syllabus f2016 tales of horror - german.rutgers.edu

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1 Tales of Horror 01:470:227:01 and 01:195:227:02 Course Sakai Site: https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal Fall Semester 2016 Fridays, 9:50am – 12:50pm, AB 1180 3 credits Prof. Nicola Behrmann Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures 15 Seminary Place, Room # 4126 College Avenue Campus New Brunswick, NJ 08901 [email protected] Office Hours: Thus, 3-4:30pm Course Description Taught in English. No prerequisites. Frankenstein and Dracula, vampires and zombies, doppelgänger, ghosts, and artificial humans continue to haunt the cultural imagination throughout the centuries. This course explores tales of horror through some of their most spellbinding creatures and fantasies in a period ranging from the Brothers Grimm to surrealist cinema: We will consider the historical or political context and the psychoanalytical underpinnings in each horrific tale and we will pay close attention to the ways a narrative (text or film) establishes, safeguards, or releases its horrific kernel. We will reflect the ways in which horror enters German Expressionism and why moving images relate particularly well to the uncanny and will explore the similarities and differences in the way film and literature explore horror. Readings include E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Sandman,” Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the figure of the devil in Jeremias Gotthelf’s “The Black Spider” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Black Cat,” the vampire in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and two short stories by Franz Kafka. Filmic contributions range from Murnau’s Nosferatu and Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Louis Buñuel’s Un Chien Andalou and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Theoretical reflections are provided by Lotte Eisner, Shoshana Felman, Sigmund Freud, Barbara Johnson, Siegfried Kracauer, Laurence A. Rickels, and Slavoj Zizek.

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Page 1: Syllabus F2016 Tales of Horror - german.rutgers.edu

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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.