Topics in Literature: 19th Century Literature and Film
Adaptation
ENGL 2002-006
Spring 2014
Required Reading:
Books:
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre
Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Hound of the Baskervilles
PDFs (I will provide these):
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, “The Man
with the Twisted Lip” and “A Scandal in Bohemia”
More TBA
Course Description:
Frankenstein
has inspired dozens of adaptations. Pride
and Prejudice has spawned an entire industry of film and television
adaptations. Jane Eyre has been
adapted to big screen or television more than twenty times, plus a number of stage
and radio productions. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most recognizable
characters in literature and pop culture, and the Sherlock stories are
currently enjoying a renewed visibility by way of major Hollywood films and
three television series.
What is it about the 19th
century that appeals to filmmakers and audiences? To explore this issue, we
will read a selection of 19th century literature and analyze their
film counterparts. Why would a director choose to adapt a novel that has
already been adapted numerous times? Does a filmmaker have an obligation to the
“original” text? If a novel provides insight to the era in which it was
written, might the adaptation provide insight to the era in which it was
produced? Although it is likely that there is no single correct answer to these
questions, this course will do its best to consider as many theories as
possible.
Course Requirements:
*You are required to read each
novel and view each film prior to class. We will not view movies in their
entirety during class time (other than clips that pertain to and enhance class
discussion), so you are responsible for viewing each film outside of class on
your own time, as you would with any other homework. Most, if not all, of these
movies are available on Netflix, instant video rental (to stream) on Amazon, or
at the UC or public library. I will direct you to resources. However,
I will show each film on Mondays at 4, in a classroom in McMicken, for anyone
who wants to watch it on a larger screen. It’s not class time and isn’t
mandatory, but it could be a fun way to see each movie on a large screen with a
small “audience.” It’ll be a good time. I encourage everyone to try to attend.
(Snacks not included—ok, maybe I’ll provide movie nourishment once in a while!)
*All of these novels have been
adapted to film several times. We will view in their entireties two versions of
each one.
*You are expected to participate
in class discussion regularly. This is not a lecture-based course; my aim is
for a robust daily discussion as we analyze each text and its film
interpretation. Additionally, I will often require in-class informal writing in
order to kick-start discussion. Informal writing at the start of each class
will serve as a sort of mental warm-up exercise.
*There will be a number of
unannounced (but probably anticipated for the keen observer of patterns)
quizzes, at least one per book, possibly more.
*We have a class blog! You will
contribute one post for each unit. Posts should be approximately 300 words,
preferable closer to 350. I will provide a prompt for each one.
*You will have a take-home
midterm consisting of two essay questions, and a take-home final in the same
format.
Grade Breakdown:
Quizzes: 15%
Blogs: 20%
Participation: 10%
Midterm: 25%
Final: 30%
Schedule
Week 1
Tues 1/7 CLOSED
Thurs 1/9 Introductions. Discuss the period and the film
industry’s attraction to 19th century stories. Introduce Frankenstein
and Mary Shelley.
HW for Tuesday:
Read: Frankenstein, Volumes 1 and 2
Week 2 FRANKENSTEIN
[Monday] [Screening of Whale/Karloff, 1931]
Tues 1/14 Discuss V1 and V2 of Frankenstein; preview Karloff.
HW
for Thursday:
Read: Finish Frankenstein
View:
Karloff
Thurs 1/16 Discuss ending of the novel, Karloff, and genre.
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: “Grammar of the Shot” pdf
on Bb. Also make this a catch-up-on-the-book day.
Week 3 FRANKENSTEIN
[Monday] [Screening of Branagh, 1994]
Tues 1/21 Who is the monster? Nineteenth-century anxiety
about science and
mortality. Our anxiety about science and mortality.
HW
for Thursday:
View: Branagh
Read: Nothing new required, but
make sure you have finished Frankenstein.
Thurs 1/23 Cultural reception and pop culture
HW
for Tuesday:
Write: blog post #1
Read: Pride and Prejudice chs 1-13
Week 4 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
[NO MOVIE FOR THIS WEEK]
Tues 1/28 Introduction to Pride
and Prejudice, Regency era, and the “cult of
Austen”
Discuss P&P chs 1-14
HW
for Thursday:
Read: P&P chs 15-23
Thurs 1/30 Discuss P&P
Volume 2; marriage, entailment, and the horrors of
unmarried women.
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: P&P Vol 2 (chs 24-42)
Week 5 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
[Monday] [Screening of Leonard, 1940]
Tues 2/4 Discuss conclusion to Pride and Prejudice and preview Leonard
HW for Thursday:
Read: P&P Vol 3 (chs 43-end)
View: Leonard
Thurs 2/6 Satire and Irony; Austen in Hollywood
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: pdf and catch-up
Week 6 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
[Monday] [Screening of Wright, 2005]
Tues 2/11 Darcy Mania! The wet shirt: gender, sexuality, and
the female gaze.
HW
for Thursday:
Write: Blog Post #2
Read: Catch-up! And consider
starting Jane Eyre.
View: Wright
Thurs 2/13 Two centuries of Pride
and Prejudice
HW for Tuesday:
Read: Jane Eyre, chapters 1-10
Week 7 JANE EYRE
Tues 2/18 Introduce Jane
Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, and the Victorian era
Discuss Jane Eyre 1-10
HW
for Thursday:
Read:
Chapters 11-17
Thurs 2/20 The Gothic genre
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: Chs. 18-28
Week 8 JANE EYRE
[Monday] [Screening of Stevenson, 1943]
Tues 2/25 The Mother of All Plot Twists
HW for Thursday:
Read: Finish JE
View: Stevenson
Thurs 2/27 The conclusion: How did it happen? Are we cool with
it? Discuss Stevenson.
HW for Tuesday:
Read: catch up! Also read pdf on
Bb and article from The Guardian, also
posted to Bb.
View: If possible, watch Masterpiece
Theatre mini-series from 2006
Week 9 JANE EYRE
[Monday] [Screening of Fukunaga, 2011]
Tues 3/4 The culture of adaptation—why so many?! Negative
space and what
they intentionally don’t show us; preview Fukunaga.
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: pdfs of brief selections
from The Eyre Affair and Wide
Sargasso
Sea, posted to Bb
View: Fukunaga
Thurs 3/6 Wrap-up Jane
Eyre; discuss Fukunaga
HW for Tuesday:
Write: blog post #3
Week 10 Midterm
Tues 3/11 In-class review
Thurs 3/13 Midterm—take at home during regular class time.
Submit
to me as email attachent by 4pm.
For Tuesday after spring break:
Read:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Week 11 SPRING
BREAK
Week 12 ALICE’S ADVENTURES
IN WONDERLAND/THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS
[Monday] [Screening of Burton, 2010]
Tues 3/25 Introduce Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland
HW
for Thursday:
Read: Through the Looking-Glass
View:
Burton
Thurs 3/27 Discuss Through
the Looking-Glass, the fantastical, Disney and
“Disney-fication,” and Burton
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: Opening segment of A Study in Scarlet and “The Man
With the Twisted Lip” (both are pdfs
on Bb)
Week 13 SHERLOCK
[Monday] [Screening of Ritchie, 2009]
Tues 4/1 Introduce Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock, and
the late Victorian era
HW
for Thursday:
Read: “A Scandal in Bohemia”
View: Ritchie
Thurs 4/3 Sherlock as action hero? Discuss Ritchie.
HW
for Tuesday:
Read:
Begin Hound of the Baskervilles
Week 14 SHERLOCK
[Monday] [Screening of BBC’s SHERLOCK—“A Scandal in
Belgravia” episode]
Tues 4/8 Discuss Hound
and “Scandal” episode
HW
for Thursday:
Read: Finish Hound of the Baskervilles
View: “Scandal in Belgravia” episode
of Sherlock
Thurs 4/10 What kind of relationships do Watson and Irene Adler
have with
Sherlock? What kind do we want them to have?
HW
for Tuesday:
Read: catch-up!
Week 15 SHERLOCK AND WRAP UP
[Monday] [Screening of BBC SHERLOCK “Hound” episode]
Tues 4/15 Discuss Hound
and Sherlock episode
HW
for Thursday
Write:
blog post #5
View:
“Hounds” episode of BBC Sherlock
Thurs 4/17 Wrap-up discussions of the course
Go over final exam and review
Finals Week
Essay Exam emailed to me by 8 pm,
Wednesday, April 23rd.
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