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Tales of Horror 01:470:227:01and01:195:227:02CourseSakaiSite:https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portalFallSemester2016Fridays,9:50am–12:50pm,AB11803creditsProf.NicolaBehrmannDepartmentofGermanicLanguagesandLiteratures15SeminaryPlace,Room#4126CollegeAvenueCampusNewBrunswick,[email protected]:Thus,3-4:30pmCourseDescriptionTaughtinEnglish.Noprerequisites.FrankensteinandDracula,vampiresandzombies,doppelgänger,ghosts,andartificialhumanscontinuetohaunttheculturalimaginationthroughoutthecenturies.ThiscourseexplorestalesofhorrorthroughsomeoftheirmostspellbindingcreaturesandfantasiesinaperiodrangingfromtheBrothersGrimmtosurrealistcinema:Wewillconsiderthehistoricalorpoliticalcontextandthepsychoanalyticalunderpinningsineachhorrifictaleandwewillpaycloseattentiontothewaysanarrative(textorfilm)establishes,safeguards,orreleasesitshorrifickernel.WewillreflectthewaysinwhichhorrorentersGermanExpressionismandwhymovingimagesrelateparticularlywelltotheuncannyandwillexplorethesimilaritiesanddifferencesinthewayfilmandliteratureexplorehorror.ReadingsincludeE.T.A.Hoffmann’s“TheSandman,”MaryShelley’sFrankenstein,thefigureofthedevilinJeremiasGotthelf’s“TheBlackSpider”andEdgarAllenPoe’s“TheBlackCat,”thevampireinBramStoker’sDracula,andtwoshortstoriesbyFranzKafka.FilmiccontributionsrangefromMurnau’sNosferatuandWiene’sTheCabinetofDr.CaligaritoLouisBuñuel’sUnChienAndalouandAlfredHitchcock’sTheBirds.TheoreticalreflectionsareprovidedbyLotteEisner,ShoshanaFelman,SigmundFreud,BarbaraJohnson,SiegfriedKracauer,LaurenceA.Rickels,andSlavojZizek.
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CourseGoals:
ThiscoursesatisfiesSASCoreCurriculumRequirementsAHoandAHp.ArtsandHumanitiesGoalo:Studentisabletoexaminecriticallyphilosophicalandothertheoreticalissuesconcerningthenatureofreality,humanexperience,knowledge,value,and/orculturalproduction.ArtsandHumanitiesGoalp:Studentisabletoanalyzeartsand/orliteratureinthemselvesandinrelationtospecifichistories,values,languages,cultures,and/ortechnologies.
Bytheendofthiscoursestudentswillbeableto:demonstrateanunderstandingofthestructure,meaning,andfunctionofhorrornarratives;demonstrateanunderstandingoftheirauthors’valuesandideas;criticallyreflectonourvaluesystemandtheinterrelatednessofhorrornarrativesandtheirhistorical,cultural,andtheoreticalcontexts;formulatewell-organizedwritteninterpretationsgroundedintextualevidenceandsupportedbysecondaryliterature;beabletoproposeathesisandsupportitwithappropriateevidence.Assessmentwillbebasedonparticipationinclassevaluationofassignedwrittenwork.Pleasekeepinmindtheattendancepolicy(asoutlinedbelow).CourseLearningGoals FinalGrade:ClassParticipationandregularblogposts 25%3ResponsePapers(6pp.each) 45%Grouppresentation(inclassandonline) 10%FinalPaper(10pp.) 20%Gradedistribution:A=90-100%;B+=85-89;B=80-84;C+=75-79;C=70-74;D=65-69;F=64andbelowRequiredBooks*
• JeremiasGotthelf,TheBlackSpider(NewYorkReviewBookClassics,2013)ISBN-10:1590176685ISBN-13:978-1590176689MaryShelley,Frankenstein(PenguinClassics,2003)ISBN-13:9780141439471
• BramStoker,Dracula(PenguinClassics,2003)ASIN:B004SCEJK8*AllothermaterialsonthesyllabusareavailableonSakai.YoumustprintoutcoursematerialsfromSakaiandhaveacopyofthemwithyouinclass.
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RecommendedBooks**
• SigmundFreud,TheUncanny(PenguinClassics,2003)ISBN-10:0142437476ISBN-13:978-0142437476
• FranzKafka,TheMetamorphosis,InthePenalColony,andOtherStories(Touchstone,2000)ASIN:B00HTJZ6JK
*WillbeavailableonSakaiaswellbutrecommendedforpurchaseifyouintendtoworkwiththesetextsmorecloselyinyouressayassignments.
RequiredFilmsAllfilmsareonreserveattheRutgersMediaCenter(DouglassLibrary,8ChapelDrive,New
Brunswick,NJ08901).ExceptfortheshortfilmAnAndalusianDogallfilmsmustbeviewedbeforeclassbegins:
• TheShining(availableforrent[$2,99]onAmazon)• Psycho(availableforrent[$3,99]onAmazon)• TheStudentofPrague(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuvIvwSi1gI)• TheBlackCat(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpiSPrTbkUk)• TheInnocents(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvn-UFNJkM)• PeepingTom(availableforrent[$2,99]onAmazon)• Nosferatu:ASymphonyofHorror(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzubFvBsA)
DepartmentalPoliciesAttendanceYoumustattendregularlyandarriveprepared;ifyouexpecttomissoneortwoclasses,pleaseusetheUniversityabsencereportingwebsitehttps://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/toindicatethedateandreasonforyourabsence.Anemailisautomaticallysenttome.Thosewhomissmorethantwoclasssessionswithoutacompellingexcuseshouldexpectaone-stepreductioninthecoursegrade(i.e.anAbecomesaB+,aB+becomesaB).Everyadditionalthreeabsencesmayentailafurtherone-stepgrade-reduction.Threelatearrivalscountasoneabsence.Note:Itistheresponsibilityofstudentswhohavebeenabsent(foranyreason)tofindoutwhattheyhavemissedandobtainmaterialsthatmayhavebeenhandedout.CellPhonesCellphonesandallothertechnologicaldevices(beepers,iPods,MP3players…)mustbeturnedoffduringclassoutofrespectfortheinstructorandfellowstudents.Pleasescheduleallimportantphonecommunicationsoutsideofclasstime.DisabilitySupportServicesStudentswhomayberequestingaccommodationsduetodisabilitiesareencouragedtofamiliarizethemselveswithproceduresandpoliciesregardingdisabilitysupportservicesatthefollowingwebsite:http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu/.Itisrecommendedthatstudentsseekingaccommodationsbeginfilingpaperworkassoonaspossibleasthedocumentationreviewprocessmaytakeupto30businessdays.Studentsareencouragedtospeakwithteachersabouttheseissuesatthebeginningoftheterm.Allsuchconversationswillbekeptstrictlyconfidential.
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AcademicIntegrityViolationsofacademicintegrityareanextremelyseriousmatter,andcanleadtoastudent’sfailingthecourseandbeingreferredtotheUniversity’sOfficeofStudentConductfordisciplinaryaction.Whenreferringtoideasotherthanyourown,alwaysacknowledgeyoursourcesclearlyandcompletely,whetheryouarequotingorparaphrasing.Notealsothatuseofonlinetranslationservicesisnotpermittedasatoolforgeneratingworkthatyousubmitforcoursecredit.PleaseseetheUniversity’spoliciesonacademicintegrityathttp://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/,anddiscusswithyourinstructoranyquestionsyoumayhaveaboutthisandrelatedissues.
TentativeCourseScheduleFri09/09 Introduction
GrimmBrothers,“Cinderella”TvetanTodorov,“DefinitionoftheFantastic”
UN/MOURNINGFri09/16 GrimmBrothers,“TheJuniperTree”
SigmundFreud,“MourningandMelancholia”;Lovecraft,“SupernaturalHorrorinLiterature”
Fri09/23 LudwigTieck,“TheFairHairedEckbert”(1797)FILM:Kubrick,TheShining(1980)
MAN,MONSTER,MOTHERFri09/30 1stEssaydue
MaryShelley,Frankenstein(1818)
Fri10/07 Shelley,Frankenstein,cont.;Johnson,“MyMonster,MySelf”FILM:Hitchcock,Psycho(1960)
DOPPELGÄNGERFri10/14 E.T.A.Hoffmann,“TheSandman”(1826)
SigmundFreud,“TheUncanny”(1919)FILM:TheStudentofPrague(dir.PaulWegener,1913)Recommended:OttoRank,“TheDouble”
DEVILSFri10/21 EdgarAllenPoe,“TheBlackCat”(1843);Zizek,“FromSymptomto
Sinthome”FILM:TheBlackCat(dir.EdgarG.Ulmer,1934)
Tue10/28 2ndEssaydueJeremiasGotthelf,“TheBlackSpider”(1842)
VAMPIRESThu11/04 BramStoker,Dracula(1897)
Halberstam,“TechnologiesofMonstrosity:BramStoker’sDracula”
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Fri11/11 Stoker,Dracula(1897)
Rickels,TheVampireLectures,pp.25-50;Recommended:Freud,“TotemandTaboo”
HORRORSOFINTERPRETATIONFri11/18 HenryJames,“TheTurnoftheScrew”(1898)
Felman,“TurningtheScrewofInterpretation”FILM:TheInnocents(dir.JackClayton,1961)
NIGHTMARESANDANGSTWed11/23 3rdessaydue
FranzKafka,“InthePenalColony”(1914),Kafka,“ACountryDoctor”(1919)FILM:PeepingTom(dir.MichaelPowell,1960)Zimmer,“PeepingTomandTechnologicalPerversion”
EXPRESSIONISTANDSURREALISTHORRORCINEMAFri12/02 Outlineoffinalpaperdue(hardcopy!)
FILM:Nosferatu(dir.Murnau,1922)Eisner,TheHauntedScreen(excerpts);Hantke,“HorrorfilmandtheApparatusofCinema”;Abbott,“SpectralVampires”
Fri12/09 TermPaperWorkshopFILM:UnChienAndalou(dir.LuisBuñuel,1929)
Finalpaperdue:Friday,December9
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Student-WellnessServices:JustInCaseWebApphttp://codu.co/cee05eAccesshelpfulmentalhealthinformationandresourcesforyourselforafriendinamentalhealthcrisisonyoursmartphoneortabletandeasilycontactCAPSorRUPD.Counseling,ADAP&PsychiatricServices(CAPS)(848)932-7884/17SeniorStreet,NewBrunswick,NJ08901/www.rhscaps.rutgers.edu/CAPSisaUniversitymentalhealthsupportservicethatincludescounseling,alcoholandotherdrugassistance,andpsychiatricservicesstaffedbyateamofprofessionalwithinRutgersHealthservicestosupportstudents’effortstosucceedatRutgersUniversity.CAPSoffersavarietyofservicesthatinclude:individualtherapy,grouptherapyandworkshops,crisisintervention,referraltospecialistsinthecommunityandconsultationandcollaborationwithcampuspartners.ViolencePrevention&VictimAssistance(VPVA)(848)932-1181/3BartlettStreet,NewBrunswick,NJ08901/www.vpva.rutgers.edu/TheOfficeforViolencePreventionandVictimAssistanceprovidesconfidentialcrisisintervention,counselingandadvocacyforvictimsofsexualandrelationshipviolenceandstalkingtostudents,staffandfaculty.Toreachstaffduringofficehourswhentheuniversityisopenortoreachanadvocateafterhours,call848-932-1181.DisabilityServices(848)445-6800/LucyStoneHall,SuiteA145,LivingstonCampus,54JoyceKilmerAvenue,Piscataway,NJ08854/https://ods.rutgers.edu/RutgersUniversitywelcomesstudentswithdisabilitiesintoalloftheUniversity'seducationalprograms.Inordertoreceiveconsiderationforreasonableaccommodations,astudentwithadisabilitymustcontacttheappropriatedisabilityservicesofficeatthecampuswhereyouareofficiallyenrolled,participateinanintakeinterview,andprovidedocumentation:https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines.Ifthedocumentationsupportsyourrequestforreasonableaccommodations,yourcampus’sdisabilityservicesofficewillprovideyouwithaLetterofAccommodations.Pleasesharethisletterwithyourinstructorsanddiscusstheaccommodationswiththemasearlyinyourcoursesaspossible.Tobeginthisprocess,pleasecompletetheRegistrationformontheODSwebsiteat:https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/registration-form.ScarletListeners(732)247-5555/http://www.scarletlisteners.com/Freeandconfidentialpeercounselingandreferralhotline,providingacomfortingandsupportivesafespace.
