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
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or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers
discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. BYU's
policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the University but to students as well. If you encounter
unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office
at 422-5895 or 367-5689 (24-hours); or contact the Honor Code Office at 422-2847.
Students with Disabilities
Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and leaming atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified
persons with disabilities. If you have any disability that may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please
contact the University Accessibility Center (422-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who
have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the UAC. If you need
assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution
through established grievance policy and procedures. You may contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895, D-282 ASB.