Syllabus
English 4110/5110 Literary Criticism, Spring 2017
TR 3:30-4:45PM, Arts & Sciences 353
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
478.445.0964
Office Hours: MTW 1:15-1:45PM and 5:00-5:30PM, Arts & Sciences 330
While the undergraduate catalog describes English 4110 as "A study of literary criticism from Aristotle to the present, with particular emphasis on recent applications of contemporary theories," that characterization more aptly describes English 3900. While English 3900 is a survey of critical approaches to literature such as New Criticism and formalism, structuralism and semiotics, poststructuralism and postmodernism, reader-response criticism, deconstruction, New Historism, post colonialism, psychoanalytic criticism, Marxist criticism, feminist criticism, African-American criticism, and lesbian/gay/queer criticism, English 4110/5110 is a focused study of two or three interpretive methodologies (approved by the College of Arts & Sciences Curriculum & Instruction Committee, 10 March 2010). This course's Academic Assessment page describes our topics:
- Modern literary critical theories and schools such as New Criticism, Psychoanalytical, Archetypal, Feminist, New Historical, Reader Response, Deconstruction, New Cultural Criticism, and other recent developments in the field;
- The application of several of the above types of criticism to literary texts of various periods and genres;
- The clear use of closely reasoned and well supported and documented literary analysis and interpretation;
- The use of key terms applied to literary texts for close interpretation.
as well as course outcomes:
- Identify styles of literary criticism by their insights, methods, and language;
- Apply several styles of literary criticism in closely-reasoned and well supported and documented analysis and interpretation;
- Articulate their critical views clearly in writing and speech.
This semester, we will concentrate on psychoanalytic film theory. We will read an overview of psychoanalytic film theory by Todd McGowan and read theorists such as de Lauretis, Metz, Mulvey, and Žižek. We will view films by directors such as Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch, and Potter, in a range of genres including French New Wave, teen comedy, horror film, and drama. Undergraduate assignments include article summaries, the psychoanalysis of a scene, a theoretical paper, and a research paper. Graduate students will teach a class, review a book, and write a research paper. Note that this undergraduate course's prerequisite is sophomore status.
required textbooks (Amazon or GCSU Bookstore)
McGowan, Psychoanalytic Film Theory and The Rules of the Game
required articles (GeorgiaVIEW)
course packet
required films (availability)
The 400 Blows (Truffaut, 1959, 99 min, French New Wave)
Un Chien Andalou (Buñuel, 1929, 16 min, surrealism)
Copy Shop (Widrich, 2001, 12 min)
Eraserhead (Lynch, 1977, 89 min, fantasy)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry, 108 min, romance)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Hughes, 1986, 106 min, teen dramedy)
Film (Schneider, 1964, 17 min)
Gone Girl (Fincher, 2014, 149 min, psychological thriller)
Hotel Chevalier (Anderson, 2007, 13 min)
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels (Akerman, 1975, 201 min, drama)
Pariah (Rees, 2011, 86 min, coming of age)
The Psychology of Dream Analysis (Johnson, 2002, 10 min)
Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954, 112 min, thriller)
The Rules of the Game (Renoir, 1939, 110 min, comedy)
The Shining (Kubrick, 1980, 146 min, horror)
Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002, 121 min, superhero comic book)
A Trip to the Moon (Méliès, 1902, 12 min, science fiction & fantasy)
We Need to Talk about Kevin (Ramsay, 2011, 112 min, psychological drama)
recommended books (Amazon or GCSU Bookstore)
Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
Assignments and Grade Distribution
4110 Undergraduate Students
article summary, 5%
You will sign up to summarize a theoretical article in 2-3 page informal paper and presentation.
scene analysis and presentation, 20%
You will pair up to analyze a 2-3 minute film scene in a collaboratively written 5-6 page paper and 7-10 minute presentation.
theoretical paper, 20%
In a 7-9 page paper, you will compare and contrast two theoretical articles covered in class.
research paper, 25%
You will write an 8-10 page research paper on a film or psychoanalytic film criticism issue.
final exam, 30%
The 10-12 page take-home essay exam will test your understanding of psychoanalytic film theory as applied to in-class films. Here's how to calculate your final grade.
5110 Graduate Students
annotated bibliography and presentation, 15%
You will sign up to compile an annotated bibliography of an assigned film and teach the class.
theoretical paper, 25%
In a 9-10 page paper, you will compare and contrast two theoretical articles covered in class.
book review, 25%
In a 9-10 page paper, you will summarize and evaluate, appreciate and interrogate, a book by a theorist covered in class.
research paper, 35%
You will write a 12-15 page research paper on a film or psychoanalytic film criticism and present your work-in-progress paper to the class. Here's how to calculate your final grade.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an attendance record, a course grade calculation spreadsheet, FAQ, a GeorgiaVIEW walkthrough, a guide to literary analysis, a research methods guide, and paper templates. We will use GeorgiaVIEW for assignment submission and the course packet (electronic course reserves); if you experience problems with GeorgiaVIEW, immediately contact support. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Attendance
Because this liberal arts course values contemporaneous discussion over fixed lecture, regular attendance is required. Any student who misses seven or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will fail the course. There will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond three. I suggest you use your three days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and surfing the internet will be treated as absences. Unexcused absences include work, family obligations, and scheduled doctor's appointments. Excused absences include family emergency, medical emergency, religious observance, and participation in a college-sponsored activity. If you have a medical condition or an extracurricular activity that you anticipate will cause you to miss more than four days of class, I suggest you drop this section or risk failure. The university class attendance policy can be found here. You can check your attendance in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Attendance.
MLA Style and Length Requirements
Part of writing in a discipline is adhering to the field's style guide. While other disciplines use APA or Chicago style, literature and composition follows MLA style. In-class exams, discussion board responses, informal/journal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted; however, formal assignments and take-home exams must employ MLA style. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) margins, header, and heading, 2) font, font size, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length (not including Works Cited page) while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a additional one-third letter grade penalty. It is your responsibility to learn how to control your word-processing program. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the FAQ handout and using the MLA style checklist. Feel free to use these templates that are preformatted to MLA style.
Late Assignments
We're all busy with multiple classes and commitments, and adhering to deadlines is critical for the smooth running of the course. There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Because your completion of this course's major learning outcomes depends on the completion of pertinent assignments, failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within a five days of its due date will result in failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date will result in failure of the course.
Academic Honesty
The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." The Undergraduate Catalog defines academic dishonesty as "Plagiarizing, including the submission of others’ ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own When direct quotations are used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline" and "Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course," among other false representations. "As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, "since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge," any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty will fail the assignment and the course. Here is how I have dealt with plagiarists in the past. This course uses plagiarism prevention technology from TurnItIn. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Passing or Failing of the Course
There are three ways to fail the course: failing to regularly attend class, plagiarizing, failing an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade, be it from poor quality, lateness of submission, or a combination of poor quality and lateness. By contrast, students who regularly attend class, complete their work with academic integrity, and submit assignments on time will pass the course.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center is a free service available to all members of the university community. Consultants assist writers in the writing process, from conception and organization of compositions to revision to documentation of research. Located in Library 228, the Center is open Monday through Friday. Call 445-3370 or email writingcr@gcsu.edu for more information.
Additional Policies
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, and Fire Drills can be found here.
- All readings except for the McGowan textbook are in the GeorgiaVIEW course packet.
- Film availability is here.
- This schedule is subject to change, so check back in class and online for possible revisions.
Week 1 |
A Trip to the Moon (Méliès, 1902, 12min, science fiction & fantasy) |
|
R, 1-12 |
Tyson, "Psychoanalytic Criticism" Allen, "Psychoanalytic Film Theory" |
|
Week 2 |
T, 1-17 |
Freud, "Repression," "The Unconscious," "Mourning and Melancholia," "Negation," "The Structure of the Unconscious," "The Instincts," "The Theory of Dreams," "The Oedipus Complex," "The Origins of Culture" Un Chien Andalou (Buñuel, 1929, 16 min, surrealism) |
R, 1-19 |
Lacan, "The Insistence of the Letter in the Unconscious" and "The Mirror Stage" Evans, "The Imaginary," "The Symbolic," "The Real," "objet (petit) a," and "desire" Copy Shop (Widrich, 2001, 12 min) |
|
Week 3 |
Altman, "Psychoanalysis and Cinema: The Imaginary Discourse" McGowan, "Introduction" (McGowan 1-16) The Psychology of Dream Analysis (Johnson, 2002, 10 min) |
|
R, 1-26 |
McGowan, "Psychoanalytic Film Theory" (McGowan 17-90) Film (Schneider, 1964, 17 min) In Class Activity: Reviewing and Applying Lacanian Film Theory |
|
Week 4 |
T, 1-31 |
McGowan, "Psychoanalysis and The Rules of the Game" and "Conclusion" (McGowan 91-170) The Rules of the Game (Renoir, 1939, 110 min, comedy) |
R, 2-2 |
Metz, "Story/Discourse (A Note on Two Kinds of Voyeurism)" Hotel Chevalier (Anderson, 2007, 13 min) |
|
Week 5 |
Baudry, "Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus" Metz, "The Imaginary Signifier" |
|
R, 2-9 |
The 400 Blows (Truffaut, 1959, 99 min, French New Wave) |
|
Week 6 |
T, 2-14 |
Doane, "The Voice in the Cinema: The Articulation of Body and Space" Johnson, "Perverse Angle: Feminist Film, Queer Film, Shame" |
R, 2-16 |
We Need to Talk about Kevin (Ramsay, 2011, 112 min, psychological drama) |
|
Week 7
|
T, 2-21 |
Deleuze, "Peaks of Present and Sheets of Past" Fuery, "The Limits of Knowledge" |
R, 2-23 |
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry, 108 min, romance) |
|
Week 8 |
T, 2-28 |
Creed, "Film and the Uncanny Gaze" and "Horror and the Monstrous Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection" |
R, 3-2 |
The Shining (Kubrick, 1980, 146 min, horror) |
|
Week 9 |
T, 3-7 |
Mulvey, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" Studlar, "Masochism and the Perverse Pleasures of the Cinema" |
R, 3-9 |
Eraserhead (Lynch, 1977, 89 min, fantasy) |
|
Week 10 |
T, 3-14 |
McGowan, "Looking for the Gaze: Lacanian Film Theory and Its Vicissitudes" Žižek, "The Hitchcockian Blot" |
R, 3-16 |
Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954, 112 min, thriller) |
|
Week 11 |
T, 3-21 |
No Class: Spring Break |
R, 3-23 |
No Class: Spring Break |
|
Week 12 |
T, 3-28 |
Kaplan, "Spider-Man in Love: A Psychoanalytic Interpretation" Peaslee, "'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility': Central Psychoanalytic Motifs in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2" Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002, 121 min, superhero comic book) |
R, 3-30 |
Lebeau, "Daddy's Cinema: Femininity and Mass Spectatorship" Lebeau, "Femininity, Fantasy, and the Collective" |
|
Week 13 |
T, 4-4 |
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Hughes, 1986, 106 min, teen dramedy) |
R, 4-6 |
De Lauretis, "Desire in Narrative" Doane, "Film and Masquerade: Theorizing the Female Spectator" |
|
Week 14 |
***Jeanne Dielman Screening: 3:30-7:00 p.m. |
|
R, 4-13 |
Undergraduate Research Paper Due Graduate Research Paper Abstract Due ***Jeanne Dielman Screening: 3:30-7:00 p.m. |
|
Week 15 |
T, 4-18 |
McCabe, "Conceiving Subjectivity, Sexual Difference and Fantasy Differently: Psychoanalysis Revisited and Queering Theory" Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels (Akerman, 1975, 201 min, drama) |
R, 4-20 |
Pariah (Rees, 2011, 86 min, coming of age) |
|
Week 16 |
T, 4-25 |
|
R, 4-27 |
Gone Girl (Fincher, 2014, 149 min, psychological thriller) |
|
Finals |
T, 5-2 |