Humanities 401W – Exile
__________
University of New Hampshire, Humanities Program, Fall 2011
Professors: Catherine Peebles, David Richman
Meetings: MWF, 10:10-11:00, HS 127
Office hours:
Peebles:
MW, 11:10-11:50, 1:10-2:00, and by appointment
tel. 862-3638, catherine.peebles@unh.edu, Huddleston 104
Richman:
T, 9:15-10:45; W, 3:10-4:30, and by appointment
tel. 862-2218, dmr@cisunix.unh.edu, PCAC M317
Each year, we choose one important work to help us enter into an examination of a topic or group of
topics. This semester, Humanities 401 takes as its entry text Anton Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” in
order to explore the idea of exile. What is it to be in exile? And what is home? Are we ever really at
home in the world? Or, conversely, is it ever truly the case that we’re not? What can exile tell us about
self-knowledge, and knowledge in general? For thousands of years, ever since there have been human
communities (and thus, groups from which one could be exiled), people have reflected on the problem
of exile, and have produced many great works that allow us to join in those reflections with them. We
will engage some of these texts (and one film) this semester, and bring them into conversation with our
entry text.
Reading List_________________________________________________
Books are available at the Durham Book Exchange, on Main Street in Durham. Many readings for the
course are on Blackboard, where students should access them and print them out for reading and use in
class. Always have the work to be discussed with you in class.
1. Anton Chekhov, “Three Sisters” (Bb)
2. “The Book of Ruth,” from The King James Bible (Bb)
3. William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childood” (Bb)
4. Plato, excerpts from the Meno and from the Republic, and the entire Phaedo (all three on Bb)
5. John Milton, Paradise Lost, books I, IX, X, and XII (Bb)
6. André Acimen (editor), Letters of Transit: Reflections on Exile, Identity, Language and Loss (at the
Durham Book Exchange on Main Street) (Note: We will be reading the foreword, by Aciman
(“Permanent Transients”), and three essays from this edited collection. The essays are “The New
Nomads,” by Eva Hoffman, “No Reconciliation Allowed,” by Edward Said, and “Refugees,” by
Charles Simic.)
7. Petar Ramadanovic, “When Bombs Fall: On Becoming American during the NATO Bombing of
My Home-Country” (Bb)
8. Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca” (film screenings at the Multimedia classroom in Dimond Library. See
time-table for details.)
9. Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration (We’ve
ordered this title through the Durham Book Exchange, on Main Street in Durham. The first paperback
edition of this book is coming out in early October, so we’ve asked Durham Book to wait and order that
one for you, because it is half the price of the hardcover.)
10. James Baldwin, “A Stranger in the Village” (Bb)
11. Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (at the Durham Book Exchange on Main Street)
A note on academic honesty:
We take the UNH Academic Honesty policy seriously, since trust is essential to any intellectual
community, be it a whole college, a large course, or a small seminar. We refer any instance of
academic dishonesty to the student's college dean and recommend dismissal from the university as
the most appropriate response. Be sure you are familiar with UNH’s academic honesty policy,
which you can reread in the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook. You are responsible for
knowing what plagiarism is, and making sure you do not commit it. If you have any doubts about
what constitutes plagiarism, you may see the on-line tutorial at: http://www.unh.edu/liberalarts/plagiarism/plagiarismHome.cfm
Electronic devices, such as cell phones, should be switched off and put away during class.
They should be stowed in a bag, and not placed where they are visible.
A note for students with disabilities:
If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability
Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at 603.862.2607 or disability.office@unh.edu. If you
have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please provide one of us with that
information privately, during office hours, so that we can review those accommodations.
Course Requirements_____________________________________
Coming to class prepared, having done the assigned reading and made extensive notes on it, and
having carefully reviewed lecture notes. This course involves a relatively heavy reading load and
students should budget their out-of-class work time accordingly. Students are expected and
required to devote a minimum of six to eight hours per week to class preparation. Preparing for this
class includes reading and re-reading the assigned work carefully, underlining important passages,
making notes in the margins, and making notes in your notebook. Your own notes should range
from copying significant sections of a text and definitions of new vocabulary words, to writing
down specific questions you have, to formulating critical responses and interpretations. You are
required to look up vocabulary words with which you are unfamiliar (the Oxford English
Dictionary, available through the Library tab on Blackboard, is the best source). And you are
required to bring formulated questions to each class meeting. Your class preparation grade will be
based upon your contribution of salient questions and interpretations in class. Class sessions will be
a combination of some lecture and some discussion. We will call on students by name during each
class session, in order to ensure that the course is run with as much student contribution as possible.
Attendance is required. A student who misses three classes during the semester will lose a full
letter grade for each subsequent absence, and is required to make an appointment and discuss the
problem with her/his instructor. There is no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused”
absences. The penalty scheme for attendance takes into consideration the occasional emergency or
illness. Accordingly, students are allowed three absences with no penalty. After that, each absence
lowers the grade by one letter-grade.
Papers and Examinations______________________________________
Students will spend much of the semester preparing and writing two short papers, and one sevenpage paper. The seven-page paper is due on the last day of class, and should be written in
accordance with MLA style. See the library’s Reference website for information on MLA style
(www.reference.unh.edu) and consult the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. This should be a paper in which you make a thesis claim, and support it with
a close reading of a passage or passages from the text you are discussing.
There will be two examinations. The first examination is short-answer in format. It will be posted
on Blackboard, taken during class time at a computer of your choice, and immediately e-mailed to
your instructor. It is intended to make sure that we are all doing the reading closely and attending
well in class. The second exam is a take-home essay exam, and is due after the last day of class.
Your final grade will be an average of your class participation, the two examinations, and the
three writing assignments, minus any penalty for missed classes (see “attendance” above).
Class participation: 15%
Exam #1:
15%
Exam #2:
20%
1st paper:
2nd paper:
Final paper:
10%
15%
25%
Please note: Assignment, dates, and other details in this syllabus may change, depending on our
progress as a group.
Reading Time-table
Each reading should be completed by the day it is first listed. Always bring the assigned reading to
class with you.
8/29
8/31
9/2
Introduction to the Course
Anton Chekhov, “Three Sisters” (available on Bb)
Anton Chekhov, “Three Sisters” (available on Bb)
9/5
9/7
9/9
Labor Day: No Class
Anton Chekhov, “Three Sisters” (available on Bb)
Anton Chekhov, “Three Sisters” (available on Bb)
9/12
9/14
9/16
The Book of Ruth (available on Bb)
The Book of Ruth (available on Bb)
William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early
Childhood” (available on Bb)
Short paper #1 due (3 pages): on “Three Sisters”
9/19
William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early
Childhood” (available on Bb)
Plato, excerpts from Meno and Republic, and the entire Phaedo (available on Bb)
Plato, excerpts from Meno and Republic, and the entire Phaedo (available on Bb)
9/21
9/23
9/26
9/28
9/30
Plato, excerpts from Meno and Republic, and the entire Phaedo (available on Bb)
John Milton, Paradise Lost, books I, IX, X, and XII (available through Bb)
John Milton, Paradise Lost, books I, IX, X, and XII (available through Bb)
10/3
10/5
10/7
John Milton, Paradise Lost, books I, IX, X, and XII (available through Bb)
Recapitulation and Review
Exam #1 (short-answer, to be taken through Bb and emailed to instructor: no class
today)
10/11 Letters of Transit (foreword, and three essays) [Note: this class is on Tuesday the 11th,
which follows a Monday schedule this week, because of Fall Break.]
10/12 Letters of Transit (foreword, and the essays by Hoffman, Said, and Simic)
10/14 Letters of Transit (foreword, and the essays by Hoffman, Said, and Simic)
10/17 Petar Ramadanovic, “When Bombs Fall” (available on Bb)
10/19 Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca” (to be screened outside of class)
10/21 Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca” (to be screened outside of class)
Short paper #2 due (3-4 pages)
NOTE: “Casablanca” screenings will take place in the Multimedia Classroom of Dimond
Library (2nd floor) on Monday, 10/17 at 6:30 and on Tuesday, 10/18 at 7:30. The film lasts
approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. The film will also be on reserve for
students in this course at the Multimedia Center from 10/10 through 10/28. You may check
out the film overnight, in order to watch it at home. You are also allowed to watch it on
your own in the multimedia classroom, whenever the room is not occupied by someone else.
If you’d like to reserve the classroom for your own screening, simply call 862-1756, and the
Multimedia Center will be glad to schedule the room for you.
10/24 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 1-221 (parts one, two, and three)
10/26 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 1-221 (parts one, two, and three)
10/28 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 1-221 (parts one, two, and three)
10/31 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 223-431 (part four)
11/2 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 223-431 (part four)
11/4 The Warmth of Other Suns, pp. 223-431 (part four)
11/7
The Warmth of Other Suns pp. 433-545 (part five, Epilogue, Notes on Methodology, and
Afterword) Reprise of “Three Sisters” today in class
11/9 The Warmth of Other Suns pp. 433-545 (part five, Epilogue, Notes on Methodology, and
Afterword)
11/11 Veteran’s Day: NO CLASS
11/14 The Warmth of Other Suns pp. 433-545 (part five, Epilogue, Notes on Methodology, and
Afterword)
11/16 Session: writing a solid paper
11/18 James Baldwin, “A Stranger in the Village” (available on Bb)
11/21 James Baldwin, “A Stranger in the Village” (available on Bb)
11/23 Thanksgiving Holiday: NO CLASS
11/25 Thanksgiving Holiday: NO CLASS
11/28 Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
11/30 Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
12/2 Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
12/5
12/7
12/9
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
Recapitulation and review (professor-led)
Recapitulation and review (student-led)
Take-home final exam handed out: due Dec. 14
Final paper due (7 pages)