ENGL 1805
Freshman Seminar: Satire and Humor
Dr. Carolyn Sigler
University of Minnesota Duluth | Fall 2008 | MW 9:00-10:50 am


 

READING AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
The following schedule may be slightly modified during the course of the semester, but students will be notified of any change via e-mail at least one class day in advance. Detailed descriptions of the exams, reports and essay will be distributed in class.  To receive particiation credit, texts must always be brought to class on the day they are to be discussed.   

    • Week Monday Wednesday
      1

      9/1 Labor Day Holiday

      9/3 Course Introduction: Types and Theories of Comedy

       
      2

      9/8 Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels (1726): Parts I-II: "A Voyage to Lilliput" and "A Voyage to Brobdingnag"

      		 9/10 Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels: Part 1V: "A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms"
      3

      9/15 Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)

      9/17 Charles Chaplin, "A Dog's Life" (1918); Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery" (1948); Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (1971)

      4

      9/22 Charles Chaplin, Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

      		9/24 Charles Chaplin, Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
      5 9/29 George Orwell, 1984 (1948): Parts One & Two 10/1 1984: Part Three
      6 10/6 John Cleese and Connie Booth, Fawlty Towers (1975/79): "Gourmet Night," "Communication Problems"

      10/8 John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces (1961/1981): Chapters 1-7
      7 10/13 John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces (1961/1981): Chapters 8-14 10/15 Midterm Exam
      8 10/20 Midterm Conferences 10/22 Carl Hiaasen, Tourist Season (1988): Chapters 1-10
      9 10/27 Tourist Season: Chapters 11-24 10/29  Tourist Season: Chapters 25-33
      10 11/3 Satiric Journalism: "Fake News": The Onion; Jon Stewart, The Daily Show; Steve Colbert, The Colbert Report 11/5 Satiric Journalism: "Mockumentary": Michael Moore, Roger & Me (1989)
      11 11/10 Roger & Me 11/12 Conferences: Essay proposals due
      12 11/17 Satiric Journalism: "Mockumentary": Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat (2006) 11/19 Borat
      13 11/24 Conferences 11/26 Conferences
      14

      12/1 Group Presentations

      12/3 Group Presentations

      15 12/8 Editing Workshop: Complete, polished draft of essay due 12/10 Essays Due
      Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld,"The Phone Message" and "The Chinese Restaurant" (1991)
      Finals Week Final Exam: Thursday, December 18, 10:00-11:55 a.m.