HUM 2085: Critical Approaches
Film and Television Adaptations
Summer 2014
Dr. Perdigao
class time: T Th 2:00-4:35 pm
office: 626 Crawford Hall
phone: 321-674-8370
email:
my.fit.edu/~lperdiga
Course Description:
Film and television adaptations of novels, short stories, graphic novels, and plays highlight the processes of interpretation and reinterpretation.In this course, we will focus on the adaptations of young adult literature on the big and small screens. The novels that we will analyze can be categorized as bildungsromane, coming-of-age stories, that reflect the maturation of its adolescent protagonists into adulthood. The film and television adaptations of these novels attempt to translate the characters’ experiences in a visual medium. In many ways, these adaptations show how film and television “come of age,” producing innovative texts that explore the space between word and image.
Required Texts:
L. J. Smith,The Vampire Diaries (HarperTeen, ISBN: 9780061140976)
Suzanne Collins,Catching Fire(Scholastic, ISBN: 9780545586177)
Stephen Chbosky,The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV Books, ISBN: 9780671027346)
Markus Zusak,The Book Thief(Knopf, ISBN: 9780385754729)
Yann Martel,Life of Pi(Mariner, ISBN: 9780156027328)
Bernard Dick, Anatomy of Film (Bedford/St. Martin’s; ISBN: 9780312487119)
Policies and Procedures
Grading:
Quizzes20%
Responses (4)40%
Final Exam30%
Class Participation 10%
The two quizzeswill contain material from the novels, films, television episodes, and critical text.As regular attendance is mandatory, make-up quizzes are unlikely.
Aresponse consists of a 1-2 page response to one of the questions about the relationship between the novel and the television or film adaptation. While the responses are not formal essays, you must demonstrate knowledge of the readings and the relationships between the texts we are discussing.
For the responses, students are required to submit their papers to on the assigned date; failure to submit the paper to turnitin.com and/or to turn in the hard copy in class on the due date will lead to a failure of the assignment. Our class ID is8039942 and the password isMockingjay.
Academic Dishonesty will be handled in accordance with School of Arts and Communication policy. Cheating and plagiarism will result in failure of assignment and/or failure of course and will be reported to the Dean of Students. Dishonest conduct may lead to formal disciplinary proceedings. Be certain that you are familiar with Florida Tech’s academic dishonesty policy (
Cell phone policy: If your phone rings, if you try to make an outgoing call or text messages are sent or received (translation: basically any variation of using your phone when you should be paying attention),you are responsible for bringing pizza (or an acceptable alternative) to the following class.
Attendance is required. If you miss more than 10% of the classes, you run the risk of failing the course. You are responsible for all of the work you miss.
Course Schedule
May 13Introduction
Viewing: The Vampire Diaries, “Pilot”
May 15Reading: L. J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening(3-253)
Viewing:The Vampire Diaries, “The Night of the Comet”
May 20The bildungsroman on the big and small screen
Reading: Anatomy of Film (Chapter 1-2: 1-50)
Viewing: Roswell, “Pilot”
May 22Reading: Anatomy of Film (Chapter 4: “The Science-Fiction Film,” 193-198)
Viewing: The Tomorrow People, “Pilot”
Response 1
May 27Viewing: Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games (142 min.)
May 29Reading: Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire(Chapters 1-13: 3-187)
June 3Reading: Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire (Chapters 14-27: 188-391)
Viewing: Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (146 min.)
June 5Televising adolescence on the big screen
Reading: Anatomy of Film (Chapter 3: 51-98)
Quiz 1
Response 2
June 10Reading: Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2-213)
Viewing: Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (102 min.)
June 12Reading: Markus Zusak, The Book Thief(Prologue, 3-292)
Reading: Anatomy of Film (Chapter 6: 200-202; 219-226)
June 17Reading: Markus Zusak, The Book Thief(293-550)
Reading: Anatomy of Film (Chapter 4: “The Reflexive Film,” 165-177)
Viewing: Brian Percival’s The Book Thief (131 min.)
Response 3
June 19From first person to omniscience
Reading: Yann Martel, Life of Pi(“Author’s Note,” Chapters 1-73: 3-208)
June 24Reading: Yann Martel, Life of Pi(Chapters 74-100: 208-319)
Viewing: Ang Lee, Life of Pi (127 min.)
Quiz 2
June 26Storytelling 101
July 1Narrating the self in YA fiction
Response 4
July 3Final exam