oENG251: Film and Literature
Section C2: Thursday, 8:30-11:15, North Annex 102
(Office Hours TBD)
Class web page: www.Brian-T-Murphy.com/Eng251.htm
Brian T. Murphy
Bradley Hall, Y-219
516-572-7185, ext. 25686
Email: brian.murphy@ncc.edu
DESCRIPTION:
This course compares different techniques and effects of literature and film. Students explore genre, form, structure,
symbolism, myth, and convention in both media. Writing is an integral component of the course.
Prerequisites: ENG 102 or ENG 109.
This course explores the complex interplay between film and literature. Selected novels, short stories and plays are
analyzed in relation to film versions of the same works in order to gain an understanding of the possibilities—and
problems—involved in the transposition to film. As this is a course in literature and film analysis, students do not need
to have taken other film courses before taking this course. However, it is assumed that students have successfully
completed the prerequisites for this course, ENG 101 and ENG 102 (or their equivalent). Therefore, students are
expected to have the necessary background and experience in analyzing, discussing, and responding to literature, as well
as the ability to conduct independent research and to write correctly documented research essays using MLA format.
Students are cautioned that this course requires extensive reading and writing in addition to viewing films and taking
part in class discussions. Students not prepared to read (up to 150 pages/week) and to write on a regular basis and to take
an active part in class discussions should not consider taking this course.
OBJECTIVES: Students will
Enhance their ability to understand, appreciate, and discuss works of literature through extensive reading and
discussion of short stories, novels and plays.
Analyze works of fiction and drama for plot structure, setting, characterization, theme, and narrative point of view.
Develop an understanding of critical analysis of film through careful examination of cinematic adaptations of literary
texts, focusing on character development, dramatic structure, and performance.
Learn and utilize the terminology of film analysis, both those terms shared with literary discussion (character, plot,
theme, setting) and those specific to cinema (lighting, montage, special effects, etc.).
Demonstrate an understanding of the possibilities and problems involved in the transposition of literature to film,
applying terminology and critical skills acquired during the semester to analyze a cinematic adaptation of a text not
discussed in class.
TEXTS:
Required:
King, Steven. Carrie. New York: Anchor, 2013.
Levin, Ira. Rosemary’s Baby. New York: Norton (Pegasus), 2014.
Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend. New York: Tor, 2007.
Additional required readings will also be assigned and made available as photocopies or as links, including:
Campbell, John W. “Who Goes There?”
Langelaan, George. “The Fly.”
Matheson, Richard. “Prey.” (included in I Am Legend)
Recommended:
Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers, 7 ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012, or another current
college-level handbook including 2009 MLA updates.
Hutchings, Peter. The Horror Film. London: Routledge, 2004.
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond, Revised 9 ed.. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009.
Zinoman, Jason. Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and
Invented Modern Horror. New York: Penguin, 2011.
A good college-level dictionary.
CLASS POLICIES:
Attendance: Students must not only attend every class, but also arrive on time, be prepared, and take an active part in
class (see Participation, below); students may be required to sign in each class session to verify their attendance.
Moreover, once students get to class, they are expected to stay in the classroom until the class is over. Leaving class
early or getting up in the middle of class is considered disruptive behavior and should happen only in extreme
emergencies.
Excessive absences or latenesses will affect your grade; students missing more than four classes will fail the course.
Students unable to attend class should contact the instructor regarding their absence in advance or as soon as they return
to school.
Plagiarism and Cheating: Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another’s words, ideas, or facts without
crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one’s own work; or
submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic
dishonesty on any assignment will result in failure (a grade of zero) for that assignment and may result in further
disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course and expulsion from the college. See the Nassau
Community College “Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.”
Homework/Essay Submission: All writing assignments must be received by the instructor on or before the due date, by
the beginning of the class period, as indicated on the schedule, below. Essays submitted by email or otherwise submitted
late will not be accepted; see below. All at-home work must be typed (in 12-point Times New Roman), double-spaced,
with one-inch margins, and stapled when submitted. In-class work must be neatly printed in blue or black ink on looseleaf composition paper or in bluebooks provided by the instructor and double-spaced§. All essays must also include a
proper heading (see Purdue Online Writing Lab’s Formatting and Style Guide), including Word Count; have an
appropriate, original title; contain a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must
be underlined); and (unless otherwise indicated) avoid use of I or you throughout. Finally, all work should be
grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be evaluated
according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing. Please refer to the Paragraph Outline or Essay Outline and
Revising and Editing Checklist for additional assistance.
Revisions: All failing essays may be revised and resubmitted by the due dates announced when the graded essays are
returned.
Essays receiving a passing grade may also be revised and resubmitted, but only after the student has met with the
instructor during office hours (by appointment only) to discuss revisions.
Revisions must be substantially revised, not merely “corrected” versions of the original essay (revisions should be based
upon the Revising and Editing Checklist and relevant information from class and the textbooks), and must be submitted
with the original graded essay and/or draft(s) attached. Evidence of substantial revision may result in a better grade for
the assignment.
If you did not submit a completed essay on time, you will receive a grade of 0 and may not submit a “revision.”
Make-up Exams/Late Work: All assignment deadlines and scheduled exam dates are provided at the beginning of the
semester; therefore, late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up opportunities be offered, except under
extraordinary circumstances with appropriate documentation. Excuses such as “crashed computers,” “lost flash drives,”
or “empty printer ink cartridges” will not be accepted; therefore, all essays or work should be saved both on your
computer’s hard drive and again on removable storage device, and students should keep backup copies of all work
submitted.
Disabilities and Accommodations: If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may
impact your ability to carry out assigned course work, I urge that you contact the Center for Students with
Disabilities(CSD), Building U.(516 572-7241). The counselors at CSD will review your concerns and determine
reasonable accommodations you are entitled to by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All information and documentation of disability remain confidential.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Attendance And Participation (10%):
As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are expected both to attend every session and to take an
active part in class—joining in discussions and raising questions. Discussion is one of the best ways to clarify your
understandings and to test your conclusions. Open discussion always involves personal exposure, and thus the taking of
risks: your ideas may not be the same as your fellow students’ or even the instructor’s. Yet as long as your points are
honest and supportable, they need to be respected by all of us in the classroom. Questions, discussion, disagreement, and
laughter are all encouraged in this class. (However, ridicule or scoffing is never tolerated.)
Quizzes (10%):
With the exception of the first day, class may begin with a short (five- to ten-minute) quiz or response paper on the
reading(s) for the day, at the instructor’s discretion. Quizzes cannot be made up; if you miss a quiz due to absence or
lateness, that grade will be regarded as a 0. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Total
number of quizzes during the semester will determine the point value of each; that is, if 11 quizzes are given (lowest
quiz grade will be dropped), each quiz is worth up to one full point.
Response Papers (5 @ 8%):
Students will complete at least five short essays during the semester, on topics to be assigned. Essays must be at least 23 pages long (500-750 words), typed, double-spaced, grammatically correct, and submitted on or before the due date
indicated on the schedule, below. Essays will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing.
Please refer to the Essay Outline and Revision and Editing Checklist.
Research Paper (30% Total)
Students will also complete an argumentative (persuasive) Research Essay of at least seven to twelve pages (a minimum
of 1500-2500 words), using a minimum of five to seven primary or secondary sources (secondary sources must be
reliable: scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes,
Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com), correctly documented utilizing MLA format, with a cover page and
Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the six-page requirement). Topics should be
selected from a list of suggestions provided (see below), or developed in consultation with the instructor. The research
essay will be completed in stages during the semester; points will accrue as follows:
Topic Selection (5 %):
Before beginning the research essay assignment, students will develop and submit a clear, well-written, one-page
explanation of the topic chosen from the list provided and the reason for selection. This proposal should include a
preliminary idea of the plan of the paper, its intention or research question, and a preliminary thesis.
Annotated Bibliography (5 %):
Students will develop and submit an annotated bibliography for the research essay assignment, with a minimum of
five to seven sources, correctly documented according to MLA format.
Research Paper: Final Draft (20 %):
The final draft of the research paper must be submitted in a folder, including copies of all sources used and all of the
above assignments associated with the research paper.
Final Exam (10%):
Students will complete a final exam during the official final exam period, evaluating students’ recognition and
comprehension of material studied during the previous weeks. This exam will cover specific texts and films, as well as
the principles of cinematic adaptation and critical analysis, and will combine objective questions and short essay
answers. Students may be entitled to use notes or textbooks for the essay portion of the exams only.
Extra Credit (possibly various opportunities, at 1–2 points each):
Students may be notified of opportunities for extra credit during the semester, including attendance at various cultural
events related to the class (“Recommended Fieldtrips”). If students attend one or more of these events, and provide
evidence of attendance (ticket stub, program, unretouched digital image, et cetera) along with a typed one- to two-page
personal response (review, analysis, reflection, critique, et cetera), they can receive additional points: a single event and
written response is worth 2 points extra credit; attendance at additional events will earn one additional point each. Note:
you may not attend the same workshops two or more times for additional extra credit!
Note: As a general rule, extra credit only helps if you have already completed all of the assigned work, and will not
make up for missing an essay (or two, or three). Extra credit opportunities for Fall 2013 will be announced in class, and
they will also be posted here as well as on the class Announcements page, so do not ask at the end of the semester for
“extra credit” to bring your average up.
GRADING:
Final average will be calculated as follows:
Attendance and Class Participation
10 %
Quizzes
10 %
Response Papers: 5 @ 8 %
40 %
Research Paper:
30 %
Topic Selection (5 %)
Annotated Bibliography (5 %)
Final Draft (20 %)
Final Exam
10 %
Total
100 %
Extra Credit will be added to the final total.
Final average will determine the grade received for
the course, as follows:
Final Percentage
Final Grade
90–100+
A
85–89
B+
80–84
B
75–79
C+
70–74
C
65–69
D+
60–64
D
0–59
F
Note: Percentages ending in .5 or greater are
rounded up. Therefore, 79.5 rounds to 80, a B, but
79.4 rounds to 79, a C+.
SCHEDULE AND PROJECTED OUTLINE:
Mon., 1 Sep.
Tue., 2 Sep.
Fri., 5 Sep.
Mon., 8 Sep.
Mon., 22 Sep.
Wed., 24 Sep.
Thu., 25 Sep.
Fri., 26 Sep.
Tue., 30 Sep.
Fri., 3 Oct.
Sat., 4 Oct.
Sun., 12 Oct.
Fri., 7 Nov.
Mon., 10 Nov.
Tue., 11 Nov.
Tue., 18 Nov.
Mon., 24 Nov.
Wed., 26 Nov.
Thu., 27 Nov.
Fri., 28 Nov.
Sat., 29 Nov.
Sun., 30 Nov.
Mon., 15 Dec. –
Thu., 18 Dec.
Sun., 21 Dec.
Mon., 22 Dec.
Important Dates: FALL SEMESTER 2014
Labor Day: College Holiday
Day, Evening & Distance Education classes begin
Weekend College classes begin
Last day to Add/Drop
Last day to Drop
Evening classes do not meet (classes beginning after 5:01 p.m.)
Rosh Hashanah: College Holiday
Day classes do not meet; Evening classes (beginning after 5:01 p.m.) follow a regular schedule
Evening Activity Hour: 8:30 p.m. class will not meet; all other classes follow a regular schedule
Evening classes (beginning after 5:01 p.m.) do not meet
Yom Kippur: classes do not meet
Classes do not meet
Last day automatic W
Evening classes (beginning after 5:01 p.m.) do not meet
Veterans’ Day: College Holiday
Evening Activity Hour: 5:30 p.m. classes will not meet; all other classes follow a regular schedule
Day classes meet on a Thursday schedule
Day classes meet on a Friday schedule; Evening classes do not meet
Thanksgiving: College Holiday
Thanksgiving Recess: College Holiday
Classes do not meet
Classes do not meet
Evening classes extended by 5 minutes for final exams; Evening classes end (18 Dec.)
Weekend College classes end
Day & Distance Education classes end
Note: All dates subject to change; See Academic Calendar: Fall 2014 (.pdf)
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments
All readings below are required, and must be completed by the day indicated; the only exceptions are those indicated
with an asterisk (*), which are recommended additional readings or resources. Note: This schedule is subject to revision
according to the instructor’s discretion, the Academic Calendar for the semester, school closings due to inclement
weather or other reasons, and the progress of the class. Additions or changes will be announced in class, and they will
also be posted online.
Mon., 1 Sep.
Tues., 2 Sep.
Labor Day: College Closed
Day, Evening & Distance Education (online) Classes Begin
Thu., 4 Sep.
Introduction: Syllabus, texts, policies, assignments
Problems and Possibilities of Cinematic Adaptation; What is "Horror"?
Mon., 8 Sep.
Last Day for Drop/Add
Thu., 11 Sep.
Reading: Campbell, John W. “Who Goes There?”
Viewing: The Thing from Another World (1951)
Thu., 18 Sep.
Research Topic Due
Viewing: The Thing
Mon., 22 Sep.
Thu., 25 Sep.
(1982)
Last Day to Drop
Rosh Hashanah - College Holiday
Thu., 2 Oct.
Reading: Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend
Viewing: The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Thu., 9 Oct.
Reading: Matheson, Richard. I
Viewing: I Am Legend (2007)
Thu., 16 Oct.
Reading: Langelaan, George.
Viewing: The Fly (1958)
Thu., 23 Oct.
Annotated Bibliography Due
Viewing: The Fly
Parts One and Two (Chapters 1–14)
Am Legend Parts Three and Four (Chapters 15–21)
“The Fly”
(1986)
Thu., 30 Oct.
Viewing: TBA
Thu., 6 Nov.
Reading: Matheson, Richard. “Prey” (included
Viewing: Trilogy of Terror (TV 1975)
Fri., 7 Nov.
Last Day for Automatic W
Thu., 13 Nov.
Reading: Levin, Ira. Rosemary’s Baby Part One
*See also, Zinoman, Jason. “The Devil’s Advocate.” Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us
Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror. New York: Penguin, 2011. 11-26.
Viewing: Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Thu., 20 Nov.
Reading: Levin, Ira. Rosemary’s Baby Parts
Viewing: Rosemary’s Baby (TV 2014)
in I Am Legend)
Two and Three
Mon., 24 Nov. Day classes meet on a Thursday schedule
Viewing: Rosemary’s Baby (TV 2014)
Thu., 27 Nov.
Thu., 4 Dec.
Thanksgiving - College Holiday
Research Paper Due
Reading: King, Steven.
Viewing: Carrie (1976)
Carrie Part One: “Blood Sport”
Thu., 11 Dec.
Reading: King, Steven.
Viewing: Carrie (2013)
Carrie Parts Two and Three: “Prom Night” and “Carnage”
Thu., 18 Dec.
Final Exam
Day & Distance Education classes end
Mon., 22 Dec.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
Response Paper Topics:
For each week, a question or topic will be provided. You may complete any five response papers, but your response
must be on the assigned topic for the week it is submitted, and must be submitted on or before the due date, by the
beginning of the class period, or it will receive a zero (0). Late work will not be accepted. Students may complete more
than five response papers for extra credit: only the best five scores will be utilized in determining final grades.
Instructions: Respond to each question or topic in a brief, well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least
two to three pages (500-750 words). Your essay should include independent analysis and demonstrate careful thought,
but no research is necessary, nor should any secondary sources be used. This is not a research essay; the only
sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will
be considered grounds for failure. Although these are personal responses, and therefore there is no "correct" answer,
remember that they are still formal essays: in your analyses, formulate a clear, explicit, assertive (persuasive),
objectively-worded thesis statement, and avoid use of "I" or "you" throughout. Do not attempt to address all aspects of
the text, but carefully focus your topic, and avoid merely paraphrasing or summarizing the work. Be sure to support your
answers with specific references to the work. Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and grammatically correct; essays
will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing.
1) Due Thursday, 11 September:
In “Who Goes There? "Real Men Only'” (The Free Library. 2005 Extrapolation 03 Sep. 2014), the author suggests
that a central concern of John W. Campbell's story is the boundary between self and other, between human and
non-human, and the precariousness of this boundary. The article asserts, “the thing challenges our ideas of human
self in two ways: first, it challenges the idea that self is unique and contained given that the thing can imitate any
self and that its 'self' only grows by taking over and becoming others; second, the thing challenges our idea of the
human as something defined through its differences from animals, as the thing becomes either with equal ease.”
Explore the concept of selfhood and individuality as expressed in Campbell's “Who Goes There?” How might this
concern reflect elements of the culture of the late 1930s? You might consider demographic, sociological, or even
political changes in the period.
1+) Additional response paper topic Due Thursday, 18 September:
How does the 1951 movie The Thing from Another World differ from the original “Who Goes There?” by John W.
Campbell, and why? Hw do the two versions of the same story differ in terms of plot, characters, theme, and so on?
Consider especially social, poliitical, scientific, or cultural changes in the nearly fifteen years between the two
works.
2) Due Thursday, 18 September:
In The Thing from Another World (1951), the fear and paranoia created by the presence of the alien invader may be
read as a metaphor for Communism and the Red Scare. In The Thing (1982), however, the fear takes a different
form: not Communism, but contagion. How is American society, or the world, different three decades after the first
film, and how does this difference inform the interpretations of “The Thing” in each film?
2+) Additional response paper topic Due Thursday, 2 October:
How does Carpenter's 1982 The Thing differ from Christian Nyby's 1951 The Thing from Another World, and why?
Consider not just advances in technology, changes in film production, and shifts in audience reception during the
intervening thirty years, but significant social, political, scientific, or cultural changes in the three decades between
the two films. Elements to consider in your analysis include textual fidelity, theme, the creature itself, characters
and characterization (especially MacReady), effects, and—perhaps most important—blood and “body horror” in
the context of the early eighties.
3) Due Thursday, 2 October:
While Richard Matheson's I Am Legend is clearly a precursor to many of today's vampire and zombie films, it is
also squarely within the traditional literary genre of survival narratives, from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (and
the story of Alexander Selkirk from which it derives) through The Swiss Family Robinson, Castaway starring Tom
Hanks, and even in some ways Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road. Discuss I Am Legend [the novel, not the
movie] in terms of the protagonist's struggle to survive, with reference to the basic needs of food, shelter, and so
on. How is more akin to say, Robinson Crusoe than to Dracula, The Walking Dead, or other similar horror novels,
movies, and programs?
4) Due Thursday, 9 October:
Richard Matheson has said, in an interview originally published in Cemetery Dance, “I was disappointed in The
Last Man on Earth, even though they more or less followed my story.” Why—in terms of 1964, when the movie
was released, not in terms of today's movie conventions, technology, and audiences—might he have been
disappointed?
5) Due Thursday, 16 October:
Consider the novella I Am Legend (1954), the film The Last Man on Earth (1964), and the more recent film, I Am
Legend (2007): how does the treatment or depiction of science (and scientists) and politics differ in each version?
How does this shift reflect their different time periods, their different socio-cultural contexts? You may also add
The Ωmega Man (1971) to your discussion, but only if you are already familiar with the film.
6) Due Thursday, 23 October:
7) Due Thursday, 6 November:
8) Due Thursday, 13 November:
9) Due Thursday, 20 November:
10) Due Monday, 24 November:
11) Due Thursday, 4 December:
12) Due Thursday, 11 December:
Research Paper: Due in stages (see below)
Compose a clear, well-written, properly documented (MLA format) argumentative essay of at least seven to twqelve
pages (1500-2500 words minimum), with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count
toward the five- to seven-page requirement). The paper must be argumentative (persuasive), with a clear, explicit, and
assertive thesis statement, and must use a minimum of five to seven sources, including three to five secondary sources;
secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites such as eNotes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com. You must include at least one short quotation, one
long—block—quotation, and one paraphrase, and these sources must be properly documented (utilizing MLA format),
and integrated into your writing smoothly and correctly.
Please refer to the following as well:
Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
Incorporating Sources (class handout)
Class Plagiarism Policy (on syllabus), as well as the Nassau Community College Policy on Academic Dishonesty
and Plagiarism (page 63 in the college catalog).
You might also find the following additional resources useful:
Works Cited page (Instructions & Sample) (Microsoft Word document)
Avoiding Plagiarism (Houghton-Mifflin web site)
Practice Incorporating Sources into Your Work (Houghton-Mifflin web site)
MLA format (Purdue university’s Online Writing Lab)
Topic Selection and Preliminary Thesis: Due Thursday, 18 Sep.
You must establish a plan and a clear thesis before you can begin to put together a focused, well-organized, and
purposeful research essay. Therefore, as your first step in the research essay assignment, you must develop and submit a
clear, well-written, one-page explanation of the topic you have chosen, your reason for the selection, your focus and
opinion, and a clear, well-written, explicit, and assertive preliminary thesis. This proposal may also include a
preliminary idea of the plan of the paper, its intention or research question. Note: Choose your topic carefully. You will
not be allowed to change your topic once you have made your selection, although you may change your position on the
particular issue and will, presumably, modify your thesis during the process of research and writing.
Your work should take the following form:
Topic: the topic selected from the list provided.
Rationale: why you have chosen to research and write about this particular topic.
Focus: a narrowed form of the subject, and the issue or debate involved.
Opinion: your subjective opinion on the debate or issue.
Thesis: your opinion, worded objectively.
For example:
Topic: Multiple adaptations of I Am Legend (Note: this is not a real topic choice!)
Rationale: I selected this topic because I saw the film version with Will Smith, and I am curious how other versions
differ and why.
Focus: How do The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend with Will Smith (2007)
differ in terms of textual fidelity and audience appreciation?
Opinion: I think that while all three movies are okay, is the most interesting for contemporary audiences.
Thesis: While Ubaldo Ragona’s The Last Man on Earth is largely faithful to the text and Boris Sagal’s The Omega
Man is at least innovative and interesting for its time, Francis Lawrence’s I Am Legend captures the major conflicts
and issues of the novel in an entertaining, realistic, and commercially successful manner.
Topic Choices:
1) A large number of works of horror, in addition to those discussed in class, have been filmed more than once. Choose
one such text, other than those on the syllabus, and analyze at least two different film versions (see Sample
Introduction). How does each version adapt, revise, or alter the story? What is changed or left out, and why? How do all
of these individual changes contribute to a different interpretation of the text; that is, what is the significant difference
between the versions? And, finally, how does the socio-cultural milieu of each film inform these differences? Some
suggested works (see me if you have others in mind):
Robert Bloch, Psycho (the original 1960 version and the 1998 remake)
Stephen King, The Shining (Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic, and the 1997 television miniseries directed by Mick
Garris)
Fritz Leiber, Conjure Wife (as Weird Woman, 1944, Burn, Witch, Burn, 1962, and Witches’ Brew, 1980)
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (Seriously, hundreds, at least, including the classic 1931 James Whale version and
Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 version, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)
Bram Stoker, Dracula (I mean, c’mon, how many versions are there? Like hundreds? and remember, as Homer
Simpson says, “Vampires are imaginary—like elves, gremlins, and Eskimos.”)
John Wyndham, The Midwich Cuckoos into the classic 1960 Village of the Damned (parodied on The Simpsons as
The Bloodening), the Spanish-language Pueblo de Malditos, and the 1995 John Carpenter remake.
and more to come, as I think of them.....
2) Many familiar tropes, ideas, or themes appear over and over again in horror, either in literature, in film, or both. For
example, all of the texts and films for this course fall into one or more of the following categories:
Alien Invaders
Bad Science and Man-Made Monsters (“There are things man was not meant to know”)
Creepy Dolls and Homicidal Puppets
Demonic Possession
Psychic Powers
Vampires and Ghouls and Zombies (oh, my)
When Animals Attack
Select a recurrent horror trope such as one of these, and analyze how it features in at least three texts and/or films from
at least three different decades, not including those from the syllabus. For example, “When Animals Attack” can range
from Daphne du Maurier’s “The Birds” (filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963) to Them! (1954) to Night of the Lepus
(1972), Jaws (1975) and countless others. As above, your discussion should focus on the significant difference between
the interpretations, how (and why) the socio-cultural milieu of each film creates and reveals these differences.
*Note: Students must obtain prior approval for independent topics; speak to me before or after class or email me to set
up an appointment during my office hours.
Annotated Preliminary Bibliography: Due Thursday, 23 Oct.
You must submit an annotated preliminary bibliography with a minimum of five to seven sources, correctly cited
according to MLA style. This may include up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary
sources; secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites such
as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com; instead, use the library resources, including the
available electronic databases such as Academic Search Complete, InfoTrac General OneFile, Lexis-Nexis Academic,
Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Points of View Reference Center, and CQ Researcher, to locate appropriate sources.
To access the databases from home, click on the individual database link. Then, when prompted, enter your username (N
#) and password (PIN).
In addition to a correct citation for each source, you must include a description or summary of the source, at least one
paragraph long, and an explanation of how you foresee incorporating it into your essay. For additional information on
Annotated Bibliographies, see the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)’s Annotated Bibliographies, as well as
“Sample Annotated Bibilography” and Ebel, Kimberly, “Class and Gender in Cinderella: Annotated Bibliography.”
You might also find the following additional resources useful:
MLA Documentation of Films: Works Cited and In-Text Citations
Works Cited page (Instructions & Sample) (Microsoft Word document)
MLA format (Purdue university’s Online Writing Lab)
Research Paper: Due Thursday, 4 Dec.
The final research essay must be submitted, in its folder with all supporting materials: photocopies or printouts of all
sources, preliminary thesis, preliminary bibliography, outline–if you have completed one–and any preliminary drafts.
Failure to bring the required essay on the due date will result in a zero for the assignment.
Final Exam: Thursday, 18 Dec.
To be announced
Last Revised: Thursday, 2 October 2014
MODEL FOR EVALUATION OF STUDENT WRITING
UNSATISFACTORY
SATISFACTORY
ABOVE AVERAGE
EXCELLENT
A. CONTENT:
Includes thesis
statement and both
quantity and quality of
supporting details
Thesis is lacking or
incorrect, and not
supported with
appropriate detail.
Writing is thin,
including
generalizations with
few or no concrete
examples or
illustrations.
Thesis is apparent but
general or commonplace. Support may
be sketchy or
occasionally
irrelevant.
Generalizations are
supported with
examples, but content
may be thin.
Thesis is explicit,
appropriate, and well
supported. Content is
both adequate and
appropriate, providing
examples and
illustrations to support
all generalizations.
Thesis is explicit and
significant, assertive,
objectively worded,
and supported with
substantial and
relevant information.
The essay includes a
wealth of relevant
details, examples, or
imagery.
B. ORGANIZATION:
Includes paragraph
development and
arrangement of body
paragraphs, as well as
coherence
(introduction, body,
conclusion)
The plan and purpose
of the essay are not
apparent. It is not
developed or is
developed with some
irrelevancy or
redundancy. Paragraphs
are incoherent or
undeveloped.
Transitions are lacking.
The plan of
development is
apparent but not
consistently followed.
The writing lacks
clarity or is
repetitious. The
paragraphs are
generally effective,
but transitions may
be weak or
mechanical.
The plan of
development is clear
and consistently
followed. The writing
is concise and clear,
with a minimum of
repetition. Paragraphs
are generally welldeveloped and
effective, with
appropriate
transitions.
It is planned logically
and progresses in
clearly ordered and
necessary steps, and
developed with
originality and
attention to
proportion and
emphasis. Paragraphs
are logically and
effectively developed
with effective
transitions.
C. DICTION AND
MECHANICS:
Includes conventions of
grammar, usage, and
punctuation, as well as
appropriate diction
Often, sentences are not
grammatically correct.
Vocabulary is
elementary, not college
level. Words are used
incorrectly. Persistent
usage, spelling, or
punctuation errors exist.
Sentences are
generally correct but
may lack distinction,
creativity, or style.
Vocabulary is
generally used
correctly. Occasional
lapses in grammar,
punctuation, or
spelling exist.
Sentences are
correctly constructed
and demonstrate
variety. The
vocabulary is
effective and
appropriate. Errors in
grammar,
punctuation, or
spelling are rare.
The sentences are
skillfully constructed,
effective, and varied.
Words used are
vivid, accurate, and
original. The writing
is without flaws in
grammar or
mechanics. A
personal style is
evident.
D. RESEARCH AND
DOCUMENTATION:
Includes
documentation and
incorporation of
appropriate collegelevel sources
Sources are lacking or
inappropriate.
Information from
sources is not
adequately incorporated
into the body of the
essay. Documentation
is missing, inadequate,
or incorrect.
Sources are adequate,
but may be too
general. Information
is occasionally
weakly incorporated
or is unconnected to
the content of the
essay. Documentation
is generally correct,
but may contain some
minor errors.
Sources are generally
relevant, authoritative,
and appropriate.
Information is
relevant and is usually
incorporated
correctly. In-text
citations and
References or Works
Cited page are
generally correct.
Sources used are
relevant, substantial,
and authoritative,
demonstrating
creativity and
scholarly research.
Information is
introduced and
incorporated
smoothly and
appropriately.
Documentation is
clear and free of
errors.