Hi everyone, I am still grading. All your grades should be in in the next few days. I hope your finals went well.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO EMAIL ME YOUR FINAL PRESENTATION (BOTH VISUAL AIDE AND PAPER)!

Final Presentations Schedule

Final presentation schedule - 11:00 class

Tuesday

11:00--BryAnna
11:10--Stacey
11:20--Tanner
11:30--Shelby
11:40--Hannah
11:50--Maya
12:00--Iyesha

Thursday

11:00--Tori
11:10--Sabrina
11:20--Brandon
11:30--Jimena
11:40--Alexis
11:50--Kim
12:00--Manuel

Final presentation schedule - 1:30 class

Tuesday

1:30--Ulises
1:40--Jordyn
1:50--Riley
2:00--Drew
2:10--Sarah
2:20--Tyler
2:30--Courtney

Thursday

1:30--Billie
1:40--Luke
1:50--Jonathan
2:00--Julia
2:10--Santiago
2:20--Bianca
2:30--Max

Next week

Dear students,

I hope you had a nice holiday!

As I mentioned in class, your schedule next week will be as follows:

*substitute visiting on Tuesday

*work on your projects outside of class on Thursday

If you have any questions about the schedule, please email me or ask your peer mentors.

Looking forward to your projects!

Prof D

Fairy Tale Assignment

For next Tuesday's class, you will required to bring in a physical example of that day's assigned fairy tale that we did not cover in the homework and that is not in any of your assigned books for the course.

You must also select a version other than the Disney version, simply because those examples are too easy to find. You can, however, use Disney-inspired and subverted works--provided that Disney themselves did not make or manufacture them.

So, a little mermaid figurine you found at the dollar store would be a NO GO, since Disney manufactured it.

An Ursula-inspired drag queen works, though--provided she's not working for Disney! Make sure to double-check.

Here's where things get interesting: you can, if you like, select a non-film or a non-book version of the story. A sculpture, a painting, a performance art piece, a comic, a children's toy (again, can't be Disney)--these are all options. You could even bring in a cereal box!

Again, can't be Disney, though.

Make sure that the example you pick is ripe for analysis. You need to be prepared to discuss what it tells us about culture: who is the audience, what sorts of messages does the object or story send, what cultural ideas does it complicate (is it subverting the original story for some reason? Is it a feminist re-telling), what is relevant about its form (book, sculpture, cereal, etc).

The 1 page analysis should be typed, double-spaced, and should follow MLA formatting. You are strongly encouraged to use your class notes on fairy tales in the analysis as well.

As for your visual example, it can be printed out from the computer. Make sure you take a few notes on the context of the work--I will ask you where it came from, who made it, when they made it, why they made it, what it's about, etc. Please make sure it's printed neatly and is large enough for the class to see.

Please don't bring examples on your phones or computers--these will not count for credit and you will not be able to share them. Additionally, no "it's in my head" examples.

You may also want to bring two different examples, just in case someone else in class steals your thunder.

Looking forward to seeing your fairy tale examples!

Hi everyone,

If you're signing up for classes, I'm going to be teaching an awesome Jan Term course on horror fiction and film and two spring Why Read classes on science fiction. Sign up! Tell your friends!

Prof D

Final Essay & Presentation

Create a monster for the 21st century, to be presented to the class in a 10-15 minute presentation.  Please present your monster in a creative way--dress up as your monster, do a skit, share a video (all videos should be uploaded to youtube or vimeo so they can be played easily in class), visual aids/posters, etc. 

You may not bring laptops the day of the presentation, but you may upload to the web and present from the in class computer. Please do not present anything that requires a flash drive or downloading as we do not have time to set up in class.

Quickly slapped together print outs or scrawled drawings will receive no credit. You may not present a creative aide that was not made by you. 


Pay careful attention to your monsters physical attributes, living environment, prey, attitude, etc. Make sure these directly represent cultural fears and desires. 


Additionally, please answer the following questions in an essay format, 3-5 pages in length, and present them to the class as well. You may choose to present them in a creative way or a more straightforward way, but they must be answered directly. Being able to critically analyze your monster, as we've critically analyzed the monsters in this course, is imperative to your success on this assignment. Failure to do so, even if you have a cool looking monster, will result in a non-passing score on the assignment.


Here are the questions:


What cultural fears does your monster represent?


What cultural desires does it represent? 

You will want to choose something specific to the culture. For example, just as Dracula represented the Victorian desire for more sexual freedom for women, your monster will need to express a particular desire that relates to our cultural moment as Americans in this country, today, in the era of Facebook, the internet, climate change, political strife, student loan debt, etc (those are just a few specific examples, it can really be anything). Whatever you do, don't just say that the desires (or fears, for that matter) are something generic. You won't want to say that your monster represents a "fear of the unknown" or "fear of change" or "fear of death" --these are too broad and generic. Pick something related to what's going on in the world today. "Fear of being buried under a mountain of student loan debt" is a specific fear, related to what is going on in the world today. (Don't copy the fears I've put here--come up with your own). 


How is the monster's body a physical manifestation of these cultural fears and desires? For example, if it is a vampire that can walk out in sunlight, does it represent our changing attitude toward difference--the fact that we now are more tolerant of those who are not "the norm"? 


How does your monster "fit in" to the lineage of the monsters we have learned about this semester? Does your monster have anything in common with those monsters? How does your monster differ from them, as a representation of this particular cultural moment and place? 

Are there any other monsters that you took inspiration from? How did they inspire you?

Apply at least six quotes from the in-class monster thesis notes to your monster. How does your monster represent these quotes? You may choose to directly quote or paraphrase, but do include a Works Cited page.
Can't wait to meet your monsters! :-)

Transitions

Writing Transitions

Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous paragraphs, writers can develop important points for their readers.

It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where another leaves off. (Instances where this is especially challenging may suggest that the paragraphs don't belong together at all.) Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers. Many times, it only takes a few words to draw these connections. Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph.

Example: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

Another important thing to note is that the corporation had expanded its international influence.

Revision: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

These impressive profits are largely due to the corporation's expanded international influence.

Example: Fearing for the loss of Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War.

But then something else significant happened. The Swedish intervention began.

Revision: Fearing for the loss of more Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War.

Shortly after Danish forces withdrew, the Swedish intervention began.

Example: Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club, skyrocketed up the bestseller list.

There are other things to note about Tan as well. Amy Tan also participates in the satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders with Stephen King and Dave Barry.

Revision: Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club, skyrocketed up the bestseller list.

Though her fiction is well known, her work with the satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders receives far less publicity.

Contributors:Ryan Weber, Karl Stolley.
Summary:

A discussion of transition strategies and specific transitional devices.

Transitional Devices

Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.

Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way.

To Add:

and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To Compare:

whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

To Prove:

because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To Show Exception:

yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

To Show Time:

immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

To Repeat:

in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

To Emphasize:

definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

To Show Sequence:

first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

To Give an Example:

for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate

To Summarize or Conclude:

in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

Rough Draft Workshop

Questions:

1) Does the writer have a strong hook for the introduction? If not, suggest one. Does the writer introduce their topic clearly and succinctly, providing the necessary historical and plot background information so that the reader is not confused about the topic at hand? Give one or two suggestions for improvement in this area (do not skip).

2) Does the essay’s thesis seem to be undeveloped or too broad, or is it just specific enough to argue in an 4-6 page paper? Does it have one to two sentences? Does it outline the main topics that will be discussed in the essay? Many any necessary suggestions for clarification and more specificity as well (do not skip). Lastly, please remember that the thesis needs to address the prompt. 

3) Please note any places in the essay where further clarifying details could be added. This is something everyone in the class needs to work on. Is the writer clear about why "_____" is the real monster? Do they use scenes and quotes from the book and sources to back up their ideas?  Make sure historical context information is also provided.

4) Is the writer incorporating research from scholarly sources into the essay (not .com sources or dictionary/encyclopedia sources)? Do the sources seem to be strong and ON TOPIC? Why or why not (do not skip)

5) Does the writer have strong quotes from the book (Frankenstein) that they intend to use in the essay? They should! Are those quotes “murder weapon” quotes? Which quote is the strongest and which is the weakest? Suggest an ordering for the quotes that would help the writer work from their strongest point to their weakest (keeping in mind the importance of chronology/topic organization as well)—do not skip! Are the quotes smoothly integrated into the essay and not plopped?

6) Does the writer have sufficient analysis for their quotations? Remember, analysis is even more important than the quote itself. Make sure the writer is not simply explaining the quote in a summarizing fashion, but connecting it to its larger significance (relationship to their thesis). Make suggestions for improvement below, and be specific (do not skip).

7) Is the essay organized? Do the body paragraphs seem to build logically upon one another? Give at least one suggestion for improving the organization of the essay (do not skip). Starting at the beginning of the scene and then going forward from there is a good idea.

8) Does the writer incorporate their monster thesis notes into the essay effectively? 

9) Does the writer use effective transitions when moving between paragraphs? See the next post on this blog for tips.

NOTE ON ROUGH DRAFT DUE DATE

Hi everyone in my first section (11:00-1:20),

Please note that your rough drafts are actually due NEXT THURSDAY, not Tuesday. Sorry for any confusion! Please update each other.

Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday,
Prof D

Counterarguments

Please carefully read through this post on counterarguments, and incorporate this information into your essay.

Essay #3: Who is the Real Monster in Frankenstein?

Write an argumentative essay that declares either Victor, the creature, no one, or both Victor and the creature, the real monster of the novel Frankenstein.

This paper will further utilize your skills in comparison/contrast, but with a  clearly delineated argumentative bent. You will be analyzing throughout, but with a clear argument (your thesis) that you return to over and over. Make sure your arguments are logical and well-developed. I recommend one clear argument sub-point per paragraph, with lots of evidence to support it.

Additionally, you will want to make sure to incorporate into your essay plenty of counterarguments for the opposing perspective. Remember to utilize the skills you gleaned in class in this regard.

It should be very clear from the get-go (your thesis) who the monster is, and, most importantly, WHY. Your thesis does not need to be a mystery, as many of you were taught in high school. 

Your "why" needs to be spelled out and well-qualified (specific). It should be a "why" that you can back up with numerous examples from the novel itself in the form of quotes and paraphrases, as well as a why you can back up with examples from outside research.

You must incorporate your monster thesis notes (you will get more this forthcoming week) four times into the essay as well.

You need at least two outside sources, in addition to Frankenstein the novel. Your paper should have proper MLA citation and a Works Cited page. Failure to use MLA citation properly will result in a non-passing grade. Proofread for grammar errors.

Your outside sources must be scholarly sources, on topic. Think of articles written on Frankenstein, or the ethical dilemma presented in the book (so, philosophical or ethical science articles, etc). They may not be random websites or movies. They must be found via the library's database. There has been a ton of research on Frankenstein, so there should be no trouble finding sources, provided you budget your time and really dig for them.

One of your outside sources may one be the critical essays in the back of your Frankenstein book. The other you must find on your own.

Don't forget to cite your monster thesis notes as well as Frankenstein itself. This means you should have at least four critical sources listed on your Works Cited page total.

REVISION OPTION

Dear students,

I have decided to give you the option to revise 1 of your essays from the semester in order to improve your score by as much as one whole letter grade.

You may revise either essays 1, 2, or 3 for this assignment. If you choose to revise your in-class essay, your revision must be typed and follow MLA formatting.

For revision, please improve your essay with my suggestions on the paper. In addition, I recommend meeting with me during my office hours to go over the essay.

These revisions will be due on the very last day of class before finals week, via email only. You will receive ONLY a graded letter on them, no notes, as I have already made extensive notes on both your rough drafts/outlines and your final drafts, and I will be busy grading your final projects as well during finals week.

You're welcome! :-)

Hi everyone,

Please note that the Course Schedule has been updated to reflect a slight change to the reading and a change to the due date of your In-Class Essay.

We can discuss any questions you have about this in class, or you can email me. In addition, you will be receiving your grades on Essay #1 before Tuesday's class and may send any questions about these grades via email. Thanks.

Prof D

Discussion Questions

What makes the vampires in the novel human? What makes them not-human? Define human.

Discuss Louis' quest vs. Claudia's quest. What are they both looking for? How do these quests match up with the time period in which the novel was written, its questions and its qualities?

What happens when Louis and Claudia go back to the old country to find "Dracula"? Who do they find there? 

If you were to create a vampire to represent current cultural fears and desires, what fears and desires would those be? How would your vampire represent them?

The In Class Essay

The In-Class Essay:

Aim and Organization

AIM:

To successfully prove a clear, specific thesis. The thesis should, obviously, address one of the prompts given in class. Following directions here, as always, is crucial to receiving a passing grade.

ORGANIZATION:

An in-class essay is organized into five paragraphs. The first paragraph is the introduction, then comes three body paragraphs, then a concluding paragraph. No more—no less!

You will want to make a brief outline before you write your essay.* Make sure the body paragraphs appear in a logical order, not simply the order they came to your mind in. Build on the information as you go.

Introductory Paragraph: Make sure not to take too much time writing in introduction. This paragraph should be about five sentences long (give or take a sentence or two). Provide a clearly arguable, well-qualified, thesis.

Body Paragraph One: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

Body Paragraph Two: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Two should follow Body Paragraph One in terms of building logically upon it.

Body Paragraph Three: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well a topic sentence as the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Three should follow Body Paragraph Two in terms of building logically upon it.

Concluding Paragraph: Re-state your thesis. Summarize what has been successfully argued in the essay. End with a thoughtful and strong statement. This paragraph, like your introductory paragraph, need not be longer than five sentences, but should also not be shorter.

Grammar and formatting: Make sure to check your grammar and spelling as you go along. There is a bit more room for error in an in-class essay, but your essay must be readable and legible (so make sure your handwriting is clear). Double-check your essay for errors before you turn it in. You may choose to double-space or single space an in-class essay (depending on what your teacher requests).

*You will be required to turn in your brief outline with your essay for your INTD100. See “Sample Outline” below for details.

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR IN-CLASS ESSAY

Par. 1: THESIS: Write out thesis statement here.

Par. 2: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 1 here.

Par. 3: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 2 here.

Par. 4: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 3 here.

Par. 5: CONCLUSION: Final thought to leave reader with.

*Remember, this is just a sample outline—yours can differ slightly. Also, you obviously will want to fully develop your intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion—so while you are providing the main idea of these paragraphs here in the outline, you will flesh them out with evidence/support in your actual essay.

Modern vs Postmodern chart

Modernity vs. Postmodernity Chart

Modernism vs Postmodernism  --The features in the table below are only tendencies, not absolutes. In fact, the tendency to see things in seemingly obvious, binary, contrasting categories is usually associated with modernism. The tendency to dissolve binary categories and expose their arbitrary cultural co-dependency is associated with postmodernism.

DRACULA                                                             INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

Modernism/Modernity	Postmodern/Postmodernity
Master Narratives and Metanarratives of history, culture and national identity; myths of cultural and ethnic orgin.	Suspicion and rejection of Master Narratives; local narratives, ironic deconstruction of master narratives: counter-myths of origin.
Faith in "Grand Theory" (totalizing explantions in history, science and culture) to represent all knowledge and explain everything.	Rejection of totalizing theories; pursuit of localizing and contingent theories.
Faith in, and myths of, social and cultural unity, hierarchies of social-class and ethnic/national values, seemingly clear bases for unity.	Social and cultural pluralism, disunity, unclear bases for social/national/ethnic unity.
Master narrative of progress through science and technology.	Skepticism of progress, anti-technology reactions, neo-Luddism; new age religions.
Sense of unified, centered self;  "individualism," unified identity.	Sense of fragmentation and decentered self;  multiple, conflicting identities.
Idea of "the family" as central unit of social order: model of the middle-class, nuclear family.	Alternative family units, alternatives to middle-class marriage model, multiple identities for couplings and childraising.
Hierarchy, order, centralized control.	Subverted order, loss of centralized control, fragmentation.
Faith and personal investment in big politics (Nation-State, party).	Trust and investment in micropolitics, identity politics, local politics, institutional power struggles.
Root/Depth tropes.  Faith in "Depth" (meaning, value, content, the signified) over "Surface" (appearances, the superficial, the signifier).	Rhizome/surface tropes.  Attention to play of surfaces, images, signifiers without concern for "Depth".
Faith in the "real" beyond media and representations; authenticity of "originals"	Hyper-reality, image saturation, simulacra seem more powerful than the "real"; images and texts with no prior "original".  "As seen on TV" and "as seen on MTV" are more powerful than unmediated experience.
Dichotomy of high and low culture (official vs. popular culture);  imposed consensus that high or official culture is normative and authoritative	Disruption of the dominance of high culture by popular culture;  mixing of popular and high cultures, new valuation of pop culture, hybrid cultural forms cancel "high"/"low" categories.
Mass culture, mass consumption, mass marketing.	Demassified culture; niche products and marketing, smaller group identities.
Art as unique object and finished work authenticated by artist and validated by agreed upon standards.	Art as process, performance, production, intertextuality.  Art as recycling of culture authenticated by audience and validated in subcultures sharing identity with the artist.
Knowledge mastery, attempts to embrace a totality.  The encyclopedia.	Navigation, information management, just-in-time knowledge.  The Web.
Broadcast media, centralized one-  to-many communications.	Interactive, client-server, distributed, many-  to-many media (the Net and Web).
Centering/centeredness,  centralized knowledge.	Dispersal, dissemination,  networked, distributed knowledge
Determinancy	Indeterminancy, contingency.
Seriousness of intention and purpose, middle-class earnestness.	Play, irony, challenge to official seriousness, subversion of earnestness.
Sense of clear generic boundaries and wholeness (art, music, and literature).	Hybridity, promiscuous genres, recombinant culture, intertextuality, pastiche.
Design and architecture of New York and Boston.	Design and architecture of LA and Las Vegas
Clear dichotomy between organic and inorganic, human and machine	cyborgian mixing of organic and inorganic, human and machine and electronic
Phallic ordering of sexual difference, unified sexualities, exclusion/bracketing of pornography	androgyny, queer sexual identities, polymorphous sexuality, mass marketing of pornography
the book as sufficient bearer of the word;  the library as system for printed knowledge	hypermedia as transcendence of physical limits of print media;  the Web or Net as information system

Chart Created by Martin Irvine

UPDATED DUE DATE FOR FINAL ESSAY #1

DUE VIA EMAIL TUESDAY THE 13TH AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS!

EMAIL WITH ANY/ALL QUESTIONS TO KATEDURBINTEACHER@GMAIL.COM

Workshop Guidelines

Name of Paper Critic: ______________________

Name of Paper Author: _______________________

OUTLINE ONE:

WORKSHOP GUIDELINES

DIRECTIONS: Please answer in complete sentences and take time and care in responding, as you will be graded on these handouts. You should be addressing all questions within a given section. Give the notes to the Paper Author when finished. They will hand it in to me next week at the beginning of class and you will both get credit for the assignment.

 Does the essay’s thesis seem to be undeveloped or too broad, or is it just specific enough? Even if the thesis seems to be specific enough, suggest a way for the writer to make it even more specific and narrow. Also note any awkward grammar or unclear word choice. Remember, the thesis should detail what scene is being examined, what lens the author is using to examine it [religious, psychoanalytic, or race/class/gedner], and the larger cultural implications at stake. Also, is the thesis clearly arguable?

 Is the writer incorporating research from two scholarly sources into the essay? Do the sources seem to be a strong and relevant from the writing at hand (do not ask the writer to tell you about them, but judge them based solely on what is in the paper)? Write what you know about the sources below and give any suggestions for what you want to know more about:

Does the writer incorporate plenty of quotes from Dracula in the essay? They should! Are those quotes strong enough to use (i.e. “murder weapon quotes”)? Which quote is the strongest and which is the weakest? Why? Does the writer integrate the quotes into the paper seamlessly, with context and information about the sources they come from? Are they properly formatted via MLA style?

 Does the writer provide convincing, sufficient analysis for their quotations? Remember, analysis is as important than the quote itself. Make suggestions for improvement below, and be specific. The analysis should of course connect back to the lens used (i.e. psychoanalytic) and the cultural implications.

 Is the paper organized? Do the body paragraphs seem to build logically upon one another? Are the quotations logically organized? Give at least one suggestion for improvement.

 Lastly, it’s imperative that the cultural context be given researched, careful attention. Does the writer make a well-argued, specific, reasonable connection between their scene’s analysis and larger social issues at the time in history? If not, the paper will not receiving a passing score. Please give suggestions for improvement.

Is the scene enough to focus on, or should a parallel scene also be analyzed? If so, suggest a parallel scene to incorporate into the essay (brief response):

Basic Outline Template

Par 1: Main idea/thesis
Background and introductory information

Par 2: Topic
Example / quote
Analysis
Example / quote
Analysis


Par 3: Topic
Example / quote
Analysis
Example / quote
Analysis


Par 4: Topic
Example / quote
Analysis
Example / quote
Analysis

And so on, until...

Conclusion

Final thought

INTD 100:

ANALYSIS ESSAY #1

 Please write an essay that: 

• Analyzes one scene in the novel Dracula, explaining how that scene represents one of the following two critical interpretations of blood discussed in the introduction to the novel. The interpretations are psychoanalytic/sexual, and post-colonial. This essay will require close reading of the text, with specific examples cited from the novel to prove your points. Please note that you may not analyze the novel from the straight literal perspective, as there is nothing to analyze--you would simply be summarizing.

*Your thesis should be composed the two main factors connected above.  Several specific examples of thesis statements will be provided in class.

*While you may analyze one of the scenes you were assigned to analyze in class (such as the blood transfusion scenes or the three vampire women dream sequence), you may not simply rehash what we already discussed about these scenes. In other words, if you choose to analyze one of these particular scenes I will expect serious, thoughtful, original analysis. You may find it is actually easier to analyze a scene that we did not already cover in class.

*You are required to provide plenty of evidence and examples specifically from Dracula and from at least two outside scholarly sources to support your argument. Reference sites, such as Wikipedia, Bookrags, Sparknotes, dictionary. com, or any dictionaries or encyclopedias whatsoever, are not acceptable as “outside sources.”  Instead, consult the library’s research databases and free e-periodicals (available through the library’s website); you may also use the introductions to other editions of Dracula. If you are uncertain about the validity of a source (particularly websites), please email your professor ASAP. Please ask your peer mentors for additional library research help.

*You are required to meet with one of your peer mentors prior to turning in the final draft of your essay. You will receive participation points for fulfilling this requirement.

   

*Since this is an academic analytical essay, only the use of the removed 3rd person perspective is acceptable (no “I,” “we,” “our” “your” or “you,” please). Use academic language throughout; avoid talking about your personal experiences or opinions about the novel. A good “tone” for the writing is to mimic the tone of the introduction to Dracula.

Length: 4-6 pages, double-spaced, Garamond or Times New Roman font

Your essay should include the following components:

A good title that is not too long or too vague. The title should capture the essence of your essay in an interesting and compelling way. It should also include the title Dracula as well as the name of your character—but should also indicate what exactly your essay is focusing on. For example: Blood Transfusions as a Form of Ethnic Cleansing Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a sufficient title.

• An introductory hook that captures the reader’s attention in a strong, but not over-dramatic way. Short and succinct statements go a long way. You may want to open with an image of or quotation from the scene  you are analyzing. You will then want to quickly and naturally move into a clear presentation of your thesis statement.
• A thesis that makes your position on the topic unambiguous (clear), appropriately qualified, and clearly arguable. The thesis should come at the beginning of the essay. Repeat it throughout the essay when the reader might become lost; repeat it as well at the end of the essay, though don’t necessarily repeat it word for word. The thesis is the most important part of your essay, and everything that comes after should exist to prove its validity.
• Clear transitions between paragraphs or topics, and topic sentences (mini-theses) at the beginning of each paragraph.
• An awareness of the historical time period and social context in which the novel was written. This ties into understanding the critical interpretations of blood in the novel. You will likely need to do some further outside research into Victorian England (and possibly Stoker’s Irish background) to understand this aspect of the essay fully. Your outside source(s) will be invaluable in this regard, as “proof” for the validity of your arguments. Always, always, always tie in your observations to the cultural context of the novel.
• Plausible reasons and convincing support for your thesis. You must have at least two or three specific and compelling reasons for your argument. Your support for these reasons should be taken firstly from the novel itself, as well as your outside research (both are crucial). Don’t forget that you will need to provide evidence from the scene itself in order to interpret it critically. In other words, you should use clear examples from the text as often as possible to back-up your arguments.  If, for example, you are writing about Jonathan Harker’s shaving / mirror scene with Dracula in the bedroom through the lens of the pyschoanalytic interpretation, you could utilize the quote: “The whole room behind me was displayed, but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself” (Stoker 36).
• A logical order of organization that will guide the reader through your argument in a clear, convincing way.
• An awareness of your audience. You are speaking to a general academic audience, who may or may not have read Dracula. You need to give context to the quotations you take from the text, and not assume that your reader knows the book as you do. Your audience is also secular, so if you choose to write about Dracula via the religious perspective, do not bring in your personal spiritual beliefs.
• Proper MLA documentation. Your final draft should include a Works Cited page with a list of all sources used in the paper (likely just the one outside source as well as the novel Dracula). In addition, you may use more than one outside source if you so choose. 
• If you have trouble filling up 4 pages with your scene, you may choose to analyze two corresponding or related scenes (for example, two scenes with Renfield, or two blood transfusion scenes, or a scene with Lucy's sleep-walking and another scene where she is getting a blood transfusion).

*Remember when using resources the goal is not to simply plop them into the essay and hope the reader understands their purpose.  It is the job of the writer to smoothly integrate short pieces of information into his/her prose according to proper documentary style, as well as to discuss the research’s significance to your essay.  Also, remember you will not impress a reader by presenting huge chunks of quotes and that there will be a significant grade penalty for using block quotes (quotes longer than five lines).  Finally, don’t forget to introduce your resources!

Fallacy Skits

On Thursday, you will be meeting outside of class with a group in order to put together fallacy skits for presentation on next Tuesday's class.

The purpose of this assignment is to help you to make logical arguments with sound reasoning in your papers.

In your groups, please first read Love is Fallacy together.

Then, put together a 1-3 minute skit that demonstrates the fallacy I have assigned you in class. DO NOT SHARE WITH YOUR OTHER CLASSMATES WHICH FALLACY YOU HAVE. They will be guessing your fallacies in class.

You will want to learn the following fallacies before Tuesday's class, so that you can properly guess which fallacies your classmates are performing.

Office hours

Professor Durbin's office hours are from 2-3 on Wednesdays and Fridays. I am also available by appt Tuesday-Friday, provided we make plans in advance.

I will show you my office (which is on the very top floor of Mendenhall) next week, after the weather cools off.

COURSE SCHEDULE

COURSE SCHEDULE

*The course schedule is subject to change with notice. Always bring your book to class with you on the day on which we are discussing it.

WEEK 1

Thursday, Sept 10
Course Introductions
HW for Tuesday, Sept 15: read Introduction to Dracula and read the novel up to page 25

WEEK 2

Tuesday, Sept 15
Fallacy Skit pairs; Basic Notetaking Skills; Monster Thesis 1-2
HW: read Dracula up to page 100

Th, Sept 17
Meetings for Fallacy Skit *you and your partner will meet outside of class; we will not meet in the classroom this day
HW for Tu: read Dracula up to page 150; complete fallacy skits

WEEK 3

Tu, Sept 22
Essay #1 Introduction in Class & Grading Expectations; Fallacy Skits; Writing an Outline
HW for Th: read Dracula up to page 225; make sure to bring laptops & other devices to class on Thursday

Th, Sept 24
LIBRARY INSTRUCTION DAY
*Bring your laptops to class if you have them (if you do not have them, the next best choice is an iPad, and after that the next best choice is an iPhone)
HW for Tu: read Dracula up to page 300

WEEK 4

Tu, Sept 29, Monster Thesis 3-4
HW: complete outline of Essay #1; bring 2 copies to class typed and printed; read Dracula up to page 350

Th, Oct 1 Workshop #1
HW: read Dracula up to page 400

WEEK 5

Tu, Oct 6 MLA Style Day
HW: finish Dracula; read "Critical Excerpts" in the back of the book; finish final draft of Essay #1

Th Oct 8 Essay #1 Due, Monster Thesis 5-6-7
HW: read "Interview with the Vampire" to page 75

WEEK 6

Tu Oct 13
HW: read "Interview with the Vampire" to page 150

Th Oct 15
HW: read "Interview with the Vampire" to page 225

WEEK 7

Tu Oct 20
HW: read "Interview with the Vampire to page 300

Th Oct 22 In Class Essay introduction
HW: finish Interview with the Vampire; read page 19-50 in "Frankenstein"

WEEK 8

Tu Oct 27 In-Class Essay
HW: read "Frankenstein" to page 106

Th Oct 29 Essay #3 Introduction
HW: read "Frankenstein" to page 151

WEEK 9

Tu Nov 3 Rough Drafts Introduction
HW: finish "Frankenstein;" read "A Critical History of Frankenstein" pg. 237-50

Th Nov 5
HW: read "I Am Legend to page 75

WEEK 10

Tu Nov 10
HW: finish "I Am Legend;" complete rough draft of Essay #3 & bring two copies to class for workshop

Th Nov 12 Rough Draft Workshop
HW: read "Introduction to Norton Fairy Tales;" read "Introduction to Hansel and Gretel" in Norton, read "Hansel and Gretel" p. 184 in Norton, read "The Juniper Tree" p. 190 in Norton, read  "Little Thumbling" p. 199 in Norton 

WEEK 11

Tu Nov 17 
HW: Homework: read "Introduction" to Cinderella in Norton, read "Yeh-hsien" p. 107 in Norton, read "Donkeyskin" p. 109 in Norton, read "Cinderella" p. 117 in Norton, read "Catskin" p. 122 in Norton; complete final draft of Essay #3

Th Nov 19 Essay #3 due; Essay #4/Final Project introduction & sign up for presentations; Course Evaluations
HW for Thanksgiving Break: read Jack Zipes "Breaking the Disney Spell" in Norton p. 332, read Donald Haase "Yours, Mine, or Ours?" in Norton p. 353, read "Introduction" to Snow White, read "Snow White" p. 83 in Norton, read "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" p. 96 in Norton, read "Snow White and her Stepmother" in Norton p. 291; work on Final Project  

WEEK 12

Tu Nov 24 
HW: read "Introduction to Bluebeard," read "Bluebird" p. 144 in Norton, read "The Robber Bridegroom" p. 151 in Norton, read "Bluebeard's Egg" p. 156 in Norton, read "The Bloody Chamber" LINK TO FULL TEXT ONLINE HERE

Th Nov 26 Thanksgiving Break

WEEK 13

Tu Dec 1 
HW: prepare final projects

Th Dec 3 NO CLASS - Professor at conference
HW: prepare final projects

WEEK 14
Tu Dec 8 PRESENTATIONS DAY

Th Dec 10 PRESENTATIONS DAY

FINALS WEEK
Your final presentation and paper are your final in this course. We do not meet during finals week. Good luck on all your finals! Congrats on a job well done.

It's In The Syllabus

I N T D   1 0 0:

MONSTERS AND FAIRY TALES

Fall 2015                                                                                                       

Professor: Kate Durbin

Email: katedurbinteacher@gmail.com

“A nightmarish figure dwelling somewhere between genuine terror and high camp, a morbid repository for the psychic projections of diverse cultures, an endless recyclable mass-media icon, the vampire is an enduring object of fascination, fear, ridicule, and reverence.”

-back cover of The Vampire Lectures by Laurence Rickels

“Monsters…serve as the ultimate incorporation of our anxieties—about history, about identity, about our very humanity. As they always will.”–Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Monster Theory

Course Objectives

This course is designed to help you become a successful critical thinker and writer, equipped for the rigors of academic discourse. You will achieve these goals by cultivating active reading skills, developing effective writing habits, and learning to understand and use the many rhetorical techniques available to writers. By the end of the semester, you should be able to:

-       Read texts critically, noting how a text’s style, structure, and context contribute to its meanings and implications.

-       Write well organized, clearly written argumentative essays that are supported by strong evidence and clear explanation, and which employ a rhetoric and tone appropriate to the broader academic audience.

-       Research—and integrate—credible and relevant sources that support the thesis of your essays.

-       Apply effective drafting and revision techniques to your essays, including improved proofreading skills.

-       Format your papers according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines.

The class readings will act as prompts for critical thinking about and engagement with others’ writing. As a key part of a community of writers, you will actively critique your peers’ work. Lively and regular engagement in the classroom is also necessary to your success in INTD 100. This class, which emphasizes the process of writing, will require a considerable workload, and moves at a rapid pace, so you must be prepared to commit a substantial amount of time to each assignment.

Why Monsters? Why Fairy Tales?

Monsters have been with us since the dawn of civilization, as well as the dawn of literature. From the chupacabra of Latin America to Dracula of Eastern and then Western Europe to the boogeyman of suburban childhood to the globalized threat of the zombies of 28 Days Later to the sexy North American vampires of the Twilight series, monsters have long provided us with clues to better understanding the various cultures from which they spawned—in particular, to understanding cultural fears, taboos, fantasies, and hidden desires. Three persistent cultural fears and desires monsters persistently remind us of—and of which we will talk about at length in this class—are long-standing human feelings toward difference (the Other), sex, and death.

Monsters have stalked us throughout the centuries, mutating with the times and yet still remaining stubbornly socially unacceptable and often undead. In this course, we will explore how the monster’s trajectory through culture, time and space reflects our own. 

Fairy tales are rife with monsters--from the big bad wolf to the witch in Sleeping Beauty. Our exploration of these culture-shaping myths will follow the same vein as our study of horror narratives, but in addition to studying the cultural fears and desires the monsters in fairy tales represent, we will also examine the ways in which the narratives of fairy tales have shaped various social norms and taboos for centuries. We will look at the ways in which these (sometimes archaic) archetypal narratives still pop up in our world today, even where we least expect it. We will also look for the ways in which some of these narratives have shifted with the times. 

Required Texts and Supplies

Dracula by Bram Stoker ISBN-10: 0743477367 *very important that you have this specific edition, for the introduction

Norton Fairy Tales

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Frankenstein (Norton Critical) 

Readings via links on Class Blog (check syllabus)

Note: Always, always bring the book you were assigned to read and A Writer’s Reference to every class meeting unless informed otherwise by your Professor. Please note that even if we do not useA Writer’s Reference in class for several weeks, you are still required to have it on hand. Points will be taken off for failure to purchase and utilize this book.

Note: All books are available in the Whittier College Bookstore, and also can be purchased at Amazon.com (please choose 2-day delivery if you order online, and order immediately).

Note: Make sure you get the same editions of the books your teacher has and the bookstore has. You cannot use different editions, as they do not have the required supplemental texts. You will lose points for having the wrong editions.

NOTE: THE BOOKSTORE RETURNS ALL UNBOUGHT BOOKS AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS INTO THE SEMESTER! DO NOT WAIT TO BUY ANY OF YOUR BOOKS.

Note: Points will be taken off for those who fail to have their books on time. All of the books you are to buy for this class are relatively cheap, and plentiful—I would strongly recommend ordering them new and having them shipped as quickly as possible.

Course Requirements

Students will write four essays, one of which is an in-class essay. The course will also include in-class quizzes, writing process work, Peer Reviews, and other group work. Students will compose first drafts of all their essays, in addition to other pre-writing activities such as outlining and brainstorming. They may also receive the opportunity to share some of their writing aloud with the entire class, as well as with one another in Peer Reviews. Any work done in class cannot be made up if missed. Homework will include reading comprehension questions, and writing process work.

Note: To insure participation and on-time attendance, there will be a daily reading question at the beginning of class which functions both as a critical writing assignment and a reading/participation quiz.  These quizzes are absolutely unrepeatable and impossible to make up. You must do your reading regularly. Anyone who does not regularly do well on reading quizzes will not pass the course.

Written Assignment Standards

Any writing done outside of class must be typed and follow the conventions of MLA style (see A Writer’s Reference 354-412). All outside assignments should be in twelve point Times New Roman or Garamond fonts, with one-inch margins, and black ink only. Do not use title pages or report covers; follow the MLA guidelines for formatting. All copies must be submitted on time. In addition, please think ahead when it comes to printing out, stapling essays, etc. Never turn in faded printing or unstapled documents.  Never turn in any assignment without your name, my name, the date, and the class time, typed in the far left corner. Points will be taken off for failure to follow these basic instructions. I do not provide staples in class, and I do take points off for late work—even if it’s just ten or fifteen minutes late. 

Very Important Note: While you will be turning in hard copies of your rough drafts and a few other assignments, you will be required to turn in your final drafts via email only. The same formatting and MLA guidelines apply to these emailed assignments, as does the fact that they are due at the beginning of class. All of your emailed assignments will receive notes and scores electronically only, which is very convenient, organized, and helpful for both you and me. 

Please note that I do not accept hard copy assignments such as rough drafts via email. The only assignments I accept via email are final drafts. This is to ensure I keep my inbox organized.

Also, please note that for every half hour a paper is late, your score goes down one whole letter grade.

Point Breakdown

Quizzes, Homework, Class Participation and Activities: 200

Essay #1—Analysis: 150

Essay #2—In Class Essay (Comparison/Contrast): 200

Essay #3—Argument: 200

Essay #4—Final Essay: 250

Total: 1000

Attendance Policies

As your success depends on regular attendance and active participation, regular attendance is required.  Work done in class—quizzes, group work, Peer Reviews, etc.—cannot be made up and you will not be allowed to make up work completed after you arrive. You will also not receive participation credit if you are not in class to participate! Participation credit is primarily given for sharing your thoughts aloud during class discussions--so please speak up. 

If you have to be absent, please make arrangements with a classmate to turn in assignments for you, or turn in your work to my mailbox in in the English Dept. at least twenty minutes before the start of class (I will pick it up before class begins).  No excuses, barring written, professional proof of illness or extreme emergency, will be accepted without prior notice.

Note: The Professor reserves the right to lower the final grade of any student with more than two unexcused absences or three unexcused tardies. Please do not be tardy. It is very disruptive to the class and to myself, and this class meets for a very short time frame. However, if you do end up arriving late for whatever reason, enter the room quietly. All tardies, whether I appear to notice your late entrance or not, are duly noted. In addition, if you are more than 15 minutes late to class, I will consider you absent.

Lastly, please do not arrive on time and then ask to be excused to the restroom or to get a drink of water. Do these things before class, or you will be considered tardy. Please don't leave in the middle of class to do these things either, except on rare occasions (and in those cases do them quickly and return to class). I require that you ask me permission before leaving, only because students have exploited this option in the past. 

If you have a medical condition, let me know.

Missing/Late Assignments

All homework assignments and essays are due at the beginning of class. Late papers will not be accepted under any but the most extreme circumstances, and written proof will always be required (notes from parents do not count).  Computer or printer problems, procrastination, and the complications of your academic and social lives are not extreme circumstances. This class has a heavy workload, and if I accept your late assignments, not only do you create more work for me, but you hinder yourself as well.  If you know you will be gone, hand in or have a peer turn in your work for you. If it is an email assignment, obviously you should simply email it early.

Class Conduct

Cell phones should be quiet and out of sight.  Absolutely no texting and no taking phone calls during class. If I see you looking at your phone once class has started (even just pulling it out of your pocket), it will be mine until the end of class. Please be respectful and do not talk while others are sharing. Raise your hand before speaking. As mentioned prior, be on time, and if you are late, enter the room very quietly. Stay in the room during class unless absolutely necessary (and abuse of this privilege will result in loss of the privilege). Please use the restroom and get water before class begins, not right after it does. You are welcome to bring food and drinks into class provided they don’t become a distraction.

Note: If you prefer to take notes on a laptop or iPad please discuss this with me. In general, I prefer for you to take notes on paper, so as not to disrupt the focus of our attentions in class.

Final Thoughts

A composition class requires hard work and is time consuming.  Double check your schedule to be sure you have allotted enough time for this class.  The rule of thumb is to expect to work two hours out of class for every hour in class. 

This will be one of the most important classes you take—one that will affect how you do in your other classes as well as your job performance after graduation.  Work hard.  Do well.  Your hard work will pay rich dividends beyond your academic career.

*A syllabus is a contract. Your continued attendance in this class means that you have read, understand, and agree to all of the expectations, policies and guidelines in this syllabus. I strongly recommend reviewing the syllabus several times throughout the semester, paying close attention to the attendance and class work policies.