Course Syllabus
Introduction
to
Mythology:
Myth and
Film
Introduction to Myth: Myth and Film (Online)
195: 244: 91
Spring 2013
Prof. Kathleen Sclafani
Email: ksclaf@aol.com
Office Hours: online, by request (see below)
Course Overview:
Throughout history myths have been passed on through a
variety of methods, from storytelling and performance to all
forms of written texts. Since the start of the 20th century, film
has become the newest and in some ways most powerful
medium through which myths are transmitted. In this course
we will explore how, through both content and form, film
communicates the myths of a given society to its members.
By combining the study of myth theories with film analysis,
we will attempt to explore the ways in which films both
influence and reflect the way we think, and why movies are
much more than “just entertainment”.
This course will be administered online through an ecollege
course shell. Though we do not have scheduled class periods
it is still a full 3-credit course and will require approximately
10 hrs of work per week. This includes the time spent in lieu
of class, viewing instructor presentations and participating in
online discussions, as well as completing assigned activities
and watching films. The online format is as rigorous as its
face-to-face version and has the advantage of offering
students more flexibility. It is also highly interactive,
centering on group discussions and individual communication
between students and teacher.
On the first day of class you will be directed to take a short
student orientation training course (on the opening page after
you log in at https://ecollege.rutgers.edu/index2.jsp) which
covers in detail how to access and submit assignments,
interact with the instructor during online office hours and
communicate with other students. If you need help with the
program, please call the Helpdesk at (303)-873-0005. It is
available 24x7 and can be contacted for any technical
problems like pages not loading, connectivity problems, not
able to view a video or hear an audio, or any other things that
are not working as they should.
Comparative Literature Learning Goals:
1. Students will demonstrate familiarity with a variety of
world literatures as well as methods of studying literature and
culture across national and linguistic boundaries and evaluate
the nature, function and value of literature from a global
perspective.
2. Students will demonstrate critical reasoning and research
skills; design and conduct research in an individual field of
concentration (such as literary theory, women's literature, post
colonial studies, literature and film, etc); analyze a specific
body of research and write a clear and well-developed paper
or project about a topic related to more than one literary and
cultural tradition.
3. Students will demonstrate competency in one foreign
language and at least a basic knowledge of the literature
written in that language.
Note: This course fulfills the Liberal Arts Distribution
Requirement for Writing Intensive courses, as explained
below:
Writing courses on the approved list consist of courses nominated by
departments. Such courses are above the 100 level, require 15 pages or
more of writing in English (excluding exams), including at least one
sustained piece of analytical or interpretive prose, and provide regular
detailed feedback on writing.
Course Learning Goals:
Students will be able to:
1. Describe and explain the differences between psychological,
structural and ideological understandings of the function of
myth in society.
2. Evaluate the extent to which film can be considered a form
of modern myth, through an understanding of myth and film
theory.
3. Use the three approaches to the study of myth to analyze a
selection of films from different cultures.
4. Write a research paper on a chosen topic and improve the
quality of their writing through instructor-aided revisions.
Course Requirements:
1. Paper. You will be assigned one 10-12 page paper to be
submitted at the end of the course.
2. Exams. There will be two exams, one in the middle and
one at the end of the semester, each worth the same amount of
points.
3. Online Activities. Each week you will complete an online
activity designed to enhance and enrich your understanding of
the material.
4. Threaded discussions. You will participate in online
discussions about the material with your classmates (see
further instructions below and in the course shell). Both the
number and the quality of your online responses will
contribute to your grade. Threaded discussion initial
postings must be made by midnight on Thursdays, and
responses must be completed by noon on Sundays for you to
be credited for the online session that week. Discussions will
be closed on Sunday, so late postings will not be possible.
Grading
Your grade will be determined according to a point system.
Every assignment will be worth a certain number of points,
and your final grade will be a percentage of the total number.
For example, if there are 1000 possible points and you earn
900, your percentage grade will be a 90, or a B+.
Paper: 150 pts
Threaded Discussions: 210 pts (15 pts per week)
Exams: 200 pts (100 pts each)
Online Activities: approximately 200 pts
A = 92-100, B+ = 87-91, B = 80-86, C+ = 77-80, C = 70-76,
D = 60-70, F = 59 and below
Materials
Most films can be viewed instantly through either Netflix (for
those who have an account) or Amazon instant video (prices
generally range from $1.99 to $2.99 to rent). One of the
films, Moolaade (Sembene 2004) is available for streaming
from the African Film Library for $5 (you will be provided
with a link). Most are also available in DVD format from
Netflix as well, but please plan ahead if you choose to do
this. BE SURE TO VIEW THE CORRECT FILM.
Check the director and year listed in parentheses to
confirm.
All readings will be available under the doc sharing tab (top
menu) in the course shell.
Overview of Course Design:
Each week will follow the same sequence of tasks:
1. First, at the beginning of the week, you will read the
introduction to the week's material by clicking on the week
number located on the left menu. You will then be directed to
review a lecture, for which you will need to block out onehalf hour. Its purpose is to introduce you to that week’s
readings, themes, theoretical frameworks, and generally get
you interested in the material. The lecture may take the form
of written notes or a Power Point presentation.
2. Second, as soon as possible after having reviewed the
lecture, you will read/view the assigned texts and films. They
are listed on the syllabus. All readings will be posted on
eCollege under the doc sharing tab at the top menu, and all
films can either be viewed instantly on Netflix or
purchased/rented on Amazon instant video or from other
online sources. Some film clips and videos will be loaded
directly into the course shell.
3. Third, you will engage in a small-group discussion in the
Threaded Discussion. This involves several steps (including
two postings/week). See below for details.
4. Most weeks, with the exception of exam weeks, you will
have an online activity to complete. You will find these
assignments in the left menu on the course shell. Exams must
be completed in two hours once you begin.
*Please don't attempt to work ahead in the course, unless
it is unavoidable. Since you must participate in the online
discussions on the material during the assigned week, your
posts will be better if the film and readings are fresh in
your mind. You may access the week's work beginning
Monday mornings.
Specifics of Course Design:
Lectures/Instructor Presentations:
On the left menu in the course shell you will find a list of
units. Each unit corresponds to one week of the course.
When you click on it, you will see the lecture at the top.
Click on that to access the lecture/presentation for the week.
Threaded Discussion Interactions: (210 pts) It is important to
keep in mind that our course focuses on fostering a rich set of
both student-student and student-instructor interactions. The
Threaded Discussion on eCollege provides a safe space and
the means to hold students accountable for sharing their ideas
in the pursuit of the co-production of knowledge and
understanding.
 At the beginning of the course, I will assign each of
you to a small group of four or five students with
whom you will interact on the Threaded Discussion
during the semester. You may also choose to join other
discussion groups in addition to your own.
 Each week the class will be given a prompt (found on
the left menu in the course shell under each week’s
unit. Click on the unit, then “Threaded Discussion” to
access) to which you will post an initial response on
your group’s Threaded Discussion. Your post should
answer the prompt completely and should show
evidence that you have both watched the film and
completed the lecture and reading. After everyone in
your group has posted that first response (by Thursday
at midnight of that week), you will post another
response (by Sunday at noon), this time commenting
on ideas brought up by the other students in your
group. You can comment, raise questions, offer
elaborations, and so forth. Your response should not be
simply “I agree/disagree with Student X.” We are
looking for nuanced and meaningful interactions.
 After each week I will post my own response that
addresses the whole class, sharing with you my
thoughts and observations on the ideas brought up in
the small groups. That response of mine will be
crucial, as I will clarify misunderstandings that I find in
the groups and will help as you prepare for your
exams.
. At several points during the semester, I will assess the
quality of your participation in the Threaded
Discussions and determine the amount of credit earned.
There will be 14 weeks total, and there are a maximum
of 15 points that can be earned for your participation
each week.
Ground Rules for Group Discussions: I expect you to
write in sentences (minimum of subject, verb, and the
expression of a complete idea). I also expect you to
uphold and promote a safe environment of mutual
respect. I encourage respectful and civilized lively
intellectual debate. We are not here to simply agree
with one another, but rather to co-produce knowledge
and nuanced understanding. Please read
http://blog.ecollege.com/WordPress/?p=151 for an
illuminating discussion on “netiquette” or “network
etiquette.”
Exams: (100 pts each)
See course shell, left menu for instructions and links to the
exams.
Online Activities: (approx. 200 pts)
All written work should be submitted to the appropriate
dropbox (upper menu) as an attachment in .doc or .docx
format. I must be able to comment on your work and help
with your writing, so submissions in other formats will not be
accepted.
Papers: (150 pts)
You will have a 10-12 pg research paper due at the end of the
course (topic to be announced). You will be asked to
complete the paper in stages, and you will submit each part
into the dropbox located in the top menu of the course shell.
During the process your work will be evaluated by the
instructor.
Instructions and requirements for the paper will be posted in
the course shell. Look for the announcement on the home
page.
Office Hours:
If you need to contact me for any reason, please use the email
address at the top of the page. We can either communicate
through email or arrange to meet in the chat room provided by
the ecollege course shell. I check my email at least once and
usually several times per day, so I will get back to you within
24 hours at the latest.
Syllabus:
PART I: THEORIES OF MYTH
Week 1: What is Myth? (1/22 - 1/27)
*Take the SOT (Student Orientation Tutorial) on the top
of the opening page after you log in to help familiarize
yourself with the course shell*
*Be sure to read the introduction to the lesson by clicking
on Week 1 in the left menu*
Lecture/Presentation: Definition of myth; theoretical
approaches to myth (left menu under Week 1)
View: Clip from “The Power of Myth”, a PBS interview with
Joseph Campbell (left menu under Week 1)
Read: Critique of the monomyth by Robert Segal (found in
doc sharing, upper menu)
Threaded Discussion: See course shell, left menu under
Week 1
Online Activity: Student Orientation Tutorial
Week 2: Theories of Myth II (1/28 - 2/3)
Lecture: Jung, Freud, Levi-Strauss
Read: The Epic of Gilgamesh; Thury, "How to Perform a
Jungian Analysis"; Thury, "A Levi-Straussian Analysis of The
Epic of Gilgamesh"
Threaded Discussion: see course shell, left menu
Online Activity: Analysis of Gilgamesh
Week 3: Theories of Myth III (2/4 - 2/10)
Lecture: Myth as Ideology: The Historical/Sociological
Approach
Read: Malinowski reading; Csapo on Heracles
Threaded Discussion: see course shell, left menu
Online Activity: Introduction to class blog (share tab, upper
menu)
Week 4: Film as Myth? (2/11 - 2/17)
Lecture: Issues re: understanding film as myth
View: Video on The Writers’ Journey
Read: Segal, “The Future of the Study of Myth”; Bordwell
article on superheroes
Threaded Discussion: see course shell, left menu
Online activity: Imdb project (see left menu)
PART II: FILM AND THE MYTH OF THE HERO
Week 5: The American Hero (2/18 - 2/24)
Lecture notes: Lawrence on superheroes; Ray on the
American hero
View: Casablanca (Curtiz 1943)
Read: Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood
Cinema Chapter 3
Thread: See course shell, left menu under Week 5
Online Activity: Topic and list of resources for research
paper due (see left menu)
Week 6: Heroes of the Chinese Wu-Xia Tradition (2/25 3/3)
Lecture: Question Western bias of above theories;
background on wu-xia; significance of the wu-xia
“blockbuster” as international image of China
View: Hero (Zhang 2002)
Read: Article on Hero as myth
Thread: See course shell, left menu under Week 6
Online Activity: See course shell
Week 7: Myth, Cinema and the Other (3/4 - 3/10)
Lecture: Shohat/Stam articles on eurocentrism; clips from
Orfeu
View: Black Orpheus (Camus 1959)
Read: Perrone article
Thread: See course shell, left menu under Week 7
Online Activity: View clips from Orfeu (Diegues 2000);
response in blog (share tab, upper menu)
Week 8: Myth and the Hero in West African Film (3/11 3/15 [Spring break begins 3/15])
Lecture: Ukadike article; background on the Sunjata (clips
from Keita! Heritage of the Griot)
View: Moolaade (Sembene 2004) (See course shell, left
menu for links)
Read: Interview with Sembene
Thread: See course shell under Week 8
Exam I due 3/27 (See left menu)
Week 9: The Female Star in Classic Hollywood (3/25 3/31)
Lecture: Mulvey and the gaze; the “woman’s picture”
View: Mildred Pierce (Curtiz 1945)
Read: Allen, “The Role of the Star in Film History: Joan
Crawford”
Thread: See course shell, left menu under Week 9
Online Activity: View clips from Kill Bill; read excerpts
from Jordan, “Women Refusing the Gaze”; response in blog.
Week 10: Female Monsters in Greek Myth (4/1 - 4/7)
Lecture: Female monsters in Greek mythology
View: No film this week
Read: Read Euripides' Medea
Thread: See left menu
Online Activity: Essay on Euripides' Medea
Week 11: Modern Female “Monsters” (4/8 - 4/14)
Lecture: Modern female monsters in film
View: Alien (Scott 1979)
Read: Creed, “Horror and the Monstrous Feminine” and
Warner, "Monstrous Mothers"
Thread: See course shell
Online Activity: Rough drafts due 4/17 (see left menu
under Week 10 for instructions)
Week 12: The Vampire Myth (4/15 - 4/21)
Lecture: The myth of the vampire
View: Near Dark (Bigelow 1987)
Read: Article from Vampires: Myths and Metaphors of
Enduring Evil
Thread: See course shell
Online Activity: Share/analyze class submissions of vampire
clips
Week 13: Prometheus and Frankenstein (4/22 - 4/28)
Lecture: The Frankenstein myth
View: Frankenstein (Whale 1931)
Read: “Prometheus, The Greek Trickster” (Thury); Picart,
“Rebirthing the Monstrous”
Thread: See course shell
Online Activity: See course shell
Week 14: Myth in Whale and Shelley (4/29 - 5/5)
Lecture: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Read: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Thread: See course shell
Exam II due 5/15 (see course shell, left menu)
Final Paper due 5/8