Please read up to Book Two of Beloved (pg 169).
I'll just copy the language of the Final Project Proposal here, but please feel free to leave a comment on my blog if you have questions. Also, feel free to email me.
Online Proposal and Brainstorming
On Tuesday, Nov. 24th, we will not have class. Instead, students will post a proposal by 9:30 am, outlining their ideas for their final project on their blogs. In this proposal, you will discuss what novels you will be working with, what sort of theoretical lens and/or literary criticism you will be drawing from, and how you plan to fulfill the criteria of the essay and/or project. The proposal should be roughly 500 words, quote from at least one of the texts we’ve been working with, and be indicative of real critical engagement.
By Tuesday, Dec. 1st at 9:30 am, students will have responded to at least TWO of their peers’ proposals. Your comments can consist of ideas for revision, developing the student’s ideas, providing otherwise overlooked relationships or connections, asking questions, and/or giving useful passages for inspiration. I find it's often helpful to frame responses as a series of questions. This helps students to push their ideas and brainstorm better. Your posts must be 250 words EACH. Otherwise, they will not be counted.
There is a list of links to student blogs to the right of this page. Please make sure that responses to student posts are spread out equally. If you see someone without a response, respond to that student FIRST. If you click on a blog and a student has three responses, move on and find someone else FIRST. We want to make sure that everyone has at least a little feedback.
Since we will do this online activity instead of having class, failure to do any of the above will result in one unexcused absence.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE
Below are a series of questions you can use to inspire your blog posts. I also encourage you to read other students' blogs and develop a blog in response to their ideas. Please make sure to provide the url to that student's blog so your readers can follow your analysis.
1) What differences do you see between the vampire characters in Dracula and the vampire characters in Interview? Considering our previous encounters with ghosts, ghouls, goblins, demons, and vampires, how do we see the concept of "the monster" being complicated in this novel? Consider the narrative perspective in this novel. How does Louis's first person narrative affect the way in which we view him as a "monster"?
2) What is the significance of slaves and slavery in this novel? How might this aspect of America's corrupt and violent past serve as a metaphor for vampirism in this novel? How is the slave/master relationship evident between several of the characters in this novel? What might be the significance of this theme?
3) Religion, specifically Catholicism, is certainly still with us in this novel. What is the significance of religion in this novel? What are some of the depictions of Catholicism in this novel? In broader terms, what sort of theological issues does this novel explore?
4) How might the vampire family we see in this novel be a "queering" of the traditional American nuclear family?
1) What differences do you see between the vampire characters in Dracula and the vampire characters in Interview? Considering our previous encounters with ghosts, ghouls, goblins, demons, and vampires, how do we see the concept of "the monster" being complicated in this novel? Consider the narrative perspective in this novel. How does Louis's first person narrative affect the way in which we view him as a "monster"?
2) What is the significance of slaves and slavery in this novel? How might this aspect of America's corrupt and violent past serve as a metaphor for vampirism in this novel? How is the slave/master relationship evident between several of the characters in this novel? What might be the significance of this theme?
3) Religion, specifically Catholicism, is certainly still with us in this novel. What is the significance of religion in this novel? What are some of the depictions of Catholicism in this novel? In broader terms, what sort of theological issues does this novel explore?
4) How might the vampire family we see in this novel be a "queering" of the traditional American nuclear family?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
DRACULA
Please make sure to read the rest of Dracula for Tuesday. You will also want to start on Stephen D. Arata's essay, "Dracula and Reverse Colonization." Below are a few questions we'll be exploring this week. Feel free to draw from them, or to develop your own questions. You should also feel free to respond to another student's post.
1) In our edition of Dracula, Phyllis A Roth writes, "Perhaps nowhere is the dichotomy of sensual and sexless women more dramatic than it is in Dracula and nowhere is the suddenly sexual woman more violent and self-righteously pesecuted than in Stoker's 'thriller'" (412). There's been a great deal of discussion in our class blogosphere about the role of women in Dracula. Check it out:
http://samjanssen.blogspot.com/
http://kindling263.blogspot.com/
http://cihtog362hsilgne.blogspot.com/
http://leahgriesel.blogspot.com/
http://gothicnovel263.blogspot.com/
For your post, explore the depictions of women in the novel. Could "vampirism" be a way in which women can express an otherwise repressed sexuality? Consider Jonathan's run in with the "Brides of Dracula." How is he both allured and repelled by these women? Explore how Lucy and Mina both exceed but then at times transgress the stereotype of the angelic, Victorian woman. In what ways do both characters play "dangerously" with the role of the New Woman? How does Vampirism become symbolic of "dangerous" female sexuality?
2) In our last class, we explored the symbolism of the vampire and debated the question, "Why are we so obsessed with vampires?" Explore the symbolism of the vampire in this novel. In what ways is Dracula an "uncanny" figure? What sort of repression might he be symbolic of? Why? You might also want to explore why the Dracula character has continued to prevail in pop culture and film.
3) Examine the role of Dr. Seward in this novel. What do you think is the significance of the insane asylum in this novel? What is the significance of the emerging "science" of psychology in terms of the themes of this novel? Why is the character of Renfield signficant?
4) In our last class, we touched briefly on how Dracula functions differently than a novel such as The Monk precisely because it juxtaposes "modern" characters with "archaic" demons and monsters. Explore Dracula's relation to modernity. What is the role of technology in this novel? How,and why, does it work side by side with superstition and ancient Catholicism?
5) How does "blood" work symbolically in this novel? Consider the significance of the many blood transfusions that were given to Lucy. How does this quickly become sexual? What does that say about the symbolic "exchange" of fluids in this novel? Given that Victorians were so obsessed with "blood," bloodlines, and "race," how could this constant exchanging of fluids and "mixing" be considered an "uncanny" sort of trope in the novel?
Finally, here's a great link to an article that Keri found the other day. I thought it was worth sharing given are previous class discussion. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33509755/ns/health-sexual_health/?GT1=43001#storyContinued
1) In our edition of Dracula, Phyllis A Roth writes, "Perhaps nowhere is the dichotomy of sensual and sexless women more dramatic than it is in Dracula and nowhere is the suddenly sexual woman more violent and self-righteously pesecuted than in Stoker's 'thriller'" (412). There's been a great deal of discussion in our class blogosphere about the role of women in Dracula. Check it out:
http://samjanssen.blogspot.com/
http://kindling263.blogspot.com/
http://cihtog362hsilgne.blogspot.com/
http://leahgriesel.blogspot.com/
http://gothicnovel263.blogspot.com/
For your post, explore the depictions of women in the novel. Could "vampirism" be a way in which women can express an otherwise repressed sexuality? Consider Jonathan's run in with the "Brides of Dracula." How is he both allured and repelled by these women? Explore how Lucy and Mina both exceed but then at times transgress the stereotype of the angelic, Victorian woman. In what ways do both characters play "dangerously" with the role of the New Woman? How does Vampirism become symbolic of "dangerous" female sexuality?
2) In our last class, we explored the symbolism of the vampire and debated the question, "Why are we so obsessed with vampires?" Explore the symbolism of the vampire in this novel. In what ways is Dracula an "uncanny" figure? What sort of repression might he be symbolic of? Why? You might also want to explore why the Dracula character has continued to prevail in pop culture and film.
3) Examine the role of Dr. Seward in this novel. What do you think is the significance of the insane asylum in this novel? What is the significance of the emerging "science" of psychology in terms of the themes of this novel? Why is the character of Renfield signficant?
4) In our last class, we touched briefly on how Dracula functions differently than a novel such as The Monk precisely because it juxtaposes "modern" characters with "archaic" demons and monsters. Explore Dracula's relation to modernity. What is the role of technology in this novel? How,and why, does it work side by side with superstition and ancient Catholicism?
5) How does "blood" work symbolically in this novel? Consider the significance of the many blood transfusions that were given to Lucy. How does this quickly become sexual? What does that say about the symbolic "exchange" of fluids in this novel? Given that Victorians were so obsessed with "blood," bloodlines, and "race," how could this constant exchanging of fluids and "mixing" be considered an "uncanny" sort of trope in the novel?
Finally, here's a great link to an article that Keri found the other day. I thought it was worth sharing given are previous class discussion. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33509755/ns/health-sexual_health/?GT1=43001#storyContinued
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