Schedule | Fall 2013
Current and Next Meeting
| Unit 4: | Language and Authorship | |
| WEEK 14 T 12/3 |
HomeworkWrite and print a draft of your seminar paper. Bring in fives copies. The draft should include in-text parenthetical citations and a Works Cited section, both in MLA format. If necessary, please email your paper to your classmates via the class alias. |
Paper Drafts DueDiscuss Theory in the Seminar PapersDiscuss Bourdieu
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| R 12/5 | HomeworkRead, Mark, and Be PreparedRead all seminar paper drafts (on paper!). Mark them and write in the margins. Come in ready to discuss them. Think in particular about
Bring all Books and Readings
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Draft Workshop |
September
| Homework | In Class | |
WEEK 1 |
First Day: Introduction to Critical TheoryTheoryUnit 1: Textuality and Culture
Preparation for Reading PlatoPreparation for Reading Aristotle
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| Unit 1: | Textuality and Culture | |
| R 9/5 | ReadPlato: The Republic, Book X (handout) Aristotle: Poetics, Parts I-VI, XXIV-XXV (handout) Write and PostBefore noon on the day of class, post two discussion questions to the Moodle forum "Plato," and two to the forum "Aristotle." |
Plato and AristotleTermsClassical Theory, Platonism, Genre, Mimesis vs. Diegesis. Resources
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| WEEK 2 T 9/10 |
Read"Introduction to Part 1," Szeman and Kaposy, pgs. 7-11 Matthew Arnold, "'Sweetness and Light' (1869)," Szeman and Kaposy, pgs 12-17 Oscar Wilde, "Preface" to The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) (handout) Write and PostBefore noon on the day of class, post two discussion questions to the Moodle forum "Arnold," and two to the forum "Wilde." |
Matthew Arnold and Oscar WildeTermsLiberal Humanism, Aestheticism, Formalism, Resources
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| R 9/12 | Print out and ReadWalter Benjamin. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (1935)“ Write and PostBefore noon on the day of class, post three discussion questions to the Moodle forum "Benjamin" |
Walter BenjaminTermsHistorical Materialsim (Marx), Reification, Aura, Resources
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| WEEK 3 T 9/17 |
HomeworkRead
Write and PostBefore noon on the day of class, post two discussion questions to the Moodle forum "Chopin." These questions should attempt to explore the relevance of The Awakening--its plot, characters, setting, style, language, etc.--to our current theme of Textuality and Culture (a.k.a. Representation and Society). Feel free to include in your questions ideas and quotations from the Introduction, as well as elements/aspects of the novel itself. |
Awakening: Introduction, TextTerms
Resources |
| R 9/19 | HomeworkRead
Write and PostBefore noon on the day of class, post two discussion questions to the Moodle forum "Awakening." Question 1 should use a detail, issue, fact, etc. out of the "Contextual Documents" section to pose a question about a particular passage or scene in the novel. How does understanding more about the context enable us to interrogate the novel and our readings of it? Be sure to include page numbers from both the document and the novel. Question 2 should use a quotation or passage from the "Critical History" essay to pose a discussion question about our readings (interpretations, reactions) of the novel. Choose a particular passage in the novel (perhaps one we looked at last meeting) that presents an opportunity to apply the critical idea you've chosen, to challenge it, or in some way asks us to consider our own responses in light of that idea. Be sure to include page numbers for both passages/quotations.
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Awakening: Critical HistoryTerms
A Way of Organizing all these TheoriesJames Kinneavy's Model of Discourse as a Way of Organizing Schools Literary Theories Attitude of Naturalism (poem)A Man Said to the Universe A man said to the universe: Resources
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| Unit 2 | Power, Ideology and Identity | |
| WEEK 4 T 9/24 |
HomeworkRead
Write and Post 2 Discussion QuestonsOne discussion question each about Showalter and LeBlanc's articles. Be sure to cite a particular passage and page. In addition to the questions themselves, include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
The Awakening: Showalter (feminism) and LeBlanc (gender)TermsFeminist Theory, Gender Theory |
| R 9/26 | HomeworkReadHorkheimer and Adorno "The Culture Industry." Szeman and Kaposy, 40-52 Write and Post1. In the Moodle forum "Horkheimer and Adorno: Textuality and Culture," write one discussion question that relates something from the essay to an idea, debate, reading, or question from the Textuality and Culture Unit (Plato, Aristotle, Arnold, Wilde, Pater, Benjamin). Be sure to include page numbers for all references. 2. In the Moodle forum "Horkheimer and Adorno: Power, Ideology, Identity," pose a discussion question that uses a passage from the essay (with page number) to open up a discussion about one or more of the terms power, ideology, identity. In addition to the questions themselves, include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. Bring your Copy of The Awakening
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Horkheimer and AdornoTermsFrankfurt School, Enlightenment, Reason, Marxist Theory, Indicating in Proposals, Problems as Purpose, "Marxist Arnoldians" (Ohmann), |
October
| Homework | In Class | |
| WEEK 5 T 10/1 |
HomeworkReadMarx and Engels. "Preface" to A Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy. Szeman and Kaposy, pages 106-108 Marx and Engels. "The German Ideology." Szeman and Kaposy, pages 161-171 Write and Bring Five CopiesWrite a 100-word proposal for a seminar paper and bring in five copies. The proposal should
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Marx100-Word Paper Proposals Due Paper Proposal Discussion
Terms
Topics in "The German Ideology"
Topics in the Preface...
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| R 10/3 | HomeworkReadFredric Jameson. "Reification and Utopia in Mass Culture." Szeman and Kaposy, pages 60-71. Write and PostPost two discussion questions about the Jameson article: 1. Jameson's article is concerned with critiquing conventional notions of the mass culture/high culture distinction. Ask a question directed at generating a discussion of this topic, purpose and his execution of it. 2. Starting on page 66, Jameson demonstrates his critical apparatus in readings of Jaws and The Godfather. Write a post a discussuion question that will help us connect specfic passages of his demonstration to the theory itself presented in pages 60-66. How can Jameson's practice help us retrospectively understand his theory? Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. It helps to identify the column (I or II) and how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down). In addition to the questions themselves, include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, and/or a critical problem that the question might help address, etc.
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Jameson (Utopia, ideology)Terms
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| WEEK 6 T 10/8 |
HomeworkRead"What is the New Historicism?" In The Awakening pages 257-269 Margit Stange: "Personal Property: Exchange Value and the Female Self in The Awakening." In The Awakening pages 274-306 Write and PostIn the Moodle forum "New Historicism" write two discussion questions: 1. A question that directs us to identify and explore the possibilities of the New Historicist approach 2. A question about how Stange applies New Historicist methods and ideas, and how her essay might help us understand the "Waht is the New Historicism" introduction (or vica versa). BringPlease bring Your Szeman and Kaposy book as well |
New HistoricismReification
Key New Historicist Ideas
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| R 10/10 | HomeworkReadAntonio Gramsci, "Hegemony" Pages 188-201 Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Gramsci," write two discussion questions that would enable us to explore in the Gramsci reading one of the following topics:
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GramshiTerms
Resources
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| WEEK 7 T 10/15 |
HomeworkReadLouis Althusser, "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses." 204-222 Michel Foucault. "Method" 134-138 Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Althusser/Foucault," write two discussion questions that direct us to dicuss the readings in relation to "Ideology," "Power," and/or "Identity." Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
Althusser and FoucaultTerms
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| R 10/17 | HomeworkReadDonna Haraway, "Cyborg Manifesto."454-471 Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Haraway," write two discussion questions that direct us to dicuss the reading in relation to "Ideology," "Power," and/or "Identity." Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
HarawayTerms
Resources |
| WEEK 8 T 10/22 |
HomeworkReadWhat is Reader Response Criticism? Treichler essay Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Reader Response," write two discussion questions that direct us to dicuss the theoretical, methodological, and/or practical implications of what is said or demonstrated in these two readings about reader-response criticism. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. Bring in Three CFPsAs a way of preparing to talk about writing the 500-word abstracts due on 10/29, I'd like you to do some searching on the University of Pennsylvania English Department's extremely valuable CFP Site--CFP stands for "Call for Paper"--to look for an actual conference, journal issue, book collection, or other potential market for your paper idea. On Tuesday, come in with at least three relevant CFPs (full text) on paper. Make five copies of the CFPs so you can share. The web site has links for general categories of CFPs on the left (e.g., American, Romantic, Gender Studies and Sexulaity, Popular Culture) and a search box at the top. As you're using the search function for CFPs relevant to your paper topic, try lots of different search terms. For The Awakening, for example, we might try
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Awakening: TreichlerTerms
ResourcesCFP.upenn.english (The University of Pennsyvania English Departments Call for Papers site) |
| Unit 3: | Temporality, Space, and History | |
| R 10/24 | HomeworkReadRaymond Williams "Dominant, Residual, and Emergent" pg. 353 Jean-Francois Lyotard, "Answering the Question: What is Postmodernism?" Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Williams and Lyotard," write two discussion questions that direct us to discuss these readings in relation to our unit theme of "temporality, space, and History." Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
Raymond Williams, LyotardTerms
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| WEEK 9 T 10/29 |
HomeworkBring
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Discussion500-Word Paper Abstracts due |
| R 10/31 | HomeworkReadFredric Jameson's "Periodizing the 60s" pages 376-390. Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Jameson: Periodizing," write two discussion questions. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc.
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Jameson (Periodizing)Terms
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November
Homework |
In Class |
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| Unit 4: | Language and Authorship | |
| WEEK 10 T 11/5 |
HomeworkReadWhat is Deconstruction? pgs 291- 310, The Awakening. "A Language Which Nobody Understood": Emancipatory Strategies in The Awakening" pgs. 311-336, The Awakening. Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Deconstruction," write two discussion questions: one about each reading. Questions asking us to relate one reading to the other would also be welcome. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation (or two) with a page number(s). Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc.
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Awakening: Deconstruction; YeagerTerms
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| R 11/7 | HomeworkEmail MePlease email me to arrange an individual conference about your seminar paper project. |
No Class Meeting
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| WEEK 11 T 11/12 |
HomeworkReadJacques Lacan. "The Instance of the Letter in the Unconscious, or Reason since Freud" 432-448 Mikhail Bakhtin. from "Discourse in the Novel" The Dialogic Imagination. Pages 259, 275-331 (handout from class) Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Lacan and Bakhtin," write two discussion questions: one about each reading. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation (or two) with a page number(s). Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
Lacan; BakhtinTerms
Resources |
| R 11/14 | ReadMichel Foucault's "What is an Author?" Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "What is an Author," write two discussion questions. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc. |
Foucualt: What is an Author?Terms
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| WEEK 12 T 11/19 |
HomeworkWrite, Print and BringBring in five copies of
You may also include a cover sheet with your sample pages that explain the context of the excerpt. Bring Books and ReadingsAlso please bring your copies of The Awakening, the Szuman/Kaposy collection, and other readings and handouts from the semester so far. |
Three Sample Pages, Revised Abstract, and Annotated Bibliography Due |
| R 11/21 | HomeworkRead
Write and PostIn the Moodle forum, "Bourdieu," write two discussion questions. Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number. Include beneath each a sentence or two about your reasons for asking each question, the directions that you hope the question might send discussion, a critical problem that the question might help address, etc.
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BourdieuTermsCultural Capital |
| WEEK 13 T 11/26 |
No Class Meeting: Optional Conferences |
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| R 11/28 | HAPPY THANKSGIVING |
December