Monster and Me
UWS 26A, Fall 2015
Monday, Wednesday 12:00-12:50. We do not meet Thursdays.
Instructor: Haram Lee Office: TBD
Office Hours: Mondays 10:30-12:00 and by appointment
Email:
My mailbox is behind the English Office (Rabb 144)
Why do monsters fascinate us despite the fear they inspire? Think of endless versions of the stories about Frankenstein’s creature, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and, for that matter, a variety of robots. One reason for our fascination with these monstrous beings would be their affinity with human beings. We love, as much as hate, monsters because they embody our deep desires that we tend not to acknowledge. Monsters may be not just objects of curiosity but subjects worthy of serious attention, mirroring human nature in a distorted, fragmented, but frank way precisely for their extremity. Among many ways in which monsters illuminate human nature, we will focus on the construction of personal identity in novels and a movie that feature monsters. In the first unit, we will consider how identity is made and unmade by sexual desire in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the second unit, we will examine the way in which the "other" in one's self constitutes the self, reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through the lens of Freud. In the last unit, we will watch Blade Runner and think about the functions of memory in constructing one's identity. As a University Writing Seminar, this course primarily aims to deepen students' understanding of the process of composition and revision, as well as to cultivate their basic research skills.
Required Texts—Available in the Bookstore
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (1818 text—do NOT get the 1831 edition)
Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Matthew Parfitt, Writing in Response
Write Now! (A collection of essays written in last year’s UWS classes)
Texts Available on Latte
Many of the supplementary texts we'll read this semester will be available on Latte. You will find them under "Course Texts" on the course homepage. If you don't think you have an assigned reading, look for it on LATTE.
** Always bring your books and articles to class!
Essays and Assignments
Essay 1: The close reading.
In this assignment you will write a 5-6 page essay in which you make an argument about the representation of personal identity in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by closely reading one scene in the story.
Essay 2: The lens assignment.
In this assignment you will write a 7-8 page essay in which you develop an argument about Frankenstein through the lens of Freud’s “Uncanny.”
Essay 3: The researched argument.
In this assignment you will write a 10-12 page essay in which you make an informed argument about the way in which identity is constructed in Blade Runner. You will conduct research on your own to support your argument about the movie.
Portfolio: At the end of class you will collect all of your work (including pre-draft assignments, rough drafts, final drafts, and peer review sheets) and put it together in a folder. You will give it to me, together with a letter describing how your understanding of yourself as a writer has changed over the course of the semester. This means that you need to keep all your writing from the semester. (There is a possibility that you will have to turn in a portfolio online; in that case, I will let you know how to do it.)
Drafting:
Four steps lead up to the final draft of each essay:
· Pre-draft assignments. Each essay will be preceded by two or three pre-draft assignments—short pieces of writing designed to help you develop ideas. These assignments will receive either a check or a check minus and will count as part of your overall grade.
· First drafts. You are required to turn in a first draft of each paper. These drafts are important opportunities for you to receive feedback from me and your classmates in peer review. I do not expect these drafts to be polished, but I do expect them to be complete—otherwise we cannot give you useful advice.
· Peer Review. After the first draft of each paper is due you will form a group with two of your classmates and read each other’s drafts. In class you will give your partners feedback. I will collect your peer review worksheets and they will count as part of your grade. These activities increase your sense of audience awareness and give you an opportunity to reflect on the concepts we have discussed in class.
· Conferences. Each student will have three twenty-minute conferences with me over the course of the semester, one to discuss each first draft. Attendance is required; missing a conference is the equivalent of missing a class. Sign-up sheets will be distributed in class.
Grades
Close reading : 20%
Lens assignment: 25%
Researched argument: 35%
Class participation: 10%
Portfolio (includes latte posts, pre-drafts, and peer reviews): 10%
Formatting
All worked must be typed and use 1 inch margins and 12 point Times New Roman font. Your last name and a page number should occupy the header of each page after the first. All citations must be in MLA format. Each final draft must be accompanied by a cover letter, in which you will explain the goals of your paper and reflect on your writing and revision process. Please both bring your final drafts in class and upload them on Latte.
Writing Center
The University Writing Center, located on the first floor of Goldfarb Library just around the corner from the computer clusters, provides free one-on-one help with your essays. You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this service. Writing Center tutors are well trained and will work with you in 45 minute sessions that you can schedule online: (http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/writing/writingcenter/index.html). Students who take advantage of this service will receive a form during their tutorial that will entitle them to a 24 hour extension on the final draft of their essay. Only one extension is allowed per essay.
Late Work and Extensions
Extensions will not be granted unless there are extreme, extenuating circumstances. Furthermore, requests for extensions will not be granted unless they come at least 48 hours before the beginning of class on the draft is due. Papers will lose 1/3 of a grade for every day they are late (i.e. a B paper will receive a B-). If you take advantage of the Writing Center, you may hand in a completed reward form in place of your final draft (and only the final draft) for a 24-hour extension. All other assignments, including pre-drafts and rough drafts should be completed on the scheduled due date. Failure to complete the Pre-Draft, Rough Drafts, and Peer Review assignments will affect your final grade.
Attendance
Attendance and class participation are mandatory. You have three free absences which
you may use in case of sickness, scheduling conflicts, or religious observances. Further
absences will reduce your final grade by 1/3 of letter grade, so an A will become an A-,
an A- will become a B+, etc. Missing a conference is the same as missing a class. After
seven absences, you will fail the course. You are responsible for getting notes or
assignment changes from your classmates. Exceptions are not made for athletics; if your
schedule requires you to miss more than three classes, you should find a class that meets
at a different time. Please see me as soon as possible if you have any questions about this
policy.
Laptops
Laptops are NOT allowed in this class unless you need special accommodations.
Academic Honesty
You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. The University policy on academic honesty is distributed annually in section 4 of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. (available at http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/srcs/index.html ). Instances of alleged dishonesty will be forwarded to the Office of Campus Life for possible referral to the Student Judicial System. Potential sanctions include failure in the course and suspension from the University. If you have any questions about my expectations, please ask.
Accommodations
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in class, please see me right away.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Unit 1: Close Reading
Week 1
Aug 27 (Th) • In Class: Intro to writing and to seminar topic; diagnostic writing
Week 2
Aug 31 (M) • Reading Assignment: Course Syllabus; Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, pp. 1-33; Parfitt: Introduction, Chapter 1
• Writing Assignment: Essay Instruction Sheet
• In Class: discussion of high school vs. college writing; what is good writing?
Sept 2 (W) • Reading Assignment: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, pp.34-66.
• Writing Assignment: Post on Latte a one-paragraph response by 7:00 PM Tues., Sep.1.
• In Class: Essay #1 writing assignment; introduction to close reading and analysis
Week 3
Sept 9 (W) • Reading Assignment: Your peers’ theses; Parfitt: Chapters 2, 3
• Writing Assignment: Pre-draft 1.1. due: post your thesis on Latte by 6:00 PM on Tues., 9/8. Respond to peers by 9:00 AM on Wed., 9/9
• In-Class: Outlines, thesis exercise, thesis peer review
Sept 10 (Th: Mon Schedule)
• Reading Assignment: “Elements of the Academic Essay,” Grading Rubric
• Writing Assignment: Pre-Draft 1.2. due (outline)
• In-Class: preparing to write first draft; elements
Week 4
One-on-One Conferences to discuss drafts of Essay 1 this week and/or next
Sept 16 (W) • Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: Draft of Essay #1 due with cover letter (3 copies)
• In Class: Workshop student essay from Write Now! focusing on thesis, structure, evidence, and analysis
Sept 21 (M) • START READING Frankenstein and “Uncanny.”
• Reading Assignment: Workshop materials (TBA); Parfitt Chapter 6
• Writing Assignment: Peer Review Letter
• In Class: Draft workshop focusing on thesis, structure, evidence, analysis
Unit 2: How to Work with a Text as a Lens
Week 5
Sept 29 (Tues: Monday schedule)
• Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: Revision of Essay #1 due with revision cover letter
• In Class: Discussion of unit 1 sources—what did you learn from writing your essay? Essay #2 writing assignment; introduction to lens analysis and lens text
Sept 30 (W)
• Reading Assignment: Frankenstein, pp.1-68.
• Writing Assignment: Post on Latte a one-paragraph response by 7:00 PM Tues., Sep.29.
• In Class: Frankenstein
Week 6
Oct 7 (W) • Reading Assignment: Frankenstein, pp. 69-191.
• Writing Assignment: Post on Latte a one-paragraph response by 7:00 PM Tues.,
Oct. 6.
• In Class: Frankenstein
Week 7
Oct 12 (M) • Reading Assignment: Freud, “Uncanny” (Latte)
• Writing Assignment: Pre-draft 2.1. due (reverse outline)
• In Class: Understanding and applying lens text; summary and paraphrase
Oct 14 (W) • Reading Assignment: Freud, “Uncanny” (cont.)
• Writing Assignment: Pre-draft 2.2. due (matching Frankenstein and Freud)
• In Class: Discussion of pre-draft 2.2.; thesis and motive in lens essays
Week 8
Oct 19 (M) • Reading Assignment: Lens Essay(s) from Write Now!
• Writing Assignment: Pre-Draft 2.3. due (outline)
• In Class: working with quotations; working with lens; Discussion of sample student essay; drafting strategies
Oct 21 (W) • Reading Assignment: Lens Essay(s) from Write Now!
• Writing Assignment: none or notes/reader response
• In Class: working with quotations; working with lens; Discussion of sample student essay; drafting strategies
Week 9
One-on-One Conferences to discuss drafts of essay 2 end of this week
Oct 26 (M) • Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: Draft of Essay #2 due with cover letter (3 copies)
• In Class: Style workshop: clarifying “to be” & spotting loser sentences in drafts
Oct 28 (W) • Reading Assignment: Your partner’s essays, Parfitt Chapter 7
• Writing Assignment: Peer Review Letter
• In Class: Draft workshop focusing on thesis, motive, analysis, revision
strategies
Unit 3: Research Essay
Week 10
Nov 2 (M) • Reading Assignment: Blade Runner
• Writing Assignment: Revision of Essay #2 due with revision cover letter
• In Class: Essay #3 writing assignment; finding a topic; types of sources
Nov 4 (W) • Reading Assignment: Blade Runner (cont.)
• Writing Assignment: Post on Latte a one-paragraph response by 7:00 PM Tues.,
Nov. 3.
• In Class: Framing a research question
Week 11
Nov 9 (M) • Reading Assignment: John Locke, from Essay Concerning Human
Understanding (Latte)
• Writing Assignment: none
• In Class: Narrowing a research question, identifying analytical focus
Nov 11 (W) • Reading Assignment: Timothy Shanahan,
“God” in Philosophy and Blade Runner (Latte)
• Writing Assignment: Pre-draft 3.1. due (research paper plan)
• In Class: Brief oral reports on research topics; evaluating sources; prep for FLIP; prep for annotated bibliography
Week 12
One-on-One conferences to discuss drafts of essay 3 end of this week/next week
Nov 16 (M) FLIP Session: Meet in Library
• Reading Assignment: Parfitt Chapter 9
• Writing Assignment: none
• In Class: Library session on available resources
Nov 18 (W) • Reading Assignment: Research Essay(s) from Write Now!
• Writing Assignment: Pre-draft 3.2 due (annotated bibliography)
• In Class: Interweaving multiple sources in Write Now! essay; prep for annotated bibliography
Week 13
Nov 23 (M) • Reading Assignment: Your research materials, Parfitt Chapter 10
• Writing Assignment: : Pre-draft 3.3. due (outline)
• In Class: Research question, thesis, and motive in Write Now! essay; quotation and citation
Week 14
Nov 30 (M) • Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: Draft of Essay #3 due with cover letter (3 copies)
• In Class: Essay structure; paragraphing; audience and tone; title workshop
Dec 2 (W) • Reading Assignment: Your partners’ essays
• Writing Assignment: Peer Review Letter
• In Class: Draft workshop focusing on evidence/analysis, structure, and integration of sources
Week 15
Dec 7 (M) • Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: none
• In Class: Research presentations; discussion of portfolio assignment and reflective writing
Dec 9 (W): Last day of class
• Reading Assignment: none
• Writing Assignment: Revision of Essay #3 due with revision cover letter; Writing Portfolio due with portfolio cover letter
• In Class: Research presentations; review of course; course evaluations