or part
of your paper from a book, magazine, encyclopedia, etc.; handing in a paper
written by a term paper service; using the ideas of other people and of books
without acknowledging the source; having another person “help” you improve your
paper by actually rewriting all or part of it for you; and copying another
student’s quiz or homework exercise. I do not tolerate academic theft in my
courses. In the first assignment where I
find plagiarism, I will give you an F in the course for failing to meet the
course requirements, and I will notify the school’s administration If you are uncertain of what constitutes
plagiarism, please consult with me, the
PROPER DOCUMENTATION: As a
student in a 200 level literature class, you are responsible for having a
working knowledge of proper documentation.
I will devote very little class time to this sub
ATTENDANCE AND LATE WORK:
“Eighty percent of success is showing
up.” -Woody Allen
·
You have three
free absences. I make no distinction
between “excused” or “unexcused” absences.
Missing 4 classes will result in a 10% deduction from your final
grade. Missing 5 classes will result in
failing the course. Arriving late or
leaving early will also affect your grade.
·
I do not
accept any response papers late, do not offer make-up quizzes, and will not
inconvenience the rest of the class by reiterating what you missed while you
were absent. Thus, it is your
responsibility to find out what we did from either my website or from another
student. I suggest you exchange phone
numbers and/or emails with someone early in the semester so that you can pair
up and collect handouts, share notes, etc.
My buddy is:
·
Name__________________________
·
Phone__________________________
·
Email__________________________
·
All
assignments are due at the beginning of class unless you have made other
arrangements with me in advance. If you submit a final draft of an at-home
exercise more than three calendar days late (excluding weekends and holidays),
you will not earn any credit.
VIEWING: Students in this class often ask whether
they can simply watch the required films at home. The answer is no. Screening films together as an audience is
integral to the experience, particularly as we contrast the private experience
of the reading with the public experience of seeing a movie. People react differently when they are alone
versus with other people. The experience
is different. There are technology
mishaps. Laughter is louder, and tears
are more poignant. Although we are not
able to replicate being in an actual movie theater, I hope you will forgive the
uncomfortable seats as you come to appreciate the benefits of watching with
your classmates.
SUBMISSION OF ESSAYS: On the due dates indicated, you will submit
your papers. All papers must be typed,
double-spaced. In addition, all essays
must be written in MLA format with proper MLA documentation. Refer to Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers for more detailed guidance. You may also consult this website for an
example: http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Daly-MLA.pdf Essays
not in the proper format will need to be redone. I will not accept or read e-mailed
assignments. I must have a printed copy
so that I can line-edit your assignments.
SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS: If you have a disability of which I need to be aware (for classroom
and/or testing accommodations), please meet with me early in the semester to
discuss it privately.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: The decision to close or delay classes at
R-E-S-P-E-C-T:
Please be considerate
of your classmates and me. Don’t arrive
late or leave early. Don’t wander in and
out of class while it is in session because it distracts the other students and
me. For the same reason, don’t whisper
to your classmates. Always turn off your
beepers and cell phones before entering the classroom. Finally, and most
importantly, please be sensitive to the ideas and opinions of other
students.
ENGLISH 279
SPRING 2005 CLASS
ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
subject
to change in the event of extenuating circumstances
FA=Film Art
|
Date: |
What’s Due: |
What We’re Doing: |
|
Class 1 Monday January 9 |
|
·
Review Syllabus ·
Sample Response Paper and “How I
Grade Response Papers”[bridget1] ·
Screen The
Birds |
|
MONDAY, JANUARY 16—NO CLASS—Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day of Service |
||
|
Class 2 Monday January 23 |
·
Read “The Birds” by Daphne Du Maurier ·
Read The Birds (BFI Film Classics) by Camille Paglia ·
Response #1 Due:
We often hear the words "the book was better than the
movie." For this week, please explain what qualifies as a
"good" adaptation and why?
Be sure you have a well organized paper with a thesis statement and
strong paragraphs. Just because your response papers are short does not mean
that they should be written sloppily. |
·
Choose Research Project ·
Qualities of a “good” adaptation ·
Discuss The
Birds and “The Birds.” Which is “better”? |
|
Class 3 Monday January 30 |
·
FA Ch 1: Film [BRP2] P ·
FA Ch 2:
The Significance of Film Form[BRP5] ·
FA Ch 6:
Mise-en-Scene ·
Response #2 Due:
Film and written literature are often perceived to be closely related
because they both rely on narration. For this assignment, select a particular
text combination (film and writing) that you are familiar with. It could be
anything--Spiderman, Gone with the Wind, Cinderella, The Firm. You will need to have copies of the film as well as the
book/story/play and the film. Choose a
specific scene and note the similarities and differences between the film and
literature narration. How do these similarities and differences reflect the
strength and limitations of the individual media? Please be sure to hand in a
photocopy of the written scene. |
·
Segment The
Birds ·
Discuss Production and Reception (Audiences,
Ways of Reading/Viewing/Consuming, Censorship, Critical Reviews) ·
Narration and Point of View |
|
Class 4 Monday February 6 |
·
Response #3 Due:
This week, instead of a traditional written response, I would like you
to watch the film you will use for your research paper and do a segmentation
of it. (Those of you who are studying
The Wizard of Oz will need to
choose another film.) Use the example in Film
Art as a guideline. Please do not simply follow the chapters that are
presented on a DVD. This should be your own work. Preface the segmentation with a paragraph
in which you reflect on how the segmentation made you reconsider the
organization, editing, and content of the film. ·
FA Ch 7:
Cinematography[BRP7] |
·
Discuss |
|
Monday February 13[BRP10] |
·
Begin research for research project |
·
Library Orientation and MLA review[BRP11] ·
Review for Quiz |
|
Class 6 Monday February 20 |
·
Study for Quiz |
·
Quiz |
|
Class 7 Monday February 27 |
·
Read The
Orchid Thief |
·
Screen Adaptation
|
|
MARCH 6-12—NO CLASS—SPRING BREAK |
||
|
Class 8 Monday March 13 |
·
Response #4 Due:
How is the idea of the concept of 'adaptation' in general altered or
developed in the film version of The
Orchid Thief? How does the film influence your ideas about film
adaptation in particular? |
·
Orchid
Thief/Adaptation Group
Presentation |
|
THURSDAY,
MARCH 16: LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WITHOUT
GRADE PENALTY |
||
|
Class 9 Monday March 20 |
·
Read The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz |
·
Screen The
Wizard of Oz |
|
Class 10 Monday March 27 |
·
Wizard of Oz Group
Presentation |
|
|
Class 11 Monday April 3 |
·
Read The
Color Purple |
·
Screen The
Color Purple |
|
Class 12 Monday April 10 |
·
Response #6 Due:
Analyze the way the film interprets the epistolary narrative structure
of |
·
The Color Purple
Group
Presentation |
|
Class 13 Monday April 17 |
·
Read One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest |
·
Screen One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest |
|
Class 14 Monday April 24 |
·
Response #7 Due:
In the book, Chief narrates the story from a first person point of
view. The film eliminates that
perspective. What effect does changing
the point of view have on Chief’s character and on the theme of the original
text? |
·
One Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest Group Presentation |
|
Friday,
April 28: Camilla Paglia Speaking in
Waddell Auditorium. Extra Credit. |
||
|
Class 15 Monday May 1 |
·
Read Kiss
of the Spider Woman |
·
Screen Kiss
of the Spider Woman |
|
Class 16 Monday May 8 |
·
Response #8 Due:
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a fascinating text in the
context of our course. While reading,
we have to envision the films being “told” by Molina to Valentin. Contrast the way the films are 'told' in
Puig's book versus the cinematic version. Did you prefer imagining the films
or seeing them onscreen? Explain your answer. |
·
Kiss of the
Spider Woman Group Presentation |