Memory, Mourning, and Melancholia
ENGL 118W | Section 09 | MW 8:45-10:00 | Spring 2013 | Furman 007
Professor Emily King | Email: Emily.L.King@vanderbilt.edu
Office Hours: Mondays, 10:15-11:45AM & by appointment in Benson 423
Course Description
For whom (or what) do we mourn? Taking seriously that question, this course explores loss and the ways
in which it evokes a wide range of affective responses – grief, depression, fixation, madness, guilt, and
even rage. In particular, this class is organized around the following: How is memory constructed, and
what is its relationship to mourning? What is the work of mourning? And how does one mourn, much less
remember, that which is elided, overlooked, or forgotten? To address these issues, this course investigates
various genres, including film, novel, poetry, theory, and drama, that cross national and historical
boundaries.
This course aims to develop students’ proficiency in the skills fundamental to a liberal arts education: the
ability to reason, to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to appreciate excellent writing and
thinking. In this class, you will learn how to communicate articulately in order to translate your ideas onto
paper. All writers, regardless of their abilities, can improve their skills, and a class specifically designed to
foster those skills will serve you well, regardless of your academic interests.
Course Requirements
Required Texts: Our required texts (Fun Home, Titus Andronicus, Corregidora, The Brief Wondrous
Life of Oscar Wao, Ceremony, and Home) may be purchased at the campus bookstore. All other assigned
readings may be found online at OAK. Please print out these readings and annotate them carefully.
Finally, I recommend Diane Hacker’s Rules for Writers 7th Edition as an excellent writing resource.
Attendance and Participation: Some of the most significant discoveries occur during class, and as such,
there is no way to make up for the loss of a classroom learning experience. I permit two absences from
my class for illness, family emergencies, and other personal matters. After two absences, I will subtract ½
letter grade for each subsequent absence. Should you miss class, the class material and any associated
assignments are still your responsibility. Please note that Vanderbilt athletic or extracurricular activities
do not constitute “allowed” absences beyond the two permitted for our class.
The educational benefits of a dynamic, interactive classroom that features engaging and respectful
discussions are numerous. However, I will not simply award full participation credit to students who talk
the most. I recognize that there are a myriad of ways to productively participate in a classroom, and I will
stimulate discussion to encourage this diversity. If you tend to be a “talker” in a class, please make sure
that you’re listening to the ongoing discussion and encouraging the participation of your peers. If you are
hesitant to speak in larger groups, please push yourself to speak once or twice during each class period.
Both you and your peers will reap the rewards of this effort!
Essays, Quizzes, and Grading Procedures
Essays: You will write three formal essays; these assignments are designed to hone your analytic,
communication, organization, and research skills – skills that will provide long-term benefits for your
career at Vanderbilt The first two essays will be 4-5 pages, and the third essay, which will require outside
research, will be 6-8 pages. For further details, please see the assignment sheets on OAK.
Leading Class Discussion: Each student will lead discussion during one class period. This means that
you, along with a partner or two, will be running the class for the opening 15 minutes. You will
summarize the subject for day and select an issue or theme drawn from the assigned reading. Because
your goal is to stimulate discussion, you should come prepared with questions and/or activities to do so.
To reflect on these experiences, you will write a 1-2 page paper that addresses the following questions.
How did you prepare for this activity? Were the preparatory tasks shared equitably? How do you feel the
discussion went? And why? Anything you wish you could do differently?
This reflection paper is due one week after you lead discussion.
Quizzes: I will give out quizzes throughout the semester to test your progress. However, I will not assign
“pop quizzes” unless I suspect that the class is not completing the reading assignments.
Grading: Your final grade will be based on the following:
20% for Paper #1
25% for Paper #2
25% for Paper #3
10% for leading class discussion
10% for class participation
10% for quizzes
Course Policies
Late Policy: Tardy students disrupt the learning environment, so if you arrive late to class more than
three times, I will count this tardiness as an absence.
Late Papers: I collect papers at the beginning of class on the due date. I penalize late papers ½ letter
grade for each subsequent calendar day (e.g., B becomes B-).
Academic Integrity: Vanderbilt’s Honor Code governs all work in this course, and a violation of this
code carries serious consequences that may include a failing grade on the plagiarized assignment, a failure
in the course itself, suspension, or even expulsion. More importantly, you cheat yourself out of a valuable
learning experience. When you turn in an assignment, you tacitly acknowledge that this is your own work.
To avoid unintentional offenses, please document your work according to MLA style. Should you have
any questions concerning plagiarism or documentation, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Students with Disabilities: If you haven’t already done so, please visit Vanderbilt’s EAD website to help
secure appropriate documentation: www.vanderbilt.edu/ead. In addition, please come to me with your
concerns, and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.
Course Calendar – Memory, Mourning, and Melancholia
Spring 2013 – Emily King
Please note that this calendar is subject to change as we progress through our semester together.
January
7 (M)
Introduction to Course
How is Memory Constructed?
9 (W)
Abraham Lincoln, “Emancipation Proclamation”
Walter Benjamin, “Theses on the Philosophy of History”
February
14 (M)
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home
Quiz
16 (W)
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home
21 (M)
No Class
23 (W)
Memento
Quiz
28 (M)
Memento
30 (W)
Writing Workshop
Due: Draft of Paper #1
What is the Work of Mourning?
4 (M)
Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus (Acts 1 & 2)
Due: Paper #1
6 (W)
Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus (Acts 3 & 4)
Quiz
11 (M)
Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus (Act 5)
Quiz
13 (W)
Poems of Wyatt and Surrey
18 (M)
Poems of Amelia Lanyer and Ben Jonson
Due: Revision of Paper #1
20 (W)
Gayl Jones, Corregidora
Quiz
25 (M)
Gayl Jones, Corregidora
27 (W)
March
Gayl Jones, Corregidora
Critical Reading (TBD)
Quiz
4 (M)
Spring Break
6 (W)
Spring Break
How Do One Mourn an Event that Goes Unremembered?
11 (M)
Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Quiz
April
13 (W)
Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
18 (M)
Writing Workshop
20 (W)
Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Critical Reading (TBD)
Quiz
22 (F)
Paper #2 Due by 5PM via email (Emily.L.King@vanderbilt.edu)
25 (M)
Julia Kristeva, “Approaching Abjection”
Quiz
27 (W)
Julia Kristeva, “Approaching Abjection”
Truth and Reconciliation: Is Redemption Possible?
1 (M)
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
3 (W)
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
Quiz
8 (M)
Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
Critical Reading (TBD)
10 (W)
The Salt of This Sea
15 (M)
The Salt of This Sea
17 (W)
Toni Morrison’s Home
Quiz
22 (M)
Toni Morrison’s Home
26 (F)
Final Paper Due by 7PM in Benson 423