PL SC 400 - POLITICAL THEORY CAPSTONE SEMINAR “Politics and American Mythology in Text and Film” Brent Gilchrist Office, hours: 730 SWKT, by appointment cell 801-995-3280 brent_gilchrist@byu.edu About the Course: The capstone seminar provides students an opportunity to build upon the skills and knowledge that they have acquired during their undergraduate education. The seminar focuses upon a theme, from which students can explore a specific research question of their choice (in consultation with the instructor). This exploration is intended to culminate in a highly polished essay, the capstone of your work here at B.Y.U. As such, it is expected that you will bring to bear your learning from different fields and disciplines. As this is a political theory seminar, such skills are expected to be applied to the careful reading of texts within this field. Your abilities to do this will be honed as we consider together the texts that form the common foundation for the course. You are expected to build upon this foundation in your individual research project – your research question should emerge out of our work in common and should help you to address an important problem or issue therein. Your final essay should take us beyond our common ground, into new territory implied by that ground. This may involve focusing more intensely upon a problem that together we only touch upon, or it may involve a foray into wholly new issues that can be connected directly to our common considerations. Whatever the case, your project must involve you in research beyond the assigned texts of the course and in problems or issues that go well beyond our class discussions. To help pace your work, I have assigned due dates for parts of the project. These dates must be respected, if you are to receive timely feedback and help from me. We also will help each other by reviewing drafts – each of you will review drafts of 2 other students, providing reactions, suggestions, and constructive criticism as part of your formal requirements for the course. You should begin NOW your consideration of topics and research questions. The first due date is Feb.5. The final project is due Apr.24 and should be 25 pages of the very best writing you have done here at B.Y.U. Required Texts: Richard Slotkin, The Fatal Environment Lawrence & Jewett, The Myth of the American Superhero E.L. Doctorow, Welcome to Hard Times Robert Parker, Judas Goat Suggested Texts (Films): David Morrell, First Blood: A Novel James Dickey, Deliverance Requirements & Evaluation: 5% Abstract/proposal (1) 5% Annotated bibliography (2 versions/stages) 10% Draft (2 versions/stages) 40 % Final Paper (1) 10 % Presentations (1) 10 % Peer reviews (2) 20% Class preparation & participation (quantity & quality) OR Comprehensive Exam Specific details and instructions for each assignment will be provided in class and on course blackboard. Style guides, suggestions for writing, bibliographies, and other information will be found on course blackboard. Please refer to ongoing announcements and updates there, as well. ATTENDANCE: Class attendance and participation is an important element of the success of this course. Students absent for 3 classes during the semester will have their final grade lowered by one-half letter grade (eg. A to A-). Absence from 4 classes will drop your final grade by one full letter grade (eg. A to B). Students absent from 5 or more classes will receive a failing grade for the course, unless they choose to withdraw before University deadlines. UNIVERSITY EXCUSED ABSENCES ARE EXCLUDED FROM THESE PENALTIES. Schedule of Assignments, Reading, & Discussions: Introductory: Myth & Theories of Myth Week 1 Introductory: Films Theories of Myth: Jan.8 Introduction to Philosophy of Culture & American Political Culture Jan.10 “Care & Repair of Public Myth” “Myth & Symbols in American Studies” “Myth Today” Cassirer on Myth Week 2 Substance of American Mythology: Jan.15 Superhero 1, pp.3-17; Fatal Environment 1-3, pp.1-47 “Dreams & Genocide” Jan.17 Superhero 2, pp.21-48; “Selling the Popular Myth” Fatal Environment 4 Week 3 Frontier Myths of Regeneration Through Violence Jan.22 Fatal Environment 5 (Apocalypse Now) (Platoon) SUNDANCE STARTS TODAY “Leatherstocking and the Problem of Social Order” Jan.24 “The Mountain Man as Jacksonian Man” “Deliverance” (short review) Last of the Mohicans (Deliverance) Fatal Environment 6-9 (The Alamo - any version) (Django Unchained) Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter Week 4 SUNDAY JAN. 27 SUNDANCE ENDS Jan.29 Superhero 3, pp.49-64 “Theodore Roosevelt as Cowboy” Jan.31 Superhero 5, pp.87-105 Week 5 (Tuesday: Turn in Abstract) Feb.5 Aristophanes’ Clouds (selections) Welcome to Hard Times Pale Rider (The Shootist) (Unforgiven) Welcome to Hard Times Feb.7 Welcome to Hard Times “Cactus Rose: John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” Fatal Environment 10-12 True Grit The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Die Hard) Walker Week 6 Mythology of American Expansion & Race (Abstracts returned to students) Feb.12 FILM: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Feb.14 FILM: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Week 7 Feb.19 Monday instruction: No Class Feb.21 Fatal Environment 13-18 Fatal Environment 19-20 Week 8 Myths of the Efficacious Individual Feb.26 Judas Goat Feb.28 Judas Goat Little Big Man (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) (Jack Reacher) Week 9 Mar.5 FILM: The Maltese Falcon Mar.7 FILM: The Maltese Falcon Week 10 (Tuesday: Turn in Draft 1, 3 copies & 1 copy of Annotated Bibliography under separate cover) Mar.12 Superhero 6-8, pp.106-176 Vigilante Justice (Death Wish) The Brave One Mar.14 Superhero 14-15, pp.283-337 Batman: Dark Knight Week 11 (Tuesday: Turn in reviews of 2 drafts) Mar.19 “Of Spider-man, Spider-man 2, and Living Like a Hero” Superhero 16, pp.338-364 “The Ascendancy of Mythic Politics,” (Spider-man) (Spider-man 2) Batman: Dark Knight Rises First Blood Mar.21 “Concealment and Disclosure: From ‘Birth of a Nation to the Vietnam War Film” “Hostage Captivity Narrative (Rambo) (Platoon) (Apocalypse Now) (Birth of a Nation) Research Presentations Week 12 (Drafts & reviews returned to students) Mar.26 Presentations Mar.28 Presentations Week 13 Tuesday: Turn in Draft 2) Apr.2 Presentations Apr.4 Presentations Week 14 Apr.9 Presentations Apr.11 Presentations Week 15 (Drafts returned to students) Apr.16 Presentations April 24: Final copy of paper due, with final version of annotated bibliography April 29: Last day to submit papers for Spring Graduation (with 10% late penalty) PLEASE NOTE: Preventing Sexual Harassment Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. 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