James Baldwin remarked that “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” And yet, we continue to say a lot about it. Indeed much of the literature of the last century has obsessed over the century itself: the successes and failures, the efforts of individuals and social groups to communicate, and the institutions that shape our lives as Americans.
“Bright Shining Lies” will examine how our historical memory, conveyed through novels and films, is always a reflection of our contemporary lives and desires. In our first unit, we will reveal how we talk around our present lives by comparing them to our illusions of "The Golden Age." Our second unit, "Why We Fight" looks at our struggles in peace and war. In our third unit, we see individuals fight back against abuses of power, bringing "The Public Burning" that may mark the end of history.
Your grade will consist of three factors:
1. Essay Tests (60%): Three take-home tests (20% each, obviously) will allow you to demonstrate your grasp of the philosophical and cultural issues at stake in popular culture.
2. Critical Questions (20%): I will distribute critical questions throughout the course, linked to specific readings. Each will require a written response of one to two typed pages and will be designed to help spur our class discussion. These shorter writings will be due on the day we discuss the reading or film screening to which it is associated (usually the next session).
The purpose of these written assignments is to develop your ability to perform a sustained critical argument, supported with close textual analysis. These essays should be typed and documented in MLA format. No secondary sources are permitted. Plagiarism will result in automatic failure for the course (a grade of FF under the guidelines for Academic Dishonesty) and possible disciplinary action. Please consult the Student Resources section for information regarding plagiarism and related writing issues.
Because the class covers a substantial amount of material in detail, and a good deal of reading and preparation are required for each session, I also strongly recommend (but do not require) for your benefit that you keep a reading journal for the class. This will help you prepare for the required class discussion and upcoming writing exercises by analyzing and assessing the key components of the texts you are reading. The guidelines in “What Is a Reading Journal?” and “How to Analyze Visual Media” are a good general approach for most texts.
3. Class Participation (20%): Because this class is designed to develop your critical thinking skills through practice, participation in the class discussion is crucial. I will also sometimes provide "key questions," designed to spur such discussions and which you should answer (typed, about one page) and submit the following class session. Participation in the class discussion is the primary component of this grade, but fruitful class participation cannot happen without your regular attendance. There are no excused absences (apart from documented medical ones), nor is late arrival to class welcome, as it disrupts the discussion already underway. An excessive number of absences (more than two) for any reason or excessive tardiness will affect your course grade as a whole. Late work may be penalized or refused at my discretion. If you do not feel that you are willing or able to keep up with the reading, attend class each week, and participate in discussion, you should consider withdrawing from the course. Miss class at your own risk.
Although copies have been ordered for the bookstore, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is available for free download through a Creative Commons license. Please right-click on the link or button above. Other formats are available directly from Cory Doctorow.
In addition, the films Citizen Kane and Good Night, and Good Luck will be screened in class. For reference purposes, you may consult draft screenplays for the films by clicking these links or the buttons above. These screenplay links can also be found in the course schedule. Please note that since these are draft screenplays, certain details may differ from the final versions of the films as screened in class. PDF files must be read using the free Adobe Reader.
Notice: This exit-level course may contain adult content, including discussions of politics, controversial social issues, violence, sexuality, and adult situations.