Fall 2020 - WL 306 D100
Transnational Literary Rebellions (4)
Class Number: 7501
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Thu, 3:00–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 19, 2020
Sat, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Mark Deggan
mdeggan@sfu.ca
1 778 782-9595
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Prerequisites:
45 units.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Investigates cross-cultural literary movements that challenge the status quo. Focal points might include romanticism, modernism, existentialism, or other cultural and political tendencies, with attention to how such styles or movements gain impetus in new national/regional settings. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
Romanticism has been seen as a reaction against the claims of enlightenment reason and order, and the recognition that the European “world view” has only ever been one among many. It is also described as the era in which the contents of art and thought surpass their own limitations, fulfilling the imagination’s sometimes terrifying promise of ‘infinite inner space’. However, regardless of revolutionary ideas concerning nature or individual dignity, the romantic era was no less a period of colonial apprehenion and intermingling. The contestation between world cultures frames our course theme: what happens when the inner workings of individuals and nations are confronted by the equally sublime otherness of different environments and outlooks?
Our focus remains at the colonial periphery of Western encounters with the world – with special reference to contemporary scandals surrounding the treatment of ‘subject’ peoples. Our course works move from Western Europe, to Romanticist notions of alterity concerning problematically exotic landscapes and peoples, interracial transgression in South East Asia, and Voodoo and the feminine in the Caribbean. As the romantic image is central to the art of the period, we begin each class by reviewing paintings alongside literary or theoretical works. By exploring exoticism, orientalism, the Gothic, and, especially, the sublime, students come to comprehend the full scope of romanticism’s darker performativity at the crossings of inner experience, Gothic extravagance, and the global other.
PLEASE NOTE: Prerecorded LECTURES will be made available through SFU Canvas. Students will view these on their own time prior to the synchronous portion of each week’s class, which extends from 3:00-5:20PM THU. Students must be logged onto each class session on Zoom or Blackboard Collaborate (Canvas) for the weekly seminar. NB: we examine two stories from the von Kleist volume – only read “Earthquake in Chile” & “The Marquise of O.”
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
- Comprehension of Romanticism as global phenomenon
- Knowledge of literary concepts: the sublime, Orientalism, the Gothic
- Ability to undertake cross-cultural comparisons across different media
Grading
- Participation and Attendance 15%
- Short Paper 20%
- Short Quizzes 15%
- Term Paper 25%
- Final Exam 25%
NOTES:
ATTENDANCE:
Regular online attendance & engagement are mandatory for successful completion of the course. Attendance will be taken. It is your responsibility to log in to class on time & to stay to the end. Please let me know in advance if you are unable to make a class on medical or other grounds, or if you must leave early.
IMPORTANT: students must provide a note for missed classes (medical or otherwise) – or seek permission beforehand. Unexcused absences reduce your final grade as follows: second absence 3% / third absence 6% / fourth absence 10% / after five absences you cannot pass the course as you have not completed it.
ESSAY & OPEN BOOK EXAMS:
Term Paper topics will be distributed beforehand. If you wish to write the essay on a topic outside those given, approval must be sought from me. You will need to reference at least two scholarly texts relating to your topic (i.e. literary criticism). There are extensive print resources at SFU library <http://www.lib.sfu.ca/> and article & book length commentaries exist for the works on our reading list. The short essay and quizzes/exam will occur in real-time synchronously: all students receive questions and submit responses within the same limited period.
GRADING: Converts to Grade Point Average
A+ 95-100% B+ 80-84% C+ 65-69% D 50-54%
A 90-94% B 75-79% C 60-64% F 0-49%
A- 85-89% B- 70-74% C- 55-59%
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. It will result in the failure of an assignment, course, or more serious disciplinary action. All ideas must be correctly referenced according to MLA format, both in the case of direct quotations & paraphrased material. I will go over formatting as we move closer to the take-home essay. Information on plagiarism can be found at: <http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html>
<http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html>
ONLINE SOURCES:
Remember, very few online sources are acceptable for citation. Peer reviewed online journals (ie: via JSTOR, MLA, SPRINGER) are welcome; personal web pages, blogs, study sites and so on do NOT count as academic resources. Use bound journals or as available through the online resources of the SFU library.
For MLA format go to: < https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/cite-write/citation-style-guides/mla >
PLEASE NOTE THE SFU POLICY STATEMENTS BELOW:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English. Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University.
http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Origin… of the Sublime, Edmund Burke, 1757 IRELAND: Excerpts (provided)
Paul and Virginia, B de Saint Pierre, 1788 FRANCE: Full Text (provided)
The Marquise of O-----, Heinrich von Kleist, 1808 GERMANY, Penguin
ISBN: 978-0140443592
Stille Kracht (The Hidden Force), Louis Couperus, 1900 Dutch East Indies, Pushkin
ISBN: 978-1906548926
Hadriana in all my Dreams, René Depestre, 1988 HAITI, Akashic
ISBN: 978-1617756191
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).