European Studies 501
Vampires Desires Empires
Spring 2016
Professor Veronica Shapovalov
Department of European Studies
Office hours: T 2:00-3:00; Th 6:40-7:30 or by appointment
My office is in BAM-310
Ph. 594-7147/594-5001
e-mail:veronica.shapovalov@sdsu.edu
Syllabus
Course overview and objectives
In this course we’ll explore various images of vampires in folklore, literature, cinema, and politics. We’ll
investigate the vampire metaphor in the 19th and 20the centuries. We‘ll look into issues of gender and
sexuality, violence and nationalism associated with vampires.
Our goals are
 to learn how to do original research using primary and secondary sources
 to develop skills in verbal analysis and detection of subtlety through reading, discussion, and
writing about literature and other artistic media
 to develop the critical understanding of the complexity of ideological and cultural dimensions
 apply critical thinking skills when approaching a cultural artifact not always given critical
attention
 to apply various critical perspectives such as the formalist, structuralist, and post-structuralist
approaches
Course requirements and grading:
At each class meeting you are responsible for that day’s reading, for asking good questions and
answering questions. I hope to keep lecturing to minimum and 30% of you grade will be for
participation in class discussion (more than 1 absence will lower this part of your grade).
One academic research paper (10-12 pages) on assigned topics will be due at the end of the
semester . semester. The paper will count as 25% of your grade. (The topics will be put on Blackboard by
January 29). You can write on a topic of your choice. If you design your own topic, please discuss your
topic with me before you start writing.
You will have to present one of your papers in class. A second student will be critically
commenting on the paper after the presentation and conduct the discussion of the paper. Student might
take the reviewer’s comments as well as comments in the class discussion into consideration before
submitting the paper. The presentation and discussion questions will be 10% of your grade.
One film review will be due during the semester. It will count as 15 % of your grade.
One book review will be due during the semester. It will count as 10% of your grade.
One article review will be due during the semester. It will count as 10% of your grade.
Class performance, exams, and papers will be evaluated and graded according to SDSU policies described
in the General Catalogue.
Grades are defined at SDSU as:
A: Outstanding achievement, available for the highest accomplishment.
B: Praiseworthy performance, definitely above average.
C: Average awarded for satisfactory performance; the most common undergraduate grade.
D: Minimally passing, less than typical undergraduate achievement
F: Failing
C/NC: Some students may, subject to their major requirement and the conditions set out in the General
Catalog, choose to take the course credit/no credit. Work equivalent to C or above will result in a grade of
Credit; work equivalent to C- or below will result in NO Credit.
WU: Indicates that an enrolled student did not withdraw from the course but did not fulfill the course
requirements. For purposes of grade point average computation, this grade is equivalent to an F. Students
who are failing when they stop attending class will receive an F, not a U.
All assigned readings should be done prior to the class. Late assignments (homework, papers, and
projects) will receive lower grades: one day late = one grade lower, two days late = two grades lower, etc.
Exception: pre-approved or approved late submission or lateness in connection with an excused absence.
All written work in English must be turned in as a typed hard copy, double-spaced in 10- or 12-point
font, and stapled.
Please do not e-mail your papers unless you have e made arrangements with me before the day it’s due.
Academic Integrity and plagiarism
College of Arts and Letters expects the highest standards of academic excellence and ethical performance
from students. It is particularly important that you are aware of and avoid plagiarism, submitting a paper
to more than one instructor, or submitting a paper authored by anyone other than yourself. All incidents
of cheating or plagiarism will be reported to the Judicial Procedures Office as required by CSU Policy.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging
the source of that information. DO NOT DO IT. Please visit the link
http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism/word.cfm?p=graphic Tutorial Services page on plagiarism if you have
any questions
Classroom policy regarding the use of electronic devices:
The use of ANY electronic devices during the classroom for note taking or any other purposes is not
permitted. If you absolutely have to use your lap-top for note taking—you have to sign the promise NOT
to surf the Internet, send messages, do homework, etc. If you break your promise I shall ask you to leave
the room and you will get one unexcused absence for this class.
Please note
All students are welcome to discuss readings, course content, exams, and other academic topics with
the instructor. If you are having trouble with an assignment or with a concept, please let me either
know during class or e-mail me your question. Questions are always welcome.
European Studies 501
Spring 2016
Class schedule
January 21 Introduction. Syllabus, course issues, schedule, etc.
Folklore vampires: Eastern and Southern Europe.
The Carpathians and the Balkans. The relationship between Slavic upyr and European vampire.
January 28 Vlad Tepes: building and destroying bridges in the Balkans.
February 4
Elizabeth Bathory
How “vampirization” reports became part of the European tradition
February 11 Beginnings of a literary tradition in vampire tales.
Romantic vampire. Byron—Polidori. Going to the Balkans.
February 18 The vampire legend reached Stoker in literature. Bram Stoker Dracula.
February 25
Bram Stoker Dracula. West vs East
March 3 La Fanu and “the Other” Gender and sexuality. Female vampires.
N.V Gogol, “Viy”
March 10
Germany. Vampires in German cinema. Nosferatu
March 17
Vampires and nationalism. Vampires: Religion and Politics.
March 24
The Literary Vampire: ETA Hoffmann Aurelia Gautier, Clarimonde.
SPING BREAK
April 7 Locations of horror. Italy Italo Calvino. Elizabeth Kostova
April 14 Locations of horror. TBA
April 21 Post-modern vampires. Vampires in our graveyards: was folklore right to begin with?
April 28 Class conference.
May 5 Catch-up and discussion (film review due)
All weekly specific assignments will be posted on Blackboard. In this class we shall have two
guest lecturers. The dates of their presentations will be finalized by January 29.
You are responsible for any changes in the syllabus and assignments that are announced in
class, whether you were present or not.
European Studies 501
Spring 2016
Readings:
Books
Alan Ryan (ed.) The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories, Penguin Books, 1997
Bram Stoker, Dracula, (any edition) buy at Amazon
Stories, articles, essays, book chapters in electronic form
Afanas’ev, Russian Folk Tales (The Vampire)
Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu, In Search of Dracula (chapters)
Tom Garza, The Vampire in Slavic Cultures (chapters)
Tomislav Longinovic, Vampire Nation: Violence as Cultural Imagination (chapters)
Matthew Gibson, Dracula and the Eastern Question (chapters)
Nina Auerbach, Our Vampires, Ourselves (chapters)
Nokolay Gogol, Vyi,
There will be additional materials posted on Blackboard