English 117:
Film, Literature, and Cultures
Professor Noelle
Brada-Williams
Class: W 6-8:45 PM
Classroom: Clark 226
Office: FO 110 Office
Hours: M 2-4 PM & W, 10-11:45 PM
(and additional times by
appointment)
Phone: 924-4439
Email:
awilli@email.sjsu.edu
Website:
www.sjsu.edu/faculty/awilliams
Using films and literary works, students will appreciate and understand
the narratives that create and define cultural identity, explore
cultural interaction, and illustrate cultural preservation and cultural
difference over time. This course satisfies the GE Area V category:
Culture, Civilization, and Global Understanding.
Course
Objectives:
1. Students shall be able to compare systematically the ideas, values,
images, cultural artifacts, economic structures, technological
developments, or attitudes of people from more than one culture outside
the U.S. through the media of film and literature.
2. Students shall be able to identify the historical context of ideas
and cultural traditions outside the U.S. and how they have influenced
American culture.
3. Students shall be able to explain how a culture outside the U.S. has
changed in response to internal and external pressures.
4. Students shall hone their reading, writing, researching, and
critical thinking skills through the practice of intellectually
challenging analyses.
Course objectives 1-3 will be accomplished through the readings, class
discussions, and student research, while the various written
assignments will allow us to accomplish objective 4 and to assess our
level of accomplishment in objectives 1-3.
Course Requirements and
Grading:
Coursework includes reading assignments (see schedule below); two five
to eight-page formal literary analyses (which must include research);
six 1-page analytical essays and a final exam composed of both essay
and identification questions. Late paper policy: keeping
in mind the
many emergencies and unforeseen events that can occur in the average
SJSU student’s life, I have a very generous extension policy.
As long as you give me the request in writing—print or
email— (complete with a new deadline) before the
paper’s due date, most requests for an extension will be
granted. If the
original deadline is passed by a student who has not
received an extension or an extended deadline has been passed, 10% of
the total points possible will be taken off for lateness up to one
week, NO PAPER WILL BE ACCEPTED ONCE AN ORIGINAL OR EXTENDED DEADLINE
HAS PASSED BY MORE THAN A WEEK. Extended or late papers will be graded
AFTER on-time student work. Note that doing the reading
and being able
and willing to respond to the comments and questions of both the
professor and your fellow students on a daily basis is a requirement of
the course. Reading quizzes and other in-class assignments will be
given to ensure that students are indeed completing and understanding
the readings. These cannot be made up.
| Research Paper One |
5-8 page
analysis w/ research |
30% |
| Research Paper Two |
5-8 page analysis w/ research |
30% |
| “Informal” Writing |
6 1-page essays |
10% |
| Final Exam |
Comparative essay and 5 I.D.’s |
20%
|
| Reading Quizzes & other assignments |
Around 15 class
discussions/quizzes/etc. |
10% |
| Total |
|
100% |
The following statement has been adopted by the Department of English
for inclusion in all syllabi:
In
English Department Courses, instructors will comment on and grade
the quality of student writing as well as the quality of ideas being
conveyed. All student writing should be distinguished by correct
grammar and punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and
well-organized paragraphs.
The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential
grading scale as defined in the SJSU Catalog ("The Grading System").
Grades issued must represent a full range of student performance: A =
excellent; B = above average; C = average; D = below average; F =
failure.
In written assignments for English 117, this scale is based on the
following criteria:
A [90-92=A-, 93-96=A, 97-100=A+] = Excellent: The "A" essay is
articulate and well developed with fluid transitions and a clear and
persuasive use of evidence, which is drawn from the literary text
itself, lecture materials (when appropriate), and research materials.
An "A" essay contains a fresh insight which teaches the reader
something new about the subject matter.
B [80-82=B-, 83-86=B, 87-89=B+] Above average: The "B" essay
demonstrates a good understanding of its subject, a clear and
persuasive use of evidence, a certain level of ease of expression, and
solid organization. However, it usually lacks the level of originality
and creativity that characterizes the insight found in an "A" essay.
C
[70-72=C-, 73-76=C, 77-79=C+] = Average: The "C" essay makes a good
attempt at all the assignment's requirements. It has a reasonable
understanding of its subject matter, but its ideas are frequently
simplistic or over-generalized. The writing style is also more bland
and repetitive than the style shown by "A" and "B" essays and it often
contains flaws in grammar, punctuation, spelling and/or word choice. It
may also use textual evidence out of context.
D [60-62=D-, 63-66=D, 67-69=D+] = Below average: The "D" essay is
poorly organized and generally unclear. It has inappropriate or
inadequate examples, is noticeably superficial or simplistic, and/or
contains some serious mechanical and grammatical problems. A "D" essay
may also reveal some misunderstanding of the assignment requirements.
F = Failure: An "F" essay has not addressed the requirements of the
assignment and is unacceptable work in terms of both form and content.
The university has defined plagiarism as “The act of
incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts of,
and/or the specific substance of another's work, without giving
appropriate credit, and/or representing the product as one's own
work;” (excerpt from the complete policy at
http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.htm).
Plagiarism or cheating in
English 117 will result in a failing grade. The incident will also be
reported to the university for possible further action. All quotes must
be enclosed in quotation marks or, when more than three lines, put in
an indented block (like the quotes above). Full citation of the
original author and source must also be included. For all papers,
review a writing handbook for help with quote integration, formatting
& proper citation (most of you will have purchased one for your
Freshman comp. classes). Your final requirement in the course is to be
courteous and professional to both classmates and the professor. I
realize that most people take this as a requirement in their daily
lives and this statement does not need to be reiterated here. However,
people sometimes forget that the classroom is a professional setting
and rules that govern a business meeting apply here. For example,
devices such as cell phones need to be turned off; coming to class late
is unacceptable.
Campus policy in
compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act: If you need course adaptations or
accommodations
because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case
the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as
soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive
97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting
accommodations must register with DRC to establish a record of their
disability.
Reading List and
Assignment Schedule: [Do the assigned reading and
writing in preparation for the discussion on the date on which the
assignment is listed.]
Six Required Texts:
• Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Journey
and Ordeal of Cabeza De Vaca (Covey Trans. of his
Relación)
• Jessica Hagedorn, Dogeaters
(Penguin)
• David Henry Hwang, M
Butterfly (Plume)
• Milan Kundera, The
Unbearable Lightness of Being (Harper
Perennial)
• Manuel Puig, Kiss
of the Spiderwoman (Vintage Books)
• Salman Rushdie, Shalimar
the Clown (Random House)
Week One: August 29
Introduction.
Week Two: September 5
Read a short story by Ousmene Sembene and all of the Journey and Ordeal of Cabeza de
Vaca (143
pages).
Week Three: September 12
Watch Cabeza de Vaca.
Read first half of Kiss
of the Spiderwoman (up to
chapter 8, page 147).
Week Four: September 19
Finish Spiderwoman
by today. Discuss all of the novel.
Week Five:
September 26
Watch Kiss of the
Spiderwoman. Read first half of Unbearable Lightness
of Being (through part 4, page 171).
Week Six: October 3
Discuss all of the novel, Unbearable
Lightness of Being (and begin film in class).
Week Seven:
October 10
Watch film Unbearable
Lightness of Being. Paper
1 due.
Week Eight: October 17
Read M Butterfly (100
pages) and Watch M
Butterfly movie.
Week Nine: October 24
Finish any remaining discussion of M
Butterfly
and begin discussion of Shalimar
the Clown (read to page 133)
Week Ten: October 31
Watch The Terrorist and
read middle third of Shalimar
the Clown (to
277).
Week Eleven: November 7
Finish Shalimar the
Clown. Discuss all of novel.
November 8: Salmon
Rushdie coming to SJSU
Week Twelve: November 14
Paper 2 Due.
View film (to be chosen from among the following: A Place in the Sun,
All That Heaven Allows,
or The Harder They Come).
Week Thirteen: November
21
Thanksgiving Holiday
Week Fourteen: November
28
Read first half of Dogeaters
(through page
125).
Week Fifteen: December 5
Finish and discuss all of Dogeaters
and review
for final.
December 12, 5:15-7:30
PM: Final Exam