HONORS 200: Portraits of the Past: History, Memory and the Arts
Section 200-013, T/Th 2.00-3.15pm
Instructor: S. Ani Mukherji
Section 200-104, T/Th 3.30-4.45pm
mukherjs@uwm.edu
Spring 2016
Office: Honors 151, Honors College
Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-2pm; Thursday 11am-2pm; by appointment
“…cinema is the greatest known mass medium there is in the world and the most powerful. If
you’ve designed a picture correctly, in terms of its emotional impact, the Japanese audience
should scream at the same time as the Indian audience… A novel may lose a lot of its interest in
the translated version, and a play that’s beautifully acted out on opening night may become
shapeless during the rest of the run, but a film travels all over the world.”
Alfred Hitchcock
Still from Battle of Algiers (1966)
The average person’s understanding of world events is more likely to come from movies than from
books. Perhaps you’ve learned about the Iraq War from The Hurt Locker or caught glimpses of IsraelPalestine relations in World War Z. In fact, over the past century, cinema has become arguably the most
important medium for capturing the complicated historical episodes define our modern era—revolution,
mass politics, total war, the end of empire, the Cold War, and global migration. But how well has film
captured the major problems and dilemmas of our time?
This seminar will examine artistic representations of major world events of the twentieth century. How
have different filmmakers tried to capture these moments? What, for that matter, defines “a moment” in
history? How are memories of global episodes communicated across cultures? How have other artistic
forms—poetry, diaries, photography, music, journalism, essays—attempted to document crucial events
that shape our current world? Comparing these forms, has our increasingly reliance on cinematic
memory impoverished or enriched our historical understanding of the world we inhabit today?
Portraits of Past Syllabus
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REQUIRED TEXTS
John Berger and Jean Mohr, A Seventh Man
John Hersey, Hiroshima
(ISBN-13: 978-1844676491)
(ISBN-13: 978-0679721031)
Other short readings are available on D2L. These readings should be printed out and brought to class.
REQUIRED VIEWING
In addition to film screenings in class, there will be four films that you are responsible for viewing on
your own outside of class before assigned dates. These films will be available on YouTube or D2L.
VIEW BEFORE
10 February:
17 February:
10 March:
7 April:
The Circus
Triumph of the Will
Hiroshima, Mon Amour
Battle of Algiers
Policies
1. Attendance: Any student who misses more than three classes (for any reason) will receive an “F”
for his/her participation grade. Any student who misses more than five classes will receive an
“F” for the course. Being substantially late or leaving early counts as a missed class.
2. Readings: Hard copies of the assigned reading must be brought to seminar. When the reading is
from a required book, bring the book to class. When the reading is posted to D2L, print the
document and bring it to class.
3. Cell phones/Laptops/Gadgets: I do not want to see or hear your phones or other technology
unless you are using it for a presentation.
4. Essays: All essays must be typed, double-spaced and in twelve point font. Papers must have page
numbers, citations, and a heading with the student’s name, title of the assignment, course, and
date.
5. Formal Writing: Written assignments should engage the reader with lively, concise writing and
should lack typographical errors, as well as lapses in tone, register, punctuation, spelling, word
choice, and grammar. Put simply, formal writing should not be the first draft of your thoughts,
but a revised presentation of your considered reflections. Your written work will be graded down for
errors of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
6. Citation Style: All papers should be formatted according to MLA Style Guidelines:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ Here’s what your paper should look
like: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090701095636_747.pdf
7. Plagiarism/Academic Misconduct: I take plagiarism very seriously. Please be sure to cite your
sources and attribute research to the hard-working scholars who published it first. The
university policies and sanctions for academic misconduct are described here:
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm
8.
Special Considerations: All students are welcome in this seminar. If you have any special needs
or considerations that require modification of assignments or course requirements, please inform
me at the beginning of the semester.
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COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Map Quiz
Participation
Leading Discussion
Short Essays
Final Project
5%
10%
15%
40% [20% each]
30%
MAP QUIZ [5%]
As this course will consider events that occurred across the globe during the 20 th century, it is important
to have a basic sense of world geography. During the first two weeks of the course, there will be a short
map quiz that asks you to locate the principal cities and countries that we will examine in this seminar. A
list of locations will be distributed during the first week of the course.
PARTICIPATION [10%]
In class, you should only have two things with you at the table: (1) a hard copy of the complete assigned
reading; (2) your notebook. All backpacks, laptops, phones, tablet devices, food, and other stuff should
be deposited in the back of class. You may bring a drink to stay hydrated during our intense discussions.
Seminars are intended to be active sites of inquiry and sharing. Students are expected to complete ALL
assigned readings, come to every class with ideas and questions about the reading, and participate in
discussions. Completing the reading does not mean that your eyes passed over the words; rather, you
should be able to state the major point the author intended to make, to evaluate how well the author
accomplished this task, and to connect the new evidence and interpretations with previous readings.
A – Completed reading and viewing for all seminar meetings; regularly asked questions and offered new
perspectives based on careful reading of the assigned texts and films; listened attentively and responded
to classmates.
B – Completed reading and viewing for all seminar meetings; participated in seminar after careful
reading of the assigned texts and films; listened attentively and responded to classmates.
C – Attended seminar regularly and usually completed reading and viewing for class; occasionally
participated in discussion.
F – Missed more than three classes.
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LEADING DISCUSSION [15%]
As this course is a seminar, it is your job to define our conversations, offer interpretations, and evaluate
the assigned material. As such, you will—in groups—be responsible for preparing to lead discussion.
Part One: Preparation
Work with your group to brainstorm ONE provocative topic for discussion and a set (2-3) of questions
related to this topic. Be prepared with an explanation of the topic, provocative questions, and key
passages of the assigned text to discuss. Remember, your job is to offer questions that start a broad
discussion, not to give an answer that ends discussion.
Good questions:
 Involve higher-order thinking (analysis, comparison, synthesis, evaluation);
 Depend on a careful reading of the details of the assigned text;
 Clarify or complicate major issues related to our course;
 Create connections between different parts of the assigned text and to previously-assigned
readings.
Part Two : Leading Discussion in Class
Each discussion should last 25-30 minutes and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Your
introduction and the order of your questions should lead the class toward coming to some conclusions
(though not everyone must agree!) about your topic.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
State the overall topic of discussion.
Explain why you think that this topic is worth consideration and how it fits into the course.
Ask a good opening question or begin with a provocative argument.
Manage the discussion by responding to comments, asking follow-up questions, and
encouraging dialogue.
After about 20-25 minutes, bring discussion to a close by: summarizing the best points of
discussion; noting what conclusions, points of agreement, and points of disagreement exist;
and identifying questions related to your topic that haven’t been resolved or talked about.
CHECKLIST FOR DISCUSSION LEADERS
 Cleared topic and possible discussion questions with instructor 24 hours in advance of class.
 Chose an interesting and important issue to discuss.
 Chose a topic broad enough to sustain discussion and debate for at least 25 minutes.
 Explained why we chose this topic to the class.
 Asked an effective opening question.
 Managed discussion well and made sure all students from the class were involved.
 Responded to questions and comments from other students.
 Focused discussion with interpretations of specific passages of the assigned text.
 Paid attention to all student comments and ended the discussion with a summary of important
conclusions and remaining questions/issues.
 Spoke clearly and with confidence at all times.
 Was enthusiastic and encouraging.
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Short Essays (Papers #1 & #2)—[20% each]
You will be asked to write two short essays (3-5 pages) in this course. These essays will evaluate how
ONE artistic work represents a particular event or moment in world history. Specific prompts will be
distributed in class.
Students will have the opportunity to revise the first essay to improve their grade. If students choose to
revise their paper, the final grade for the paper will be calculated as follows: (First Revision * 33%, +
Second Revision * 67%). Students may appeal to the professor to revise their second paper under special
circumstances.
Final Project [30%]
For your final project, you should choose a particular event, moment, or historical trend and formulate a
synthetic argument that evaluates how two or three different works. A specific prompt will be distributed
in class.
The final project will be presented in two ways:
Presentation
During the last two weeks of the course, students will deliver final presentations. Each presentation
should be about 10-12 minutes long, present your major argument, and support this argument with two
or three specific interpretations of scenes or passages. I strongly encourage students to use visual aids.
These presentations will be similar to papers that scholars deliver at conferences. There is a very useful
guide to preparing such presentations here: http://www.cgu.edu/pages/862.asp
These presentations will be followed by questions from your fellow students. You should think about the
presentation as a chance to try out your arguments and interpretations before committing to them in your
final paper. If there is something in your argument that you are still working out, ask the class for help!
Final Paper
At the conclusion of the course, you should compose a 5-7 page paper that presents your argument and
supporting interpretations.
ALL PAPERS SHOULD BE FORMATTED ACCORDING TO MLA STYLE GUIDELINES:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR PAPER SHOULD LOOK LIKE:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090701095636_747.pdf
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COURSE SCHEDULE
26 January: Introductions
 Overview of Course, Expectations, and a Learning Community
28 January: History and Memory

Reading:

In-Class Viewing:
 Workshop:
Alessandro Portelli, “The Death of Luigi Trastulli: Event and Memory”
Hand-Out on Film Terms
Arrival of the Train at the Station (1896)
Excerpt from Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
“Establishing Shot” and “Collective Memory”
Week Two: The Bolshevik Revolution and Revolutionary Society
2 February

Background Reading:

Class Viewing: Dziga Vertov, Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZkvjWIEcoU
“The Russian Revolution and the Stalin Era” in The Columbia History of
the World
4 February
CLASS CANCELLED
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Week Three: Revolutionary Art
9 February

Reading:
Yale Film Analysis Guide: http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/
 Student Discussion of Man with a Movie Camera
Workshop:
“Gloss” and “How to Write about a Scene”
11 February

Reading:
V. Mayakovsky, “The 150,000,000”
GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION on Mayakovsky
Week Four: Mass Culture and Stalinist Civilization
BEFORE CLASS ON TUESDAY – VIEW ON YOUR OWN

Viewing:
Grigorii Aleksandrov, The Circus (1936)
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia4DyErYhAs
16 February
 Discussion of The Circus
 Workshop:
“Narrative,” “Character,” “Acting,” and “Score”
18 February

Reading:
N. Mandelshtam, Hope Against Hope, 3-55
GROUPS 3 & 4 LEAD DISCUSSION on Mandelshtam
Week Five: Writing Paper #1 – Workshops
23 February
 Workshop: Formulating a Thesis, Writing an Introduction, Choosing a Title
25 February
 Workshop: Peer Editing of COMPLETE ROUGH DRAFTS of Paper #1
PAPER #1 DUE IN DROPBOX BY 5pm on 26 FEBRUARY
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Week Six: Mass Culture and Nazi Germany
BEFORE CLASS ON TUESDAY – VIEW ON YOUR OWN

Screening:
Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will (1935)
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHs2coAzLJ8
1 March

Background Reading:
US Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Third Reich”
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007331
GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION on Triumph of the Will
3 March

Reading:
Charlotte Beradt, “ How It Began,” “Disguised Wishes,” and “The Dreams of
Jews” in The Third Reich of Dreams (1968)
GROUPS 3 & 4 LEAD DISCUSSION on The Third Reich of Dreams
Week Seven: The Holocaust
8 March

Background Reading:
US Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Introduction to the Holocaust”
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143

In-Class Viewing:
Alain Resnais, Night and Fog (1955)
10 March

Reading:
Primo Levi, “The Journey,” “On the Bottom,” and “The Drowned and the Saved”
GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION on Night and Fog & Survival at Auschwitz
SPRING BREAK: Watch Hiroshima, Mon Amour & Read Hiroshima
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Week Eight: The Atomic Bomb
VIEW FILM BEFORE CLASS ON TUESDAY

Viewing:
Alain Resnais, Hiroshima, Mon Amour (1959)
Uploaded to D2L.
22 March
 WORKSHOP: “Shots,” “Auteur,” “Style,” and “Sets/Locale”
24 March

Reading:
John Hersey, Hiroshima, 1-91
GROUPS 3 & 4 LEAD DISCUSSION on Hiroshima
NEW GROUPS ASSIGNED FOR REMAINDER OF SEMESTER
TOPICS for PAPER #2 DISTRIBUTED
Week Nine: Decolonization and Global Migrations
29 March

Background Reading:
 In-Class Viewing:
“Africa since 1945” in The Columbia History of the World
Ousmane Sembene, Black Girl (1966)
31 March
 GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION of Black Girl
Paper #2 Due in Dropbox by 1 April at 5pm
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Week Ten: Decolonization II
VIEW FILM BEFORE CLASS on TUESDAY

Gillo Pontecorvo, Battle of Algiers (1966)
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-7j4WVTgWc
5 April
 GROUPS 3 & 4 LEAD DISCUSSION of Battle of Algiers
7 April

Reading:
Frantz Fanon, “Algeria Unveiled”
 GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION of “Algeria Unveiled”
Week Eleven: Migrant Lives #1
12 April

Reading:
John Berger and Jean Mohr, “Departure” in A Seventh Man, 1-78
 GROUPS 3 & 4 LEAD DISCUSSION of “Departure”
14 April

Reading:
Berger and Mohr, “Work” in A Seventh Man, 79-201
 GROUPS 1 & 2 LEAD DISCUSSION of “Work”
Week Twelve: Migrant Lives and Globalization
19 April

Reading:
Berger and Mohr, “Return” in A Seventh Man, 203-229
21 April

Viewing:
Portraits of Past Syllabus
Paul Carlin, The Spectre of Hope (2001)
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FINAL PRESENTATIONS
26 April

GROUP ONE PRESENTATIONS
28 April

GROUP TWO PRESENTATIONS
3 May

GROUP THREE PRESENTATIONS
5 May

GROUP FOUR PRESENTATIONS
10 May
REMAINING PRESENTATIONS and PARTY/FINAL DISCUSSION
FINAL PAPERS DUE IN DROPBOX BY 10 MAY at 5PM
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