Schedule | Spring 2017
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| F 1/13 | HomeworkObtain the BooksSee the syllabus |
Day 1. Introduction to Literacy, Technology, and SocietySyllabus and Course
Literacy, Technology, SocietyTimeline and Phases of Society/Identity Terms to Remember
Resources
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| F 1/13 | HomeworkRead and Be Prepared to AnswerRead Walter Ong, Chapter 1 using the principles of Active Reading, and come in prepared to answer the Reading Questions. Don't answer the questions on the handout in sentences and paragraphs, however. Instead, answer them in the margins of the book with word tags, arrows, stars--whatever symbols seems useful. Photocopy and Bring inAfter you've read and marked your text, choose a two-page spread from the book that best shows your active reading and engagement with Ong and one of more of the questions above. Photocopy (a.k.a., scan and print) that two-page spread, write your name in the upper right on the paper, and bring it to class next time to turn in. Read and Bring BackThe handout from class "Jay David Bolter: The Cathedral and the Book"
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Day 2: Ong C1, The Orality of Language
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| WEEK 2 M 1/16 |
MLK Holiday: No Class Meeting |
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| W 1/18 | HomeworkRead and Be Prepared to AnswerRead Walter Ong's Chapter 2, pages 16-30. After using the principles of Active Reading to mark your text, come in prepared to answer the Reading Questions for Ong's Chapter 2. Don't answer the questions on the handout in sentences and paragraphs, however. Instead, answer them in the margins of the book with word tags, arrows, stars--whatever symbols seem useful. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. Please log only quotations that you contributed to discussion out loud. Post one message for each quotation using the format of this example: M 3/14: Orwell, The Labyrinthine World of Doublethink This format of each message includes:
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Day 3: Ong C2, The Discovery of Primary OralityReview from Last Time
Homework Questions1. What is “The Homeric Question” and why is it significant in understanding the differences between oral and written (that is, chirographic) culture? 2. What was Milman Parry’s discovery concerning Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey? 3. How does the oral tradition define “great poetry” differently from the ways written cultures do? Terms to Remember
Resources
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| F 1/20 | HomeworkRead and MarkRead Ong's Chapter 3, "Psychodynamics of Orality" and come in prepared to answer the Reading Questions for Chapter 3 Answer The Reading Questions in Writing (Bring on Paper)Answer each of these questions in writing: a paragraph, a list, a chart, or map, etc. Make your answer "thing-like" (Ong 11), and be sure the "thing" specifically refers to particular pages and passages in Ong's Chapter 3. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. Please log only quotations that you contributed to discussion out loud. Post one message for each quotation using the format of this example: M 3/14: Orwell, The Labyrinthine World of Doublethink This format of each message includes:
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Day 4: Ong C3 Psychodynamics of Orality
Goals for Today
Psychodynamics of Orality A 38-Year-Old Wheat Farmer
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| M 1/23 | HomeworkRead and MarkRead "Ong Chapter 4 "Writing Restructures Consciousness." Mark and, using the techniques of Active Reading, make marginal notes, especially with the question below in mind. When you get to Ong's discussion of Plato, read over the passage "from Plato's Phaedrus" on the handout I gave you in class. See if you can find in Plato's passage (from an imagined dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus) the attitudes and ideas about writing which Ong attributes to Plato. Write, Print, and BringWrite a 500-word "Preparation Sheet" titled "Ong Chapter 4" which answers the following question:
This preparation sheet should
BringBring your Ong book and be sure you have the handout "from Plato's Phaedrus" Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. Please log only quotations that you contributed to discussion out loud. Post one message for each quotation using the format of this example: M 3/14: Orwell, The Labyrinthine World of Doublethink This format of each message includes:
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Day 5: Ong C4Writing Restructures ConsciousnessReview: Sight Isolates, Sound Incorporates
See Ong page 71.4-6, 72.6-9 "The Sense of True Writing" (Script)
Plato
Terms to Remember
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W 1/25
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HomeworkMoodle PostingSet-UpIn the Walter Ong book, we've read about the deep and varied changes, from 800 BC onward, which literacy brought to society, identity, the sense of history, the nature of consciousness, etc. In the handout, "Jay David Bolter: The Cathedral and the Book", we learned a little about the changes wrought by a different revolution: the explosive rise of printing starting in the 1440s AD. Consider these statistics: in the 59 years between 1440 and 1499,
Since we know very little about the historical effects of printing, let's try to use what we know about revolution in literacy (from the Ong chapters) to compose a question about the consequences of the revolutionary rise of print in some particular aspect of society, identity, history, consciousness, etc. What to Post (by noon today)In a reply to the Moodle forum "The Print Revolutioin," write a question that speculates on the possible effects of the print revolution starting in 1440. Be sure your question focuses on some particular aspect of society, identity, history, consciousness as suggested by either Ong or Bolter. Include in your question what idea or passage from Ong or Bolter suggested the basis of your question (with page number if it comes from Ong). You do not necessarily need to know the answer. The point is to pose a thought-provoking and possibly productive question for exploring the some specific effect of print as a social and cultural phenomenon. ExampleOng observes that literacy changed the individual's very means of conceiving of him or her self (54). Did the rise of print provide new means of conceiving and describing the individual self? Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 6. The Machine that Made Us 1(Gutenberg's Press)
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F 1/27
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HomeworkThe Print RevolutionIn the Moodle forum "The Print Revolutioin," you asked a numbers of questions about the long-term consequences of the explosive rise of printing in the 15th century. 1. Look OverRead over the questions that you and your classmates posed about print culture. 2. Read CarefullyFor answers, read Walter Ong's Chapter 5, "Print, Space, Closure, " pages 115-135. Use the principles of Active Reading (new version!) to mark your text and leave a record of your reading experience. 3. Post to MoodleChoose two questions to answer in a replies to those messages. In each reply, write a substantive paragraph which includes at least two quotations, with page numbers, from Ong (at least one of those quotations from Chapter 5). Note that Ong may not directly answer your classmates' questions or speak specifically to their topics, but the context and analysis Ong provides might enable you logically to make an informed argument about the nature and effects of print culture. 4. PrintPrint the two questions and your paragraphs and bring them on paper to class for use in discussion. (No laptops or devices.) |
Day 7. The Machine That Made Us 2
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WEEK 4
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HomeworkReadPaul Cobley, Narrative, Chapter 1 "In the Beginning, The End," pages 1-27. Use the principles and techniques of Active Reading to mark your text and record (externalize!) you reading experience. Reading Question: Cobley argues that the power of narratives comes not simply from their content, but from their form: that is, not the story itself, but the telling of the story. This power of narrative telling, Cobley says, is fundamental to human experience and consciousness. This means that the conbcept of "narrative" much more than just a way of organizing a piece of writing. Choose three specific, key quotations from Cobley's chapter which suggest the source, nature, and/OR consequences of this narrative as a powerful principle in society, culture, and history. Come to class prepared to read and explain your choices. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 8:
Narrative and Consciousness
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February
| W 2/1 | HomeworkRead Cobley Chapter 3Read Cobley, Chapter 3 "The Rise and Rise of the Novel" using the techniques of Active Reading. Reading Question:Cobley argues that how you choose to tell a story creates a "problem of representation" and a potential crisis of social authority. Identify three passages (with page numbers) from the chapter that suggest why the telling of a story has such an effect on the story's meaning and consequence. Post In Moodle (Before 11 a.m.)Choose one of those passages and, in a reply to the Moodle forum, "Cobley C3,"
Writing down or printout a copy of your answer and bring it to refer to in class. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 9: The Problems of Representation(Cobley C3) |
| F 2/3 | HomeworkRead Cobley Chapter 4Read Cobley, Chapter 4, "Realism" using the techniques of Active Reading. Reading Questions1. Make a ListAccording to Cobley, what are some characteristics of "realist" representation? What ideas, attitudes, philosophies, or goals do works of realism share? Make a list of at least four characteristics with page numbers. 2. Three Quotations that Challenge the Realist SolutionConventionally, "realistic" representation is assumed to be objective, scientific, and apolitical. This idea presumes to solve the problems of representation. Throughout this chapter, however, Cobley argues otherwise: that realism represents another style of representation, rather than offering unmediated access to reality. Identify at least three of Cobley's reasons, ideas, examples, or arguments (with page numbers) that show how realist narrative is not pure or uncontroversial in its representation of reality or truth. Post In MoodleChoose one of those passages and, in a reply to the Moodle forum, "Cobley C4,"
Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 10Cobley C4: Realism
ListIdeas, Attitudes, Philosophies, Goals Shared by Works of Realism Resources:
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| WEEK 5 M 2/6 |
HomeworkReadRead Cobley Chapter 5, "Beyond Realism" Reading Question (3 Passages):In Chapter 4, Cobley argued--citing Terry Eagleton--the 19th and 20th centuries saw a transformation in the scale of economic life (i.e., "capitalism") through three phases (88). These phases had profound effects on both the form and focus of narratives, and on contemporary models of individualism or identity. In Chapter 5, Cobley is describing the last phase of economic development: the global or "imperialist" stage. Identity at least three passages or examples from Chapter 5 that demonstrate the characteristics of this third phase, and how those characteristics resulted in "modernist" narrative style and a "modernist" identity. In a reply to the Moodle forum "Cobley C5" (by 11 a.m.), give the page number, a brief quotation, and two or three sentences of explanation for each of your choices. Bring your reponses (or at least notes about them) to class on paper. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 11: Cobley C5 (Global Modernism)
Resources:
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| W 2/8 | Homework1. ReadRead the following from The Picture of Dorian Gray:
2. Answer a Reading Question in MoodleArt (Representation) and LifeThe Picture of Dorian Gray is a book about the relationship of art and life--or, more generally, of representation and life. (Remember, "representation" includes writing, visual art, music, performance, or any other way of "externalizing" and preserving experience.) Wilde's novel is an example of a narrative/literary style of the 1890s called "Aestheticism," which was partly a reaction against Realism and the conventionalized "common sense" that accepted forms of realism expressed. Post to Moodle (by 11 a.m.)In a message to the Moodle forum "Wilde Dualisms," identify 2 quotations with page numbers which demonstrate the novel's ongoing preoccupation the relationship of art and life and its opposition to common-sense realism, which appears in dualisms like the following:
Write a paragraph under these quotations explaining how the two quotations, together, might suggest a philosophy or position concerning the relationship of representation and life. In what ways might representation be the foundation of a life founded on "aestheticism"? Bring your reponses (or at least notes about them) to class on paper. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 12: Picture of Dorian Gray 1:
Narrative Levels (Cobley 125 - )Cobley cites Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan (1983) for these ideas:
Resources
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| W 2/8 | HomeworkFinish Reading The Picture of Dorian GrayAnswer 3 Questions about the "Problems of Representation" Posed By This NovelContemporary criticisms of Picture of Dorian Gray charged:
Wilde responded to these criticisms in his "Preface" to The Picture of Dorian Gray. -- Is the book immoral? How do we decide? Are the characters shallow? Is Wilde using the book only as a vehicle for his ironic wit and personal style? -- How does Wilde answer these accusations in specific lines of his cryptic Preface? --What might Wilde say about a film such as Romper Stomper and the controversy surrounding its release (as described by Cobley (60-61)? Come in with notes, on paper, that point to particular passages in the novel and explain answers to these three questions. Read to Understand "Aestheticism"Read the brief excerpts from Walter Pater's The Renaissance. These are two classic statements of aestheticism (in short, the assertion of art's and literature's independence from social requirements to teach, inspire, or otherwise be socially useful). Mark on the handout lines and ideas that appear to agree with--or at least speak to--Wilde's apparent vision of art, writing, and representation and its relationship to life and society. Note that Pater was a professor of art history at Oxford when Wilde was a student there. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 13: Picture of Dorian Gray 2
Gothic GenreI will give youi a copy of the handout "Notes on the Gothic Genre." Resources
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| WEEK 6 M 2/13 |
HomeworkRead in Dracula
What to Prepare for ClassOn paper, make a list of at least five quotations from the reading in Dracula in response to the two questions below. Rather than copying the entirety of longer quotations, write down a few key words from the passage (what we'll call a "word tag") and the page number (with tenths to indicate how far down the page: for example "30.3"). Under each word tag/page number, make notes to yourself about how that quotation illustrates or implies answers to the question, and what that says about how Stoker is constructing geography and history to suggest meaning. Question 1. East and WestDuring Jonathan Harker's journey to, and stay with, Dracula at his castle, Stoker suggests contrasts of East and West (Transylvania and Britain). Write down the page numbers of two specific phrases, passages, or descriptions where Stoker characterizes (or even just implies a characterization of) differences between East and West. ...What role do literacy and technology play in shaping those respective societies? ...In what ways do Dracula and Jonathan exemplify their respective societies? Question 2. Past and PresentNote down the location of three passages (with page numbers) that contrast past and present in the novel Dracula. What ideas does Stoker associate with the past or the present? with their differences? Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 14: Dracula 1
Decadence (1890s)
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| W 2/15 | HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. Make Notes on the HandoutSince we didn't have time to talk about the handout "Notes on the Gothic Genre" last meeting, please take a few minutes to read the handout carefully. Mark anything you don't understand. In the left margin, make notes about the following: What aspects of The Picture of Dorian Gray exemplify any of these characteristics of the Gothic? Bring your handout to class, ready to discuss your observations. ReadRead Dracula pages 95 - 215 (Chapters 6- 13) Make Notes in the MarginsAs you read, make notes in your margins concerning the following three topics: Gender and SexualityIn what ways does the novel define, affirm, transform, or transgress roles of gender and standards of sexuality? Use the norms suggested by the text itself to determine what is transformational or transgressive. Information Technologies and KnowledgeNotice that the narrative of Dracula is composed of documents, rather than the voice of a single narrator. This way of telling the story highlights the role of information technologies: letters, journals written in short hand, phonographs, typewriting, etc. How is the handling of information and knowledge critical to the batte again Dracula. In what ways is this the story of a “knowledge team.” The Gothic GenreIn what ways does Dracula use conventions of the Gothic genre as a vehicle for social anxieties of the time (gender, politics, imperialism, science, medicine, Put on Paper and BringUnder the heading for each these three topics, write a page number (with tenths) for a relevant, revealing and interesting passage. For one of the topics of your choice, add two more passages for a total of three. Under each page number, write down some key words from the passage and then some talking points for yourself to explain the relevance and significance of your choices of passage. Be prepared to turn these notes in at the end of class today.
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Day 15: Dracula 2 |
| F 2/17 | HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. ReadRead Dracula pages 216 - 299 (Chapters 14 - 19) Social Anxieties and Social OrderAs you read, continue to track our three topics from the last homework:
On paper--or in a way you can print for class--make note of page numbers for each topic, and then write a few talking points at the bottom of the page about how social anxieties/social order are represented in these quotations as a group. Bring your notes on paper to class and be prepared to turn them in. Don't worry if your notes are not in a form or style that anyone else will understand. |
Day 16: Dracula 3
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| WEEK 7 M 2/20 |
HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. ReadRead Dracula pages 300 - 419 (Chapters 20 - 27) Literacy, Technology, and/or Society in Dracula (Moodle and Print)Post the following to the Moodle Forum, "Literacy, Technology, or Society in Dracula" by 10 a.m. today. Choose a passage from Dracula and use it to analyze how Stoker's presents literacy, technology, or society as a theme in Dracula. 1. Start by choosing a character or plot event in the novel, which seems to feature literacy, technology, or society as a theme. 2. Look closely at Stoker's language in some passages from the novel which represent what happens to that character, what the character does, or how the plot event unfolds. 3. In a substantial paragraph in which you quote from Dracula to describe what you see Stoker saying about the
Be sure to quote from the novel at least twice in your paragraph, and to do a "close reading" of the language of those quotations in your own analysis. Print out your Moodle posting to refer to in class and to turn in at the end.
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Day 16: Dracula 4
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| W 2/22 | HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. Bring DraculaPlease bring your Dracula book again to class. MarxPrint, number the paragraphs, and read Karl Marx's "Preface" to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (starting with the fourth paragraph, which begins "Although I studied jurisprudence,....") As you read the Marx piece, select and arrange six or seven key quotations from the reading (each represented by a "quotation tag" composed of the paragraph number and a few keys words) on the Base and Superstructure diagram. With your placement of these quotation tags on the diagram, you're indicating which quotations show Marx talking about:
For example, you would place a quotation about the "means of production" in the base, or a quotation about education in the superstructure. (You might need write your paragraph numbers and key words arround the edges and use arrows to show where they go in the diagram) Bring your handout to class prepared to turn it in at the end of the meeting. |
Day 17: Marx, Materialism, Realism
Resourses
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F 2/24 |
HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. Immanuel KantPrint, number the paragraphs, and read Immanuel Kant's "What is Enlightenment?" Print the Preparation Sheet and, under each question, note down two paragraph tags (that is, a paragraph number and a few key words each) for passages from the reading that suggest answers to each question. Bring your completed Preparation Sheet to class. |
Day 19: Marx, Kant
Resourses
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| WEEK 8 M 2/27 |
HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. Write and Post 5 Questions for the ExamWrite an exam question for each of kinds of knowledge covered on the exam. You can use any of the three question formats for any of the capacities. See the handouts "What to Remember, Understand, and Be Able to Discuss for the Exams" (5) and Format for the Exam (21) The Format of the QuestionsWrite each of those questions in your choice of three formats:
By 10 a.m. today, post your questions to the appropriate Moodle forums in the section "Midterm Exam." Bring to ClassBring to class all books, handouts, and notes from the first half of the course. |
Day 20: Midterm Exam Preparation
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| W 3/1 | Homework: Take-Home Portion of the MidtermTake-Home Portion of the Midterm
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Day 21: Midterm Exam: In-Class Portion
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| F 3/3 | No Class Meeting
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| M 3/6 | Spring Break |
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| W 3/8 | Spring Break |
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| F 3/10 | Spring Break |
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| WEEK 9 M 3/13 |
HomeworkReadRead Cobley C6: "Modernism and Cinema" pages 132 - 154. Before you do, though, be sure to see the directions below: Cluster for Answers and PatternsAs you read the Cobley chapter, look for at least 8 passages or phrases that help you answer the questions below. Compose "quotation tags" (1-5 words and a page number with tenths) for those passages on a sheet of paper in the form of a cluster. Read carefully my directions for clustering. Be sure to follow each step, especially the final one. Choose quotations that speak to the questions below, but also use the clustering technique to look for patterns and relationships that you might not otherwise notice or think about. Questions to Be Thinking About Making Your Cluster1. According to Cobley, what are the features of modernist narrative (for instance, how does it differ from realist or Romantic narrative)? 2. What are the features of a modernist self or identity, according to Cobley? 3. In what ways does Cobley say that cinematic narrative differs from print narrative? What are some of cinematic narrative's features and techniques? 4. According to Cobley, what are some ways that cinema naturally expresses modernist ideas and attitudes? Consider Adding Tags from Cobley's Chapter 5Cobley's Chapter 5, "Beyond Realism" is also about Modernism. Consider adding to your cluster several tags of passages you marked in Chapter 5 as important or interesting to give you a fuller picture of Modernism. Be sure to include page numbers. |
Day 22: Cobley C6 Modernism and Cinema
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| W 3/15 | HomeworkReadRead 1984, pages 1-81 Write a Paragraph Using 3 Quotations What are some ways that the government controls society in 1984? Identify three quotations that help describe these methods and their effects. Write a long paragraph that uses the three quotations to answer the questions. Print the paragraph and bring it to class. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 23: Orwell's 1984 (1. Techniques of Tyranny)
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| F 3/17 | HomeworkReadRead 1984, pages 81 - 156 Five Quotation Tags on a HandoutAs you read this section of 1984, have your Modernism handout at your side. Print it out if you don't have it on paper. 1. Look over the quotations, characteristics, causes, and conditions our Modernism handout. (Print this out if you don't have one on paper) 2. Consider these two questions:
3. As you read, note down the location of at least five quotations from 1984 which suggest answers to these questions. 4. In the margin of the handout, write quotation tags (a few key words and the page number with tenths) for each passage from 1984, and then draw a line to connect the tag with the point about modernism. Write and Print a ParagraphThink about the connections you've made on the handout. Write and print out a paragraph that analyzes these connections between modernism and 1984, showing how Orwell's novel:
Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 24: Orwell's 1984 2 (Modernism)
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| WEEK 10 M 3/20 |
HomeworkReadRead 1984, pages 156 - 218 What Went Wrong With History?In the dystopian world of 1984, it is more than just one society that has gone wrong. The very process of history itself has been halted. Progress is impossible because change is not possible. History has stopped. Choose a passage from 1984 that seems to demonstrate or comment on this freezing of the historical process. Look back to some of our previous readings and discussions that concerned the process of history:
Cluster to AnswerOn a piece of paper, start a cluster with a quotation tag for your chosen passage at the center. (See my explanation of clustering as an analytical technique.) With your cluster, try relating key ideas, terms, quotations from the theorists above to your passage from 1984. Add quotation tags for more passages from 1984 as they occur to you. Bring the cluster to class. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 25: Orwell's 1984 3 (Modernism; What Went Wrong with History?)
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| W 3/22 | HomeworkLog Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. ReadRead 1984, pages 218 - 298 Love in 1984The conflict between the individual self and the social order is a characteristically modernist theme. One way an author like Orwell can present an individual self like Winston or Julia is through the idea of love. Orwell represents many kinds of love in 1984: brotherly, motherly, fatherly, romantic, sexual, marital, patriotic.... Can you find others? Find at least 5 examples or passages where Orwell represents or talks about love, in one form or another, in 1984. Note down the page numbers with tenths and a few key words from the quotation (a quotation tag). Write a ParagraphWrite a paragraph in which you quote and analyze at least two of the passages you found to
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Day 26: 1984 4 (Love)
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| F 3/24 | HomeworkReadCobley, Chapter 7 "Postmodernism" Annotate the Postmodernism HandoutI gave you a copy of the handout, "Postmodernism," which distills and summarizies six characterics of postmodernism (mostly drawn from Cobley). Annotate your paper copy of the handout with 12 quotation tags (2 per characteristic, on average) pointing to particular statement or examples in Cobley's chapter. Then, for each of the six characteristics, write a sentence or two on your handout that clarifies how the quotations illuminate, add to, or enrich your understanding of each of the handout's summaries. Bring your handout to class with your name on it. Moodle Discussion
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Day 27: Cobley C7 Postmodernism (No Class Meeting)"Real Dogs Have Fun, Mostly Inside"
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| WEEK 11 M 3/27 |
HomeworkRead Hayden White1. From Moodle, download, print, read, mark and bring to class
See the Moodle site for links to these PDFs. Thought Questions
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Day 28: Hayden White; History and Historiography.
Resources
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| W 3/29 | HomeworkReply to the "Postmodernism" MoodleRevisit Postmodernism Moodle forum. Read through all the posts, and decide on one to respond to with an additional quotation from Cobley to add to the poster's argument. Transcribe an additional quotation from Cobley (with page number) to show
In your reply, write a paragraph that explains how your quotation adds to the understanding of the example as postmodern. Read Bridget Jones' DiaryPages 1 -74 Postmodern Satire1984 and Bridget Jones' DiaryStrangely enough, both 1984 and Bridget Jones' Diary are satires. They were both also chosen by readers of the prestigeous British newspaper The Guardian as two of the 10 Books That Defined the Twenieth Century. If 1984 is modernist in both the world it represents and the ways it represents it, could we say that Bridget Jones' Diary is postmodern in subject and style? In what ways are postmodern ideas, attitudes, and assumptions expressed in Fieldings's development of characters and her humor? Notes on Your HandoutMake notes in the margins of your Postmodernism handout (or print out a new one if you need more room), connecting particular lines or details from BJD to specific items on the handout. Also try stepping back: are there general aspects of the book that you can associate with postmodernism? For instance, the diary format, the voice, the language, ongoing themes, plot lines, etc. On your handout, connect these general observations to particular ideas about postmodernism, and try to find a particular instance that you can point to on a particular page. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 29: Bridget Jones' Diary 1; Postmodernism, Character, and Humor
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| F 3/31 | HomeworkRead Bridget Jones' DiaryPages 75-195 Thought Questions: Media and Information TechnologiesIn the novel Dracula, information technologies--including writing, transcription, duplication, electronic media, etc.--were the salvation of modernity when it was threatened by dark forces of the past. In 1984, information technologies (television, radio, newspapers, books) were modern tools of oppression and the obsolence of consciousness itself. How does Fielding represent information technologies, media, and various literacies in Bridget Jones' Diary?
Three Passages, One New UnderstandingCome in with page numbers for passages that answer at least three of the questions above. Be sure to label what passages answer which questions. Be Ready to Write a Paragraph in ClassBe ready to write a paragraph in class about how your three chosen quotations, together, create an understanding of Fielding's use of media in Bridget Jones' Diary than any one of the psaages alone does not offer. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 30: Bridget Jones' Diary 2 |
| WEEK 12 M 4/3 |
HomeworkRead Bridget Jones' DiaryPages 196 - 271 Memorize the 5 Characteristics of PosmodernismTry using the mnemonic nonsense phrase "Real Dogs Have Fun, Mostly Inside" (RDHFMI). See the Postmodernism handout. 1984 and Bridget Jones' Diary1. The Set-UpReaders of the prestigeous British newspaper The Guardian chose 1984 and Bridget Jones' Diary as two of the 10 Books That Defined the Twenieth Century. The two novels, however, come from very different ends of the century: Orwell's from the 1940s and Fielding's from the '90s. Comparing and contrasting the two novels distinguishes two very different modes of "society" (one of our course's key words): modes we might call
2. A Three-Column ComparisonOpen the Word file "Three-Column Comparison." In the middle column, fill in vertically at least eight terms that could be used to compare 1984 and Bridget Jones Diary. Here, for instance, are 17 you might choose from:
In the left column labeled, "1984," write a few words that characterize Orwell's representation of that theme or type in 1984. You might list an example or two from the novel as well. In the right column labeled, "Bridget Jones' Diary," do the same: type in examples and characterizations of how that theme or type is represented by Fielding. 3. Rank Your Top 3 and Have Page NumbersWhich points of comparison best illustrate the differences between modernist and postmodernist modes of society? of consciousness? Rank your top three and be ready to discuss why. What passages from Bridget Jones Diary best illustrate the postmodern, '90s side of your top three differences? Have page numbers for each of the three Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 31: Bridget Jones' Diary 3
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| W 4/5 | HomeworkPrint, Read, and Make Notes OnPrint, read, and annotate Chapters 2 and 3 of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics" available from the Moodle site. CommentMcCloud's Chapter 2 provides an introduction to "visual styles." McCloud's point is that the choice of style is not a matter of mere decoration, but fundamental to how an images means. The climax of the chapter is McCloud's monumental, two-page diagram on pages 52-53, which probably won't make much sense until you've actually read the chapter before and after the diagram. Two Explanatory Panels (Chapter 2)First, choose two panels from the chapter that could help us understand all that's going on in that key diagram on pages 52-53. Come to class prepared to point to those panels and relate them to some aspect of the big diagram to help explain it. Refer to your panels by page, row, and panel numbers: for instance, page 12, row 2, panel 2. Memorize the Six Transition Types (Chapter 3)1. Memorize McCloud's 6 Types of panel-to-panel transitions. (You might come up with a mnemonic nonsense phrase if it helps to recall the first letters of tbe transition types.) Write a ParagraphBut so what? In what ways does the rest of McCloud's Chapter 3 make clear why these transitions are profoundly significant in understanding how visual "sequential art" forms like comics work on readers and viewers? Choose two or three terms, examples, or panels from Chapter 3 which answer the question above, and use them in a paragraph of explanation. Be sure to cite McCloud using just the page number. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 32: Scott McCloud Understanding Comics C2 and C3:Visual Styles and Transitions
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| F 4/7 | HomeworkPrint, Read, and Make NotesPrint, read, and annotate Chapters 4 and 6 of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics" available from the Moodle site. Moodle Forum Posting (C4)In a reply to the Moodle forum "McCloud's C4: Time Frames," use ideas and examples from McCloud's Chapter 4 to analyze how an image that you've found frames time. The image might be a panel of a drawn comic, a photograph, a still shot from a film, a piece of art, etc. 1. Download or scan a copy of your chosen image so you have it as a digital file. 2. In a reply to the opening message of the Moodle forum, type a title for your message. 3. insert the digital file of your image into your Moodle post: Scroll down in the "Your Reply" screen of Moodle (after you click "Reply" to my message at the of the forum), and find the "Attachment" section with an window labeled "Drop Files Here to Upload." Drag your screen-shot image file from where it is saved and into this box. 4. From the PDF of McCloud's Chapter 4, take a screen shot of a panel (or perhaps a set of panels) which suggest language and ideas for analyzing the framing of time in your chosen image (Step 1). 5. Write a paragraph in the Moodle post which applies the ideas and examples from McCloud to an analysis of time in your image. Thought Question:
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Day 33: Scott McCloud Understanding Comics C4 and C6
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| WEEK 13 M 4/10 |
HomeworkRead PersoplisRead the entirety of Perspolis: the Introduction and pages 3-153. Moodle Post: The Uses of Visual Literacy (McCloud and Satrapi)In the Moodle forum "Visual Literacy (McCloud and Satrapi), you will find 6 posts. By 10:30 a.m. today, please reply to at least 3 of these. These 6 posts highlight 6 key ideas about visual literacy from McCloud (chapters indicated in parentheses):
In each of your 3 replies, post a screen shot from both McCloud and Satrapi which together illustrate how McCloud's technique serves a writer's (like Satrapi's) purpose. Note that you can easily find digital copies of images from Persepolis by Googling the title and page number (e.g., "Persepolis page 4") and clicking "Images" from the menu at the top of the screen. In the text field of each of your posts, 1. explain in a sentence or two how your illustration helps us understand the possibilities of McCloud's technique and how it works, and 2. in another sentence or two, describe how Satrapi uses the McCloudian technique(s) to create and heighten the effects and meaning of her story. Print out the Moodle posts--try copying and pasting the images and text into a Word file to print--and bring the printout to class. Reminder about Inserting Images in a Moodle PostInsert the digital file of your image into your Moodle post: Scroll down in the "Your Reply" screen of Moodle (after you click "Reply" to my message at the of the forum), and find the "Attachment" section with an window labeled "Drop Files Here to Upload." Drag your screen-shot image file from where it is saved and into this box. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus.
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Day 34: Persepolis
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| W 4/12 | HomeworkHow Do We Decide Whether Persepolis is Realist, Modernist, or Postmodernist?Is the character and world of Marjane and the style of the book Persepolis more modernist or postmodernist? To decide, we must determine whether the imagined world of Persepolis, Marjane’s style of consciousness, and Satrapi's means of presentation express realist , moderist , or the postmodernist thinking. Looking at the handouts for the respective -isms, how do we make up our minds? In a reply to the Moodle forum "Persepolis as Modermist or Postmodernist?" post 3 screen shots of particular panels from Persepolis which illustrate your argument that the characters, world, and/or literary style is realist, modernist, or postmodernist in nature. Note that you can easily find digital copies of images from Persepolis by Googling the title and page number (e.g., "Persepolis page 4") and clicking "Images" from the menu at the top of the screen. Look over the previous posts so you don't repeat the same screen shots. Write a paragraph that closely analyzes these 3 panels and explains the realist, modernist, or postmodern attitudes, ideas, styles, ideologies demonstrated in these panels. Looking at those three panels, can you also explain how Scott McCloud's critical vocabulary and graphic techniques can help us understand how your chosen -ism is expressed using visual literacy? Make references to particular pages/panels from McCloud. Log Your Classroom ContributionsIn replies to the the Moodle forum "Classroom Contributions," please make note of any quotations from the readings which you orally raised and commented on in class last time. See the full directions on the syllabus. |
Day 35: Film Literacy
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| F 4/14 | HomeworkReadRead the handout: The Tragic Wit of Psycho (Donald Spoto) Choose a ThemeChoose a particular theme or effect described by Spoto to look for as you watch the film Five Pages Prepared for Taking NotesCome in with five sheets of paper divided into four columns for taking notes on the four parameters of film: Cinematography, Editing, Mise en Scene, Sound. You can create these five sheets by hand or feel free to print out copies of the Word file, "Film Notes Format: Four Formal Parameters." Be prepared especially to take notes on the narrative of the film (as opposed to the story or plot), paying particular attention to how the film's technique serves a meaning and effect that Spoto talks about (and the meaning and effect of the film generally). Essentially, we want to pay attention to how technique (narrative) is deployed not for its own sake, but for larger social, cultural, political, aesthetic purposes. |
Day 36: Psycho 1
Taking Notes on FilmToday in class, I will ask you to take notes on the film using the four-column-entry format I explained as part of your homework for today:
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| WEEK 14 M 4/17 |
HomeworkYour Theme in the Film's Opening Scenes (Paragraph)How does the opening of the film (including the title sequence) introduce and begin to develop the theme from the handout "The Tragic Wit of Psycho" which you have chosen to watch for? Look carefully at your notes from the first day of viewing, and try to find specific ways that Hitchcock is using the four parameters of film as means of getting us to think about that theme and to feel it as an effect. If your theme is not obvious in the opening, try reading more closely to interpret small details. (To review what we've seen, you can usually find particular scenes or screen shots available in online videos by doing a web search.) Write and printout a paragraph that describes how cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, and sound advance your theme. Optionally, if you can find an image or take a screen shot, please paste it into your document to illustrate your discussion. Five Pages Prepared for Taking NotesCome in with five sheets of paper divided into four columns for taking notes on the four parameters of film: Cinematography, Editing, Mise en Scene, Sound. See the handout Film Notes Format: Four Formal Parameters. Be prepared especially to take notes on the narrative of the film (as opposed to the story or plot), paying particular attention to how the film's technique serves a meaning and effect that Spoto talks about (and the meaning and effect of the film generally). Essentially, we want to pay attention to how technique (narrative) is deployed not for its own sake, but for larger social, cultural, political, aesthetic purposes. |
Day 37: Psycho 2
Taking Notes on FilmToday in class, I will ask you to take notes on the film using the four-column-entry format I explained as part of your homework for today:
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| W 4/19 | HomeworkPost to Moodle in "Psycho Themes"In a reply to the forum "Psycho Themes," write a long paragraph that does the following: 1. Start Your Paragraph with a QuotationBegin by quoting Spoto about one theme or idea that he observes in Psycho from the handout "The Tragic Wit of Psycho." Some of the themes or ideas Spoto mentions incude
2. Complete Your ParagraphThen do the following in your paragraph: A. describe a scene, shot, or sequence in the film that illustrates Hitchcock's introduction or handling of that theme or idea, B. analyze how Hitchcock employs one of more of the narrative "parameters of film" to develop this theme or idea in your chosen scene or shot (cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, sound), B. Then, explain how that same scene or shot suggests a relationship or association between your chosen theme or idea and another one that Spoto mentions, or perhaps one that you've observed. (For example, how a particular scene relates
3. Optional Image or Screen Shot from PsychoIf you are able to find an image online from that scene (or take a screen shot from an online clip form the film) to illustrate your paragraph, feel free to insert it into your post. To insert the image file of your screen shot into your Moodle post: Scroll down in the "Your Reply" screen of Moodle (after you click "Reply" to my message at the of the forum), and find the "Attachment" section with an window labeled "Drop Files Here to Upload." Drag your screen-shot image file from your desktop into this box. Five Pages Prepared for Taking NotesCome in with five sheets of paper divided into four columns for taking notes on the four parameters of film: Cinematography, Editing, Mise en Scene, Sound. See the handout Film Notes Format: Four Formal Parameters.
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Day 38: Psycho 3
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Scene Times
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| F 4/21 | HomeworkReply to Someone Else's Post to "Psycho Themes"Respond to someone else's Moodle posting, exploring and explaining in a substantive paragraph some connection or parallel between the observations in that posting and those of your own post. In your paragraph, be sure explicitly to mention scenes and shots from our most recent day's viewing to update the discussion. In essence, we're using one scene or shot from Psycho to enable us to see how Hitchcock is using the Four Formal Parameters of Film to relate together some of the themes and ideas Spoto talks about (for example, Gothicism, mothers/sons, bathrooms). Five Pages Prepared for Taking NotesCome in with five sheets of paper divided into four columns for taking notes on the four parameters of film: Cinematography, Editing, Mise en Scene, Sound. See the handout Film Notes Format: Four Formal Parameters.
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Day 39: Psycho 4
Consider a Minor in
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| WEEK 15 M 4/24 |
HomeworkPost a Screenshot, Link and a Paragraph1. Find online a video clip or screen shot from a film or television show (or other work that uses film literacy) which demonstrates a particularly effective use of one or more of the Four Formal Parameters of Film Technique. Think about how that example of film-literacy technique compares and/or contrasts to Hitchcock's use of that same technique in Psycho. 2. In a reply to the Moodle forum "An Example of a Film Parameter at Work,"
The kinds of questions you might consider in your comparison/contrast:
How to Insert Images into MoodleTo insert the image file of your screen shot into your Moodle post: Scroll down in the "Your Reply" screen of Moodle (after you click "Reply" to my message at the of the forum), and find the "Attachment" section with an window labeled "Drop Files Here to Upload." Drag your screen-shot image file from your desktop into this box. |
Day 40: Psycho 5
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| W 4/26 | HomeworkDownload, Print, Read, and MarkFrom the Moodle site (under "Readings"), download and print Lev Manovich's article, "The Poetics of Augmented Space." Watch, Apply, Bring In Page NumbersWatch the two videos below. How can Manovich's ideas be applied to readings (interpretations) of the physical experiences recorded in these two videos? For each of the videos, come to class with page numbers (and tenths) of two quotations from Manovich which describe or contextualize the augmentation of reality being shown in that video?
Write a Paragraph Relating Manovich to PostmodernismIn what ways are Manovich's literacies or "poetics" of augmented space realizations of postmodernist ideas and attitudes? Identify at least three passages and/or examples from Manovich that you can relate to the characteristics and causes described on the Postmodernism handout. WRite a paragraph relating these three passages/examples from Manovich to ideas from the postmodernism handout (and/or Cobley's Chapter7) |
Day 41: Postmodern Literacies, Augmented Space
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HomeworkExam Preparation: Two Copies of Cluster1. Do a cluster of at least ten items from our semester's readings and discussions. (See these directions on clustering.) This cluster should have as its central starting point one "stimulus word or phrase": a particular object, example, symbol, person, etc. from a single text from our class. In that cluster, then try to associatively conntect to that central starting point as many items as you can from the entire semester as you can. These conntected items can be titles, examples, abstract ideas, characters, scenes, phrases, distinctions, passages, key terms, etc. Examples of the cluster's central object, example, etc. could be
All items should include have page numbers. 2. Make a second copy of your completed cluster and bring both to class.
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Day 42: Final Exam Prep and Conclusions
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| FINALS WEEK: F 5/5 |
Online Final Exam
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