IAH 207 Sec 730, Summer II 2014
Literature, Culture, Identities: Subculture Identities and The Cult Classic
Online
Instructor: Megan Charley
Email: CharleyM@msu.edu
Mailbox: 6th floor Wells Hall
Office: C746 Wells Hall
Office Hours: Thurs 4-6pm on
Skype/D2L pager or by
appointment. Also available to
meet on Campus.
Skype ID: MMCharley
Class Synopsis:
This class explores the “cult” text, those films and novels that amass extremely passionate, but often
underground, fan bases. This class will attempt to give you a window into some of these counter cultures,
and allow you to consider what makes a text a cult one. We’ll think about why these texts move their
readers/viewers to insist that the work is one that not only “speaks to” them but also “speaks for” them.
Indeed, these are the sort of texts that individuals live by; they not only express a cultural moment, but
also create it. This semester we’ll explore a variety of film and literature of the 20th century that fit into
this hard to define category of the “cult classic.” In exploring these texts, which represent a variety of
different “cult” traditions, we’ll focus quite a bit on the historical and cultural contexts that made readers
and viewers have such strong reactions.
You’ll get exposed to a lot of different ways of being and seeing the world—some familiar, some utterly
strange or even disturbing. You’ll encounter some taboo subjects that are common to cult texts such as
themes of alienation, drugs, violence, mental illness, and societal critique. More than anything else,
however, I hope you’ll learn a different way to think. You’ll learn new ways of analyzing and
understanding literary and cinematic texts. In this way, you will leave this class with a basic sense critical
inquiry in the humanities, especially in relation to Literary and Film studies, and you’ll gain some of the
skill sets that accompany those fields.
Lastly, because of our class theme some texts include adult and disturbing material that you’re expected
to discuss in an adult, respectful manner. Some texts include violence/murder, rape, strong sexual
content, animal cruelty, mental illness, and illicit drug use. If you are very sensitive to this sort of
material you may wish to drop the course.
The Goals of Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities:
Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities at MSU seeks to assist students to become more familiar
with ways of knowing in the arts and humanities and to be more knowledgeable and capable in a range of
intellectual and expressive abilities. IAH courses encourage students to engage critically with their own
society, history, and culture(s); they also encourage students to learn more about the history and culture of
other societies. They focus on key ideas and issues in human experience; encourage appreciation of the
roles of knowledge and values in shaping and understanding human behavior; emphasize the
responsibilities and opportunities of democratic citizenship; highlight the value of the creative arts of
literature, theater, music, and arts; and alert us to important issues that occur among peoples in an
increasingly interconnected, interdependent world.
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Learning Goals:
 To gain an increased appreciation for artistic across a variety of genres
 To gain an enhanced but introductory conception of “cult” texts, their relationship to cultural
events, their historical grounding, and their common themes
 To understand and appreciate world views that differ greatly from your own
 To gain a basic, introductory facility with techniques in the humanities, especially in relation to
literary and film studies
o To gain basic skills of critical inquiry, analysis and “close reading”
 To write capably about a range of multidisciplinary texts in a manner that demonstrates careful
analysis, argumentation, and attention to detail.
 To understand the nature of culture with attention to historical, social, cultural, and ethical
specificity and difference.
Required Materials:
Books:
Fielding, Helen. Bridget Jones's Diary: A Novel. ISBN: 978-0143117131
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. ISBN: 978-0316769488
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel Paperback. ISBN: 978-0385333849
West, Nathanael. Miss Lonely Hearts and The Day of the Locust. ISBN: 978-0811218221
Film and Media:
Firefly (Full series) and Serenity (film). (Available with paid subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and
Amazon Prime videos).
All other films (see schedule) will be provided, but you should plan for some additional expenses to
rent/purchase them as needed. I will direct you to low cost options.
Breakdown of Final Grade:
Quizzes
Participation in discussion group
Out of the archive presentation
Synthesis Essay 1 (4-6 pages)
Synthesis Essay 2 (4-6 pages)
25% of final grade
20%
15%
20%
20%
Quizzes: There will be regular, timed quizzes to verify that you completed the required reading/viewing
material and did so carefully. These are rather straightforward and simply test for knowledge and basic
comprehension, but the questions may be more specific than you’re used to. This is intentional, and if
you find yourself struggling on quizzes despite doing the reading/viewing, you should focus on reading
more carefully and taking notes while you do so. Quizzes are due on most Mondays and Thursdays, as
they appear on the course calendar. You will only get one shot at each quiz, so make sure you’ve
completed all reading and viewing for the week, as well as watching any lectures. You must submit the
quiz prior to beginning discussion. Your lowest two quiz grades will be dropped.
Participation in Discussion Group: At the start of the semester you will be assigned to a discussion
group that you will stay with for the full length of the course. You are expected to actively and regularly
participate in this group by discussing the course reading/viewing. These generally occur twice per week.
I’m looking for a good faith effort and genuine engagement, but here are some guidelines: Begin with a
developed reading/viewing response that incorporates thoughtful, careful analysis of a primary text.
There’s no actual limit to how long this should be, but I’d aim for a page or so. Make sure that you’re
doing some “close reading” in the process (pick a passage or short scene to that you analyze). Once
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you’ve submitted an original post, engage with your peers in your discussion group by responding with
more analysis, questions, etc. I expect you to read *every* post submitted to your group, and respond as
frequently and as thoroughly as possible. This is all a little bit complicated, so please read the more
detailed instructions on D2L and pay attention to my feedback to make sure you’re meeting expectations.
You may choose to skip participation activity *two times* without penalty (consider it a digital absence).
“Out of the Archive” Presentation: For this assignment, you will create a short 5-10 minute
presentation to share with the rest of your discussion group. You will need to research and present on
some small detail related to one of our course readings that will give the rest of us some additional insight
into the historical background or cult following. At the beginning of the course you will sign up for a due
date and text to present on; your presentation must be submitted to your small group discussion forum by
12:00 p.m. of the day you signed up for. See D2L for full instructions and some suggested tools to use for
creating your presentation.
Synthesis Essays: You'll write two relatively short, 4-6 page essays this semester. You can find the
prompts on D2L; each asks you to address a recurring course theme by attending to several different
course texts and you can choose a prompt that is most interesting to you.
Late Policy: No extensions will be given for presentations and exceptions will only be made in extreme
circumstances. All other assignments will lose 5 points for every calendar day past the deadline. If you
have extenuating circumstances, please contact me as soon as possible. I will, however, grant extensions
for the two major essays should you need one for any reason—but you must contact me before the due
date to request an extension.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism means taking words or ideas from another writer without properly
acknowledging the source or submitting a paper written by someone else. Taking ideas from a website
like SparkNotes is still plagiarism even if you put it in your own words. In this course, any plagiarism
violation will result in a zero on the assignment, a report to your dean, and could result in a failing grade
for the course. To avoid this, please make sure you are familiar with the University’s policy on academic
dishonesty: https://www.msu.edu/~ombud/academic-integrity/index.html. If you need help knowing how
to acknowledge sources in your work, please ask me--I’m happy to help.
Grading Scale: I use a 100 point scale, with grade points on every 5 point step (85=3.0, 90=3.5, 95=4.0
etc.). See D2L for the full breakdown and explanation. Please note two things about the 100 point scale:
1) not turning in an assignment or doing exceptionally badly will really hurt your grade. A badly written
paper will usually earn you a 55, no submission at all will earn you a 0. Just one zero can dramatically
lower your grade, so don’t get zeroes. That goes for quizzes too. 2) A 95 is a 4.0; that means a 100 is a
4.5. Anything over a 95 is essentially extra credit, and I’ll only award those grades for work that is really
exceptional, and above and beyond what was expected. If you want extra credit, try knocking some
assignments out of the park.
Course Evaluations: Michigan State University takes seriously the opinion of students in the evaluation
of the effectiveness of instruction and has implemented the Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS) to
gather student feedback (https://sirsonline.msu.edu). This course utilizes the online SIRS system, and you
will receive an e-mail during the last two weeks of class asking you to fill out the SIRS web form at your
convenience. In addition, participation in the online SIRS system involves grade sequestration, which
means that the final grade for this course will not be accessible on STUINFO during the week following
the submission of grades for this course unless the SIRS online form has been completed. Alternatively,
you have the option on the SIRS website to decline to participate in the evaluation of the course. We
hope, however, that you will be willing to give us your frank and constructive feedback so that we may
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instruct students even better in the future. If you access the online SIRS website and complete the online
SIRS form or decline to participate, you will receive the final grade in this course as usual once final
grades are submitted.
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities: I'm happy to work with you if you need special
accommodations due to a disability, but official university documentation is required. Students with
disabilities should contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable
accommodations. For an appointment with a disability specialist, call 353-9642 (voice), 355-1293 (TTY),
or visit MyProfile.rcpd.msu.edu.
A Few Final Thoughts:
Writing Resources: The Writing Center, The Learning Resource Center, and the English
Language Center all offer valuable resources. You should consult these centers’ web sites for
information about their specific resources: http://writing.msu.edu/.
Class Conduct: Disruptive, distracting, or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Because
diverse opinions will be expressed in this class, you must be respectful to other’s opinions.
Remember that in an online format, it’s especially important to watch your language (no one can
read your tone of voice). Be civil and kind.
Office Hours: My office hours exist for you, so please don’t hesitate to use them. I’ll be on
Skype and D2L pager on Thursdays from 4-6pm, but I’m more than happy to meet with you on
Skype, the D2L pager, or on MSU’s campus at another time that works for you.
Course Questions and email: When possible, you should post any questions or concerns you
have to the general discussion forum on D2L, which should ensure you get the fastest possible
response. You’re also welcome to email me directly. For both discussion forums and email,
please allow as much 24 hours for me to respond during the week and longer on the weekend. In
most cases I will respond sooner. Lastly, if you would like to contact me anonymously with
feedback or questions, you can do so via the “suggestion box” in D2L. This is not the quickest
way to contact me (I will check it 1-2 times per week), but it’s completely anonymous.
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Schedule (subject to change)
Week 1: Cult Foundations, Phonies, and the rise of the Beat Generation
M 6.30 Read Syllabus, get acquainted with course, Introductory Lectures and Readings
Module 1.1: Complete “Cult Foundations” module
R 7.03 Module 1.2: Have finished reading all of Catcher in the Rye, view related lectures, take quiz,
contribute original post to discussion forum
Week 2:Violence, Protest, and Antiheroes
M 7.07 Module 2.1: Have watched A Clockwork Orange, view related lectures, take quiz, contribute
original post to discussion forum
R 7.10 Module 2.2: Have finished Slaughterhouse-Five, view related lectures, take quiz, contribute to
discussion forum
Week 3: Queering the norms, camp, and cult communities
M 7.14 Module 3.1: Have watched Rocky Horror Picture Show and complete all module items
T-W 7.15-16 Peer Review
R 7.17 Module 3.2: Paper #1 Due end of day, complete all module items
Week 4: Geek Culture, Community, and Sci-Fi
M 7.21 Module 4.1: Firefly (first 8 episodes) and complete all module items
R 7.24 Module 4.2: Firefly (finish series) and Serenity and complete all module items
Week 5: “Chick Lit,” stereotypes and the “every woman”
M 7.28 Module 5.1: Mean Girls and complete all module items
R 7.31 Module 5.2: Bridget Jones’s Diary (all) and complete all module items
Week 6: Societal Critique, Mob Rule, and Race/Class
M 8.04 Module 6.1: Do the Right Thing and complete all module items
R 8.07 Module 6.2: The Day of the Locust (all) and complete all module items
Week 7: The Quirky Worlds of The Big Lebowski and course wrap up
M 8.11 Module 7.1: The Big Lebowski and complete all module items
T-R 8.12-14 Peer Review
F 8.15 Paper #2 due