Beyond reason and perception, there is the Other. We fear the Other, tell stories to bind it, and try to shape it to fit our understanding of the world. We create science, religion, law, and a host of other institutions to make sense of it. Literature and the Occult: Worlds Beyond Reason examines some of the most alien forms that the Other takes when we encounter it -- the witch, ghost, the monster, the undead -- and what our struggles to deal with it tell us about ourselves and the worlds we create.
Your grade will consist of four factors:
1. Written Work (50%): Half of your grade will be based on two take-home essay tests (25% each, obviously). Each test will allow you to demonstrate your grasp of the philosophical and cultural issues at stake in popular culture. The purpose of these essays is to develop your ability to perform a sustained critical argument, supported with close textual analysis. These assignments will be evaluated with letter grades.
2. Key Questions (10%): Because of the size of the class and the difficulty in managing large group discussions, we will use "key questions" to provide jumping-off points for our discussions. These short writings (between 250-500 words apiece) will be based on directed questions handed out prior to or after certain sessions. Our discussions will certainly not be limited by these questions, and you should not consider them boundaries to your broad and critical reading of each text. These assignments may be evaluated by a check system.
All writing 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 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. Short Story Workshop (20%): The July 23 session will consist of an in-class collaborative project. The details of this project will be discussed shortly beforehand. You will be evaluated on group participation in an oral argument and your ability to critically evaluate the assigned material through written work.
4. Class Participation (20%): Because this class is designed to develop your critical thinking skills through practice, participation in the class discussion is crucial. You should read the texts prior to our discussions (in the case of novels and stories), take reference notes, and bring the text to class with the intention of discussing points you find important or interesting. (In the case of films we screen in class, I expect you will take notes at the time of screening for immediate discussion.) I do understand that we have a large group this summer, but there will be plenty of opportunities for you to speak during the course of the semester.
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. This is a summer course, and it moves quickly, so any absence may put you behind in the course. More than one absence 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 session, and participate in discussion, you should consider withdrawing from the course. Miss class at your own risk.
Bram Stoker, Dracula. Please note that any unabridged edition of this novel is acceptable. Although I have ordered the new Penguin edition for the bookstore, you can pick this up anywhere. Because it is in the public domain, it is also available online for free through Project Gutenberg. Check out the links below if you wish to download a copy (which you should still bring to class in some format to consult for our discussion).
Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House
H. P. Lovecraft, The Best of H.P. Lovecraft
Max Brooks,
World War Z
Additional stories will be distributed in class and/or made available for download through this site.
In addition, the films Häxan (Witchcraft Through the Ages), The Bride of Frankenstein, Spirited Away, and The Shining will be screened in class. A screenplay (for reference purposes) for The Shining is for download in PDF Format. PDF files must be read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
