201 MT2 Spring 2006

ENGL 201
Section MT2, Spring 2006
MW 12:00-1:15 Innovation Hall 318
Course Syllabus

COURSE FRAMEWORK: This section of Engl 201 is linked to Hist 100 section MT2. Over the course of the semester in Hist 100, you will study the nature of historical evidence and the processes of writing history. You will also study selected topics in history including the ancient world, religion and magic, the scientific revolution, the development of industrial society, crime, and eugenics. In Engl 201 you will explore many of the same issues while developing your skills in literary analysis and interpretation. We will pay particular attention to the processes and choices involved in visual and cinematic adaptations of literary and popular texts. Most of us have grown up in a highly visual culture and can make sense of complicated images and image sequences. Indeed, sometimes we can follow images more easily than we can complex linguistic structures. But whatever our abilities to process such material, many of us have relatively undeveloped ability to remember and analyze details, whether verbal or visual. This course is designed to develop your analytical abilities and capacity to write about literature, entertainment, and the visual arts. We will also explore the role that literature and popular entertainment have played in popularizing scientific method and in questioning the ethics of scientific practice. Finally, we will compare scientifically oriented detectives from late 19th century fiction with the documentary evidence in the Jack the Ripper case to examine whether the fantasy embodied in the Sherlock Holmes stories bears any similarities to an actual criminal investigation at the time. In the process, we will see how important the tabloid press had become in shaping public attitudes in the late 19th century and how phenomenon we associate with information technology and the internet had their beginnings in late 19th century communication technology. There will be one or two overlapping assignments with Hist 100 and workshops devoted to assignments in both classes.

FILM SCREENINGS: We will watch parts of several film adaptations in class but will not watch films from beginning to end. Our purpose will be to compare different versions of the same scene in a variety of film adaptations as well as in the texts they are based on. I will ask you to speculate on what went on behind the scenes and document, through detailed analysis of individual scenes, the interpretive and aesthetic choices which have led to the final performance. Along the way, we will discuss the difficulties of making centuries older stories accessible to modern audiences and look at the role of film conventions in adapting "classics" for the screen. There will also be five required Cinema and Supper Film showings: All showings except Martin Guerre will be in the Eisenhower Multi Media Theatre with pizza at 7:30pm and the film at 8pm. If you have another class scheduled for that time, we will work out an alternative assignment in addition to your watching the film on your own. Note that there will be free pizza and soda at all the Eisenhower showings. The screenings are sponsored by Housing and Residence Life.

NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: The English Department defines plagiarism as "using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting" (Department of English Plagiarism Statement). I will not tolerate plagiarism in my classes and will report incidents to the appropriate authorities.

DATE	ENGL 201 (section MT2)	HIST 100 (MT2)
Mon Jan 23	Introduction to the course; Information Sheet. Go to http://mail.gmu.edu and set up mail forwarding if you do not check your GMU email several times a week. I will also help you add my email addresses to your safe list so messages about the class will not be blocked by GMU's spam filter. In-class writing on the following question: does science provide solutions--either practical or intellectual--to problems in everyday life? If you can, cite specific examples from history, contemporary society, or your own life. If you did not include any personal examples, is that because science is irrelevant to the kinds of issues you face personally? After writing a few paragraphs on this issue, we will watch selections from the Granada TV adaptation of The Sign of Four (1987 with Jeremy Brett).	Intro, historical epistemology (how historians do what they do)
Wed Jan 25	Before class, read The Science of Deduction and The Statement of the Case from The University of Adelaide online edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four . If the Adelaide site is down, use the UVa e-text. Write a paragraph on the kind of problem Mary Morstan brings to Watson and Holmes in chapter 2 of The Sign of Four and a paragraph on the introduction to Holmes method in chapter 1 of the story.
Mon Jan 30	Read Silver Blaze, from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, in The Modern Library Edition, pp. 255-277	Investigations and Silver Blaze
Tue Jan 31	730 pm required showing of The Sign of Four (1987; 103 min; with Jeremy Brett)
Wed Feb 1	In-class writing on the kind of problem is Holmes presented with in Silver Blaze and The Sign of Four and the method or methods he uses to solve his cases. Before class, read Mr. Sherlock Holmes and The Science of Deduction from The University of Adelaide online edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet. If the Adelaide site is down, use the UVa version. Remember to bring your previous writings to class to hand in with your work today.
Mon Feb 6	Group discussion and reports on Sherlock Holmes. See the questions at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/sign-questions.htm. Also think about Ian Harris' questions about The Sign of Four. Feb 7th--Last day to drop with no tuition liability and last day to add classes	Science in the Ancient World
Wed Feb 8	Write a 3-4 page paper (typed and double spaced) on Holmes' methods and the kinds of problems he faces in Silver Blaze and/or The Sign of Four. You should also draw on the first two chapters of A Study in Scarlet in developing your analysis and consider whether the demonstrations at the beginning of the stories introduce methods Holmes uses in solving his cases. Include as many components of Holmes method as you can and cite specific examples from the stories to back up your points. For proper documentation formats, see Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation Online. We will watch an animated version of Shakespeare's play The Tempest (directed by Stanislav Sokolov with actors from The Royal Shakespeare Company) in class after you read the synopses at: http://www.bardweb.net/plays/tempest.html and the plot summary of Act I at: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest. Also look at what's available on the UB course resources page. If there is time, we will listen to a audio version of the play while you read the text at: http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/tempest/
Mon Feb 13	Read The Tempest, Act I (use the Norton Critical Edition of the play and bring your copy to class). Last class we watched a Russian animation of the play using the voices of actors from The Royal Shakespeare Company. Today, we will discuss Prospero's motives (revenge and/or benevolence) in bringing his daughter and Ferdinand together. We will then watch selections from a avant garde film adaptation by Derek Jarman (DVD chapters 1, 2, & 8) that raise interesting questions about Ariel's history and attitude to Prospero.	Science and Gender in the Ancient and Pre-Modern World
Mon Feb 13	History Dept showing of Return of Martin Guerre (required)
Wed Feb 15	Read The Tempest, Act II; we will discuss Sebastian and Antonio's plot against the King of Naples and Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban's comic plot against Prospero. After our foray into Jarman's grotesque and Poe-like adaptation of the play last class, we will watch selections from a more conventional adaptation put out by the BBC in 1980 (DVD chapters 5, 7, 9, and 10).
Mon Feb 20	Read The Tempest, Act III. We will begin by considering Caliban's poetic response to the island noises at the end of III, ii and then discuss whether Prospero is a benevolent paternalist in stage managing Miranda and Ferdinand's relationship. We will conclude by looking at two film adaptations of the magic banquet in III, iii (BBC DVD ch 10 and Jarman DVD ch9) and discuss the impact of divergent stagings of the scene on our view of Prospero's motives and methods.	Religion and Magic in Early Modern Europe; Return of Martin Guerre
Wed Feb 22	Read The Tempest, Act IV. We will conclude our consideration of the magic banquet by discussing the iconography of power in Greenaway's film adaptation, Prospero's Books (VHS 1:11-1:16). The rest of the class will be devoted to Act IV, especially Prospero's threatening warnings to Ferdinand about remaining chaste until marriage and the Masque Prospero stages to celebrate their upcoming betrothal. We will begin by looking at an image of the Blackfriars Theatre, read a short account of the Masque form, and listen to Pastime, by Henry VIII. We will then read Act IV, ll. 60-158 and watch the BBC version of the scene (DVD chapters 11-12). We will also look at a short animation of The Globe Theatre. If there is time, we will watch Al Pacino's use of "Our revels now are ended" speech in a very different context, the violent and meta-theatrical film, Looking for Richard. During the week of March 6th, we will look at how Derek Jarman cuts and rearranges much of this material in his adaptation of the play (DVD chapters 10-12). Feb 24th--Last day to drop classes
Mon Feb 27	Workshop on History 100 Scrapbook	Religion and Magic in Early Modern Europe; Return of Martin Guerre
Tue Feb 28	7:30pm Cinema and Supper showing of Forbidden Planet (film showing cancelled because of equipment failure in Eisenhower Theatre; supper only)
Wed Mar 1	Workshop on scrapbook (Forbidden Planet showing cancelled because of equipment failure at Eisenhower Theatre).	History 100 Scrapbook Submission #1
Mon Mar 6	Read The Tempest, Act V; we will watch and discuss two film adaptations of Act V of The Tempest (BBC DVD ch15-17 & Jarman DVD ch10-12). If there is time, we will begin Forbidden Planet. See the electronic bibliography of texts, sources and adaptations at: http://pages.unibas.ch/shine/linkstoromtempestwf.html and the documents on Beerbohm Tree's 1904 production of the Tempest and the photographs from the Cleveland Press of American productions of the play.	The Scientific Revolution and Galileo
Wed Mar 8	We will continue our discussion of interpretations of Prospero in film adaptations including Forbidden Planet. See Emily's notes on the film. If there is time, we will discuss the ending of Greenaway's Prospero's Books and look at the illustrations at: http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/mmorris/239/the_tempest.htm and Tempest Paintings at the Shakespeare Illustrated site.
Mon Mar 13	SPRING BREAK
Wed Mar 15	SPRING BREAK
Mon Mar 20	We will continue our study of Shakespeare (see pp. 78-9 in the Norton on the editors' modernization of the 1623 Folio) and of the film adaptations in preparation for your paper. Today we will look at a 1908 silent film and then you will work on your own and/or in groups on the scenes you are writing about. I will bring at least one DVD copy of each film to class (except for Prospero's Books, which is only on VHS). A detailed list of the films we have studied is on the paper assignment sheet at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/pap2.htm Tuesday evening there will be a required showing of Galileo's Battle for the Heavens, a PBS documentary based on Dava Sobel's book Galileo's Daughter that you are reading in History 100. In preparation for that showing, study the Galileo Project website, sponsored by Rice University and available at http://galileo.rice.edu/	The Scientific Revolution and Galileo
Tue Mar 21	7:30pm Cinema and Supper showing of Galileo's Battle for the Heavens (required) in Eisenhower Theatre
Wed Mar 22	Bring a typed 2 page draft of Paper #2 to class and have an electronic version available (either in your email account or on a flash drive). I will meet with you individually while the rest of the class is working on their papers and using copies of the films I will bring to class to prepare their evidence. The revised paper is due by Friday, March 24th at 5pm. Since we won’t meet that day, by 5pm you should either put a print copy of your paper in my box in the English Department main office on the 4th floor of Robinson Hall A (preferred) or email it to me as a Word attachment with your name and class section in the subject heading of the email. March 24th Midterm grades due; incomplete work from Fall 2004 due to instructor
Mon Mar 27	Read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Broadview edition)	Modern Europe Emerges: The Industrial Revolution; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. and Hyde
Tue Mar 28	7:30pm showing of Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (required) in Johnson Center Room B
Wed Mar 29	Read the excerpt from William Booth's In Darkest England and the Way Out, pp. 178-183, the articles on the Ripper case from the Sept 9th, 1888 New York Times, the Sept 10th Times (London), and Sept 15th and Sept 29th editions of Punch. Finally, read D.G. Halstead's reminiscences of the case pp. 184-187, 190-191 and 195-6 (all in the Broadview). Optional reading (extra credit if you send me a 1-2 page summary and response): Stephen Arata, The Sedulous Ape: Atavism, Professionalism and Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2220/is_n2_v37/ai_17249752 Mar 31--Incomplete grade changes fall 04 due to Registrar
Mon Apr 3	Read The News from Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper in the Daily Telegraph, pp. 7-86 (Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman). An interesting source of information on the case can be found on the web at the Casebook: Jack the Ripper site. Part of the class will be devoted to class discussion using the questions at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/rip-discuss1.doc There will also be a quiz on the readings.	Industrial Society and its Discontents; Jack the Ripper
Tue Apr 4	7:30pm Cinema and Supper showing of Murder By Decree (required). Before next class, answer the following discussion questions
Wed Apr 5	Read The News from Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper in the Daily Telegraph, pp. 87-193 (Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes). Part of the class will be devoted to group discussion of the evidence for grapes in the Stride case using the worksheet at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/rip-grapes.doc See the group reports on the class discussion of Jack the Ripper: Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6	History 100 Scrapbook Submission #2
Mon Apr 10	Over the next several classes, you will be responsible for reading the documents listed below from the Evans and Skinner facsimile collection. Since packet is out of print, I will bring 6 personal copies to class and you will read and discuss the documents in groups. #2 Report by Inspector Abberline on the Nichols and Chapman murders #3 'Dear Boss' letter #4 Summary of the murder of Elizabeth Stride by Chief Inspector Swanson #5 Report by Inspector McWilliam, City of London Police, on the murder of Catherine Eddowes #6 'Saucy Jacky' postcard #7 Report by Sir Charles Warren regarding his actions on the morning of the Stride and Eddowes murders #12 'From Hell' letter to George Lusk #14 Report by Inspector Abberline on the Kelly murder and inquest Front page of the Illustrated Police News with coverage of the Kelly murder	Ripper and Hyde; discussion of final paper
Tue Apr 11	7:30pm Cinema and Supper showing of From Hell (Eisenhower Theatre)
Wed Apr 12	Continued work on the documents from the Evans and Skinner facsimile collection in class. Before class, study the Ripper Letters at the British National Archives site: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/museum/item.asp?item_id=39 and read Ted Remington's article, Dear Boss: Hoax as Popular Communal Narrative in the Case of the Jack the Ripper Letters, at http://casebook.org/dissertations/tedremington.html. The Metropolitan Police site on Jack the Ripper and the Time Travelers Guide to Victorian Sex and Sleaze may also prove helpful.
Sat Apr 15	Holocaust Museum Trip for History 100 11:45-5:15pm (Nazi medicine)
Mon Apr 17	Workshop on Final Project for History 100 and English 201. In addition to the National Archive document facsimiles, letters and police documents can be found at the National Archives Learning Curve site at: http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/workshops/jacktheripper.htm (scroll down to the download exercise materials box, where selected police documents and letters are available in PDF format). Mariana has also found a site where you can see images and transcripts for two of the documents in the National Archives facsimile packet. See: http://www.paperlessarchives.com/jack_the_ripper.html (scroll down to Swanson's report on Stride and McWilliams report on Eddowes, witnesses, etc)
Wed Apr 19	Final project draft in Engl 201 and History 100. We will watch The Lodger in 201
Mon Apr 24	Read the following stories from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (in the Modern Library Classics): The Musgrave Ritual, pp.349-365 and The Final Problem, pp. 464-480	Racial Science; Eugenics; Doctors Under Hitler
Wed Apr 26	Workshop on projects and final Scrapbook submission.
Mon May 1	Revision of Final project (optional) in both history and English. We will discuss the lyrics to the Marilyn Manson song The Nobodies from the end of From Hell. See http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/nobodies.doc.	Last Class, turn in History 100 Scrapbook Submission #3
Wed May 3	Class discussion of three questions: 1) Could Sherlock Holmes Have Solved the Ripper Case? If so, how? If not, why? 2) Was the press responsible for shape and currency of the Ripper story in the late 19th century? 3) How have modern film versions of the story altered our conception of the case? May 3rd--Last day of classes; exam period May 10th-18th
Mon May 15	Final Exam 10:30am-1:15pm. Presentations on: 1) your final project, including an abstract of your argument and of the evidence you used to develop and support your thesis; and 2) your scrapbooks including an account of how your scrapbook reflects what you have learned over the course of the semester and what you learned about the invention and issues you researched.

ENGL 201 section MT2	Linked Course: History 100 Section MT2
Dr. Kenneth C. Thompson	Dr. T. Mills Kelly
MW 12:00-1:15 Innovation Hall 318	M 3-4:15 Robinson A 107
Office Hours: Wed 3-4pm and by appointment	Mon 1-3 and by appointment
Office: Robinson A 401A	B377A Robinson Hall
Office Phone: 703-993-2781	703-993-2152
E-mail: kthomps4 gmu.edu	tkelly7 gmu.edu
Course Web Page: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/	Dr. Kelly's History 100 Web Page