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Instructor:
Rich Erlich, 373 Bachelor, 529-7189 (any time), e-mail: erlichrd@muohio.edu
Texts:
Author/ED. Title Publisher My Short Form {Film}
| Erlich, Richard D. | Course Packet | Oxford Copy Shop | Packet |
| Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. | Slaughterhouse-Five | Dell | Sh-5 {SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE} |
| Heinlein, Robert A. | Starship Troopers | Berkley Pub |
SrTr {STARSHIP TROOPERS} |
| Huxley, Aldous | Brave New World | Harper Perennial | BNW {GATTACA} |
| Orwell, George | Nineteen Eighty-Four | New American Library | 1984 {1984, BRAZIL} |
| Palahniuk, Chuck | Fight Club | Henry Hold | {FIGHT CLUB} |
Recommended (Not Ordered)
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven Avon Rpt. LoH {THE LATHE OF HEAVEN}
Caution:
In a discussion of Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Northrop Frye summarizes Gulliver's presentation of "man as a
venomous rodent, [...] the mind of man as a bear-pit, and the body of man as a compound of filth and ferocity"--and
women, too; Yahoos all. Frye goes on, "But Swift is simply following where his genius leads him, and genius seems to
have led practically ever great satirist to become what the world calls obscene" (Anatomy of Criticism, 1957: 235).
We will be dealing with materials that "the world"--though not currently the law in Ohio or the USA--"calls obscene,"
Also misanthropic, occasionally sexist, and often politically incorrect, hurtful, and indecent.
First day of the course, I'll give you a sample as nasty as it will get (and give you permission, in this case, to avert
your eyes): a "Singin' in the Rain" medley with the song from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), a Simpson's parody, and then the
Rape/Crippling scene in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971). If dealing with such cinema will be a problem for you, please drop the
course. If dropping is a real problem due to lack of courses, talk to me about (a) alternative work within the Satiric Film course
and (b) political action to attack the MU problem of too few courses for too many requirements.
LANGUAGE: I observe an absolute taboo against pronouncing the name of God. Aside from that, I try to proceed
ethically not offending people inadvertently or unnecessarily. So, if I offend you, let's talk.
Usual Drill (or "Default Mode"):
Monday Afternoons: Brief announcements, handling of questions; any shorts or excerpts; feature attraction.
Notes: (1)I'll never ask you to remain in class just to fill out the time. (2)The shorts and clips may be the most
difficult to see on your own, so please try to arrive punctually. (3)If you need to leave the screening early --or
leave and return--please sit near a door; leave and enter quietly; and see the parts you missed on your own.
(4)Cell phones: Please be courteous; unless there's an emergency, turn them off.
Tuesdays: Usually: you should bring to class a 4X6 white response card with your name on it, the date, and your response
to an QUESTIONS for the week; if the discussion questions I supply don't interest you, try a question in the study guide(s).
We will convene as a class for announcements and class questions; then Erlich may lecture and/or show film clips. Unless
there's a Group presentation or something else, you'll break up into your groups and work for 10-30 minutes trying to come
up with a group response (on a yellow Group Response Card) based on the individual cards. Please include on the yellow
cards "ENG/FST 350d" + your Group Name or Number + the date + the last names of the people who attended and worked
on the card(s). Then I'll collect the cards, and, as time allows, we'll reconvene as a class, and I'll try to start discussion
from the cards. I'll also keep the cards for the term, as partial documentation for assigning participation grades.
Thursdays: Usually: Discussion (based on cards) and/or group presentations.
Note: I've provided more opportunities for card exercises than it's likely we'll get to. I'd like you to fill out the
white cards whether we get to them or not. If we don't get to them--or if we do, for that matter--and you like
what you have to say and want to share it, you can post the content of the card to the ListServ.
Course ListServ: <ENG350DA>
I intend to just put on the ListServe everyone in the class. If you want to subscribe on your own, on an internet browser go to
<http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/> and follow the instructions there. See below on ListServ participation.
PREREQUISITES: There is no prerequisite except College Composition (or current enrollment in College Composition). The syllabus is
constructed to allow different emphases for Groups and individual students for a class of some 40 to 45 students.
BASIC JARGON
Comedy, Tragedy, Romance, Satire: I use these terms technically (Packet 9); defining the "Satire" part is central to our course.
S.F.= Science Fiction
SF: S.F. + related works (utopias, some Fantasy, some Horror).
SciFi: SF without pretensions, or a pejorative for SF.
Mundane Art: in Samuel R. Delaney's usage, art that is not SF or fantasy.
Utopia: "Good place" + "no place" / Eutopia: Good place / Dystopia: Bad place / Antiutopia: work attacking utopian thinking.
Other Terms: See "Toward Defining 'Satire'" in the Packet (11-17); We can see a short, Basic Film Terms; see also in Packet "Terminology: Theatre, Film,
TV" (5-8).
GRADED COURSE WORK:
Quiz: In class Thur. of Week 5, covering films and readings so far in our course.
025 points
Written Work 1: A "half-hour exam," to be written in exam booklets in class, Thur. of Week 8. Open-book, open notes, no outside
assistance. Based on our work so far in the course, Is there a genre, "Satiric Film?" If not, why not? If so, how do we
recognize the genre? You must deal with at least one of the Packet readings and at least with MAKING MR. RIGHT and
two other of our *'ed "main feature" films.
050 points
Written Work 2: A 1000- to 2000-word out-of-class essay, due Thur. of Week 11.
Option 1: Second pass at "Satiric Film" issue: Based on our work so far in the course, but dealing with at least
two films from Part II, is there a genre, "Satiric Film?" If not, why not? If so, how so we recognize the genre?
Option 2: R.A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers is satire only as eutopia; P. Verhoeven's STARSHIP TROOPERS
film may be strongly satiric. If Thomas Wymer et al. are correct about K. Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, the work is
satiric; the film may be a more powerful antiwar statement--but maybe not satiric. Either starting from or limiting your
argument to these works, generate a thesis on the theme of war in satire; argue that thesis.
Option 3: If you have a B+ or higher average on the Quiz and WW1 (66 or higher), you may negotiate a topic
with me, submitted before 8 p.m. the Monday before it is due.
075 points
Written Work 3: Final Exam. In-class, take-home, or combination. If all or partly take-home, take-home portion due in class, Thurs.
the week before finals (if you want comments), or when the Final Exam is due (To Be Announced). The final will stress
Part III of the course: Topics in Satire: Eutopia, Antiutopia, Dystopia.
100 points
Students who get an "A" average on the Quiz and WW1 and WW2 may suggest a project to replace WW3.
Group Project: Within limits, to be negotiated, but which (1) must produce something of use to film classes; (2) must produce
something in writing; and (3) should be presented as scheduled. See first class meeting in Schedule for a list of groups/topics.
If the Group does something substantial in writing (e.g. a study guide) the presentation should be very brief.
050 points
Participation: At least three posting on the course ListServ, as recorded in the list archives, prior to 10 p.m Monday before Thanks-
giving; 3 or more: 10 points; 2 or fewer: 0 points; participation in producing Group cards for the card exercises, as reported
to the instructor by your Group Leader: 0-20 points; participation in class discussion as recorded by Group Leaders and
judged for quality by instructor: 0-20 points.
050 points
Quiz 025
WW 1 050
WW 2 075
WW 3 100
Group Project 050
Participation 050
TOTAL: 350 points
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