| Instructor:
Jim English Office: Fisher-Bennnett Hall 131 Hours by appointment |
Recitation
Instructors: Julia Bloch Page Contreras-Gould James Fiumara Melanie Micir William Nessly Michele Strizever |
| This is an introductory course
about “world fictions” (both literary
and cinematic) in the age of global English. How are works of
contemporary literature and film in English – the kinds of stories they
tell, their ways of telling, and their fates in the marketplace – being
reshaped by globalization? Are the growing media dominance
of the
English language and the increasing power of London, New York, and
Hollywood as the major centers of cultural production effecting a kind
of McNovelization of the developing world, in which poorer and more
peripheral locations can only tell their stories in the forms approved
by the media conglomerates and their large western readerships?
Or are
we seeing the breakdown of any clear standard or center: the emergence
of new, weird and rogue forms of English, wild deformations of the
conventional English novel and the normative Hollywood film, and ever
more radically opposed narratives about the state of the world? |
| In order to approach these and
other questions, we will read eight
novels and view six or seven films. Each of these works has
attained a
certain stature in the world system, some by winning major
international prizes and awards, some by achieving massive commercial
success, and some simply by being widely taught in high school and
university English classes. We will consider not only the texts
in
themselves, but the ways they have been advertised, distributed, and
consumed. |
| Written work for this class will
include five short quizzes and three
short essays of 4-8 pages, at least one of which must be
revised.
Students are expected to attend all lectures and recitation sessions,
and to submit their own original work on the date stipulated.
More
than three unexcused absences, and any plagiarism or cheating, will
result in a failing grade for the class. Essays submitted after
the
deadline will lose one third of a letter grade for each day late. |
| Students can do well in this class simply by completing all the assignments. The quizzes, which count for 40% of the final grade, consist of straightforward multiple-choice questions about the novels, films, or lectures. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. Each of the essays counts 15% of the final grade; revised essays will be given the average of the original and revised grade. The remaining 15% of your grade will be based on attendance and participation, especially in recitation sections. No previous study of literature or film is required or expected. This class satisfies the General Education Requirement in Arts and Letters, and counts as a credit for Writing Across the University (WATU). |
| Coetzee, J. M. Disgrace. Gibson, William. Pattern Recognition. Hagedorn, Jessica. Dogeaters. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Ihimaera, Witi. Whale Rider. Rushdie, Salman. Shame. Saro-Wiwa, Ken. Sozaboy. Welsh, Irvine. Trainspotting. |
| Boyle, D. Trainspotting. (Monday
Screening + Rosengarten Reserve) Caro, N. Whale Rider. (Monday Screening + Rosengarten Reserve) Chadha, G. Bride and Prejudice. (Monday Screening + Rosengarten Reserve) Ivory, J. Remains of the Day. (Penn Video Network + Rosengarten Reserve) Loach, K. Bread and Roses. (Penn Video Network + Rosengarten Reserve) Loach, K. Riff Raff (Monday Screening + Rosengarten Reserve) |
| Jan 9 |
Introduction |
| Jan 11 |
Hosseini, The Kite Runner |
| ----- |
|
| Jan 16 |
Hosseini, The Kite Runner |
| Jan 18 |
Hosseini, The Kite Runner |
| ----- |
|
| Jan 23 |
Hagedorn, Dogeaters |
| Jan 25 |
Hagedorn, Dogeaters QUIZ #1
|
| ----- |
|
| Jan 30 |
Rushdie, Shame |
| Feb 1 |
Rushdie, Shame |
| ----- |
|
| Feb 6 |
Rushdie, Shame |
| Feb 8 |
Coetzee, Disgrace ESSAY # 1 Due in recitation
|
| ----- |
|
| Feb 13 |
Coetzee, Disgrace |
| Feb 15 |
Coetzee, Disgrace QUIZ
#2
|
| Feb
19 |
Screening:
Caro, Whale Rider |
| Feb 20 |
Ihimaera, Whale Rider |
| Feb 22 |
Caro, Whale Rider [Revision of Essay # 1 due in
recitation]
|
| ----- |
|
| Feb 27 |
Welsh, Trainspotting |
| Feb 29 |
Welsh, Trainspotting QUIZ #3
|
| ----- |
|
| SPRING BREAK |
|
| ----- |
|
| Mar 12 |
Screening: Boyle, Trainspotting |
| Mar 13 |
Boyle, Trainspotting |
| Mar 15 |
Boyle, Trainspotting [ESSAY
#2 Due in recitation]
|
| ----- |
|
| Mar 20 |
Saro-Wiwa, Sozaboy |
| Mar 22 |
Saro-Wiwa, Sozaboy Nollywood Film Clips (in class) QUIZ #4
|
| ----- |
|
| Mar 26 |
Screening:
Loach, Riff Raff |
| Mar 27 |
Loach, Riff Raff |
| Mar 29 |
Loach, Bread and Roses |
| ----- |
|
| April 2 |
Screening:
Chadha, Bride and Prejudice |
| April 3 |
Ivory, Remains of the Day |
| April 4 |
Chadha, Bride and Prejudice [Revision of Essay # 2 due in
recitation]
|
| April 10 |
Gibson, Pattern Recognition |
| April 12 |
Gibson, Pattern Recognition QUIZ #5
|
| ----- |
|
| April 16 |
Gibson, Pattern Recognition [Optional Film: Paranoia 1.0 (Rosengarten Reserve)] |
| April 18 |
Conclusion ESSAY #3 Due in recitation
|