End-of-term Reflection and Review

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Fall Reflection and Review#

This assignment takes the place of a final exam and asks you to reflect on all of your work this term. The reflections and self-evaluations you perform here will largely determine your final grade.

My rationale for this assignment is explained somewhat in question #6 in the FAQ.

Step 1: Review your writing

After submitting all of your work for the term, gather together all of the drafts from the three major writing assignments. (You are saving all your work, right?) Carefully examine the drafts for each of the main essay assignments in order, from first draft to final draft. Take time to compare the pieces and notice how they evolved due to your own process of revision and in response to the commentary you received from your professor, tutor, and fellow students.

End-of-term Reflection and Review

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Winter Reflection and Review#

I. Review your participation#

How many classes or tutoring sessions did you miss?
How engaged were you in the class?
Did you complete each of the assigned lectures and workshops?
Were your drafts completed and turned in on time?
Did you give your best effort on each assignment?
How much of the reading did you complete?
Did you watch all of the films and prepare for discussion?
How much did you contribute to our peer-review process? Was this your best effort at sharing/helping others?
How often did you contribute on discussion days? Could you have contributed more to the conversation?

II. Review your work#

Are you proud of the final essay you produced?
Did you give all of your effort and use all of your ability to research and write your essay?

III. Final grade#

Taking into account all of these reflections and self-evaluations, what final grade would you suggest for yourself for this Winter term?

Essay 2

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Essay 2#

Walker Percy, Paulo Freire, and Wes Anderson are all, in different ways, preoccupied with a problem at the heart of education: the relationship between authority and learning. Each text asks in its own way what happens to understanding and experience when it is mediated by institutions, experts, curricula, and received ideas.

Choose two of these texts and write an essay that uses them together to identify and explore a specific problem, question, or tension that this shared preoccupation raises for you.

Essay 3

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Essay 3#

Close Reading#

In our final essay, we’ll analyze the film Rushmore. Your essay won’t provide a mere summary of the obvious content of the film, such as the plot details; instead, you’ll dig deeper and make an argument about what various aspects of the film signify, and how they collectively produce meaning.

Your essay should take the form of a close reading.

Close reading is a method of manifesting or evincing interpretation. Like a math teacher who insists that you “show your work” as you solve an arithmetic problem, close reading is “showing the work” of reading or interpretation to your audience. It is an effort to explain to your readers what a text means using only the text as evidence and defense.

Essay One

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Changes of Mind#

In our first course reading by Nicholson Baker we encountered an inquiry into an everyday human phenomenon: the changing of our minds. Since changes of mind are such common and universal human experiences, we tend to write them off as events that do not invite or merit critical analysis, skepticism, or wonder. However, Baker utterly defamiliarizes these experiences, revealing that beneath an ordinary and seemingly banal experience lies something unexpected, strange, complex, and unsettling.

Thoughts on the Post-Apocalyptic

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ideas on the (Post)Apocalyptic#

The post-apocalyptic narrative is a fantasy or species of wish-fulfillment that expresses a desire for the end of civilization as we know it. The popularity of such films and novels suggest a range of audience responses and psychological conditions behind this wish:

Economic despair and disempowering socio-economic structuring lead to a fanciful embrace of post-apocalyptic narrative as a balm, compensation, a comfort. We imagine a future where all systems of power, all hierarchies of values, all bureaucracies and governing institutions are utterly leveled, creating a landscape of pure possibility where anything is possible. A Nietzschean “re-evaluation of all values” begins. The rigid class system enforced by unbridgeable chasms of wealth withers away, leaving only a meritocracy based in strength, wit, and a willingness to commit violence. Your station in life is determined by your fitness, not the position to which you are born: your future is no longer predetermined by your origins. A plumber becomes the leader of the new order.

Cultural artifacts (such as film and novels) function as temporary compensations for the economic hopelessness of the underclasses under global capitalism. These narratives of destruction are received as revenge fantasies. The world that has wronged the underclasses is destroyed; the economic machine that has ground them to dust is violently dismantled; the high classes are brought low and are forced to suffer poverty, deprivation, and insecurity along with the rest.

Many cultural artifacts articulate a powerful nostalgia—a desire to return to a simpler time without the complexities and petty annoyances of life in the first world: no technology, no social media, no cable television, no traffic. No one looks at a screen anymore; instead we hold a hoe and cultivate a bean field. It is a return to the land—to a bucolic, pastoral existence. However, this reverie is rarely the subject of the post-apocalyptic, which concentrates on the threat that other humans pose to each other in the state of nature. These states of rural perfection are always overturned or under threat from others.

In some post-apocalyptic narratives the focus is on environmental regeneration; the apocalypse can pave the way for a new earth that is healed from the pollution and destruction created by mankind. Nature returns, and throws off the dominant hand of mankind to assert its supremacy. Capitalism is destroyed. The anthropocene melts away: roads, bridges, cities, infrastructure, lie in rusty heaps.

Post-apocalyptic narratives often articulate a deep conservatism that presents a nostalgic return to more “traditional” social arrangements or structures, particularly those related to gender roles and sexual orientation/identities. In some cases this produces fantasies of a return to frankly sexist and racist social arrangements.

The post-apocalyptic narrative depicts cults of hypermasculinity that redress the “malaise” of the modern male–cowed by feminism, political correctness, and the social sanctions against putative masculine traits of competition, aggression, and violence. Fantasies of empowerment based in dominance, gun culture, adventure, subordination and control of others (particularly women) form.

Many of these films express an incipient or perhaps secret desire to destroy civilization because it is seen as enervating and feminized, lacking in masculine values or characteristics. Fight Club might be considered a symptomatic text. In the critique of the quiche-eating beta male and the emasculated office cubicle drones, we see a nostalgic desire to return to the hard masculinity of the past paired with powerful neo-primitivist fantasies.

We also see films and television with strong populist and anticapitalist features. Fight Club, Mr. Robot, all seem symptomatic here. As Tyler Durden remarks, we are “an entire generation pumping gas.” The trammeled underclass turns against the prevailing socio-economic structures and endeavor to destroy capitalism, which produces debt slavery. They blow up all the banks, resetting civilization to zero. #Jubilee.

The post-apocalyptic signals anxiety about the loss of the symbolic traditions that previously helped us make sense of a chaotic and ambiguous universe. While our forebears inhabited a world ordered and made meaningful by a divine plan, we lack a telos; there is no longer a prevailing sense that God is at work in the wings of the world, shaping history for some future purpose, or poised to emerge deus-ex-machina to deliver us at the end. Events no longer have meaning or intent; they are merely things that happen after things that happen—an apparently discontinuous and unrelated stream of phenomena governed by nothing more than the physical rules of the universe and the haphazard, ephemeral agency of human beings. Progress is an illusion. The zombie apocalypse genre is particularly symptomatic as it features an inversion of the Christian resurrection: the dead rise again and walk the earth without salvation.

Writing 2

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Writing 2#

Writing 2 is an introduction to academic writing. The course prepares you for work in a scholarly environment where you will be expected to engage in inquiry, perform analysis, and communicate clearly. We will cultivate these critical practices by reading and analyzing a series of demanding texts and articulating responses to them in the form of essays. Shorter writing assignments will focus on a number of skills that are important for taking part in academic conversations.

Writing 2: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Education! Which of the various me’s do you propose to educate, and which do you propose to suppress? Anyhow I defy you. I defy you, oh society, to educate me or to suppress me, according to your dummy standards. . . . Who are you? How many selves have you? And which of these selves do you want to be? Is Yale College going to educate the self that is in the dark of you, or Harvard College? The ideal self! Oh, but I have a strange and fugitive self shut out and howling like a wolf or a coyote under the ideal windows. See his red eyes in the dark? This is the self who is coming into his own.

Writing 2: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Education! Which of the various me’s do you propose to educate, and which do you propose to suppress? Anyhow I defy you. I defy you, oh society, to educate me or to suppress me, according to your dummy standards. . . . Who are you? How many selves have you? And which of these selves do you want to be? Is Yale College going to educate the self that is in the dark of you, or Harvard College? The ideal self! Oh, but I have a strange and fugitive self shut out and howling like a wolf or a coyote under the ideal windows. See his red eyes in the dark? This is the self who is coming into his own.

Writing 2: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Education! Which of the various me’s do you propose to educate, and which do you propose to suppress? Anyhow I defy you. I defy you, oh society, to educate me or to suppress me, according to your dummy standards. . . . Who are you? How many selves have you? And which of these selves do you want to be? Is Yale College going to educate the self that is in the dark of you, or Harvard College? The ideal self! Oh, but I have a strange and fugitive self shut out and howling like a wolf or a coyote under the ideal windows. See his red eyes in the dark? This is the self who is coming into his own.

Writing 2: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Education! Which of the various me’s do you propose to educate, and which do you propose to suppress? Anyhow I defy you. I defy you, oh society, to educate me or to suppress me, according to your dummy standards. . . . Who are you? How many selves have you? And which of these selves do you want to be? Is Yale College going to educate the self that is in the dark of you, or Harvard College? The ideal self! Oh, but I have a strange and fugitive self shut out and howling like a wolf or a coyote under the ideal windows. See his red eyes in the dark? This is the self who is coming into his own.

Writing 2: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Education! Which of the various me’s do you propose to educate, and which do you propose to suppress? Anyhow I defy you. I defy you, oh society, to educate me or to suppress me, according to your dummy standards. . . . Who are you? How many selves have you? And which of these selves do you want to be? Is Yale College going to educate the self that is in the dark of you, or Harvard College? The ideal self! Oh, but I have a strange and fugitive self shut out and howling like a wolf or a coyote under the ideal windows. See his red eyes in the dark? This is the self who is coming into his own.

Writing 3: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

“Apocalypse, we propose, is never a locatable event but rather an imaginative practice that forms and deforms history for specific purposes: an aesthetic that does as much as it represents. Apocalyptic art may represent an imagined future, but it acts in and upon the present” (451).

— Jessica Hurley and Dan Sinykin, “Apocalypse: Introduction”

Course Description#

Why do we feel such an attraction to disaster? Why do we produce novels, films, and other forms of art that contemplate the end of humanity? Scholars from many disciplines have offered theories about the appeal and meaning of such spectacles of apocalyptic destruction. We will read some of this critical literature, examining views from disciplines such as psychology, sociology, cultural studies, and religion. In addition to these assigned readings, each of you will engage in your own original process of inquiry on a related topic of your choosing. You will present your findings frequently to the community of scholars in our class, sharing and discussing your research discoveries and insights. Ultimately, you will produce a lengthy work of original scholarship that will contribute to this field of inquiry.

Writing 3: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

“Apocalypse, we propose, is never a locatable event but rather an imaginative practice that forms and deforms history for specific purposes: an aesthetic that does as much as it represents. Apocalyptic art may represent an imagined future, but it acts in and upon the present” (451).

— Hessica Hurley and Dan Sinykin, “Apocalypse: Introduction”

Course Description#

Writing 3: Syllabus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

“Apocalypse, we propose, is never a locatable event but rather an imaginative practice that forms and deforms history for specific purposes: an aesthetic that does as much as it represents. Apocalyptic art may represent an imagined future, but it acts in and upon the present” (451).

— Jessica Hurley and Dan Sinykin, “Apocalypse: Introduction”

Course Description#

Author Page Example

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is a mockup of an Author Page for a research project. Use this as a template for your own project. Create your own Author Page as a Google doc; or, if you prefer, you may use the Journeys WordPress platform. Put a link to your project on our course research projects page.

Alan Taylor#

Revanchist Masculinity in Recent Post-Apocalyptic Cinema#

This paper examines a strain of post-apocalyptic narrative that evokes a profound sense of imperiled masculine sovereignty. These texts authorize what I call “revanchist masculinity": an increasingly strident cultural discourse that demands a return to patriarchal authority and so-called “masculine values.” Narratives of this sort revel in neo-primitivist fantasies of male empowerment based in dominance, gun culture, adventure, hyper-masculine performances, and the subordination and control of others (particularly women). Many of these films express an incipient or perhaps secret desire to totally destroy modern civilization, which is seen as enervating and effeminate, thus returning to a “natural” order.

Reading Notes

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Disaster, Apocalypse, and the State of Nature#

Reading Notes#

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)#

Men are essentially equal when all is “reckoned together.” Equal in power, equal in common sense or wisdom. We might think that we are smarter than others, but we are mostly the same.

This sense of equality leads to three causes of “quarrel”:

COMPETITION: Because we know ourselves to be equals, we become hopeful of attaining ends, goals, possessions. However, this puts us at odds with others; when two people want the same thing, they become enemies. As a result, they attempt to “subdue” or “destroy” each other. Sometimes this is just for self-preservation; sometimes it is just out of pleasure. Thus, if you grow crops, or have a house, or money, and you are alone, without protection, someone will come and take it from you. And this invader is likewise vulnerable to someone else–perhaps someone bigger, stronger, or perhaps a bunch of people who might come to kill you and take your stuff.

Stills from Night of the Living Dead

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Stills from Night of the Living Dead (1968)#

Review of Night of the Living Dead by film critic Roger Ebert (1969):

“The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.”

Stills from The Last Man

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Last Man (1964)#

The Last Man on Earth appeared in 1964 and stars the incomparable Vincent Price. The film is the first adaptation of the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. As you may know, the film was remade again in 2007 with Will Smith (who does much more than slap people in the film). We will view both of these films and I think it is helpful to try and compare them and note how the films evolve between the two historical moments. Remember, we are thinking of these films as artifacts in the way that cultural studies scholars might. So our job is to try and historicize these artifacts by noting how they emerge at a particular historical and cultural juncture and then ask how they relate to that context. Since The Last Man on Earth emerges in 1964, we might want to review some information about the 60s. What was happening at that moment in US or world history? How is the film in dialog with that historical moment? Does the film articulate anxieties or fears or hopes about its cultural moment? Does it suggest a possible solution to the problems faced by that era? What do you think? We will do the same sort of work when we view the Will Smith version from 2007, and we will appreciate how much better special effects (and acting) became over the years.

Writing 3

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Writing 3#

Writing 3 focuses on academic research writing. Our libraries have an impressive array of traditional and electronic search tools as well as millions of books, journal articles, and assorted media. Although navigating this vast sea of information is intimidating, it is important that you find your way: excellent research skills are fundamental to your undergraduate training, regardless of your chosen field of study. In consideration of its importance, we will spend a significant amount of time learning how to use our library effectively.

End-of-term Reflection and Review

Fall Reflection and Review#

End-of-term Reflection and Review

Winter Reflection and Review#

I. Review your participation#

II. Review your work#

III. Final grade#

Essay 2

Essay 2#

Essay 3

Essay 3#

Close Reading#

Essay One

Changes of Mind#

Thoughts on the Post-Apocalyptic

Ideas on the (Post)Apocalyptic#

Writing 2

Writing 2#

Writing 2: Syllabus

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Writing 2: Syllabus

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Writing 2: Syllabus

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Writing 2: Syllabus

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Writing 2: Syllabus

WR2 | Syllabus#

Writing 2#

| Weapons of Mass Instruction: Authority, Education, Pedagogy#

Writing 3: Syllabus

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

Course Description#

Writing 3: Syllabus

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

Course Description#

Writing 3: Syllabus

WR3 | Syllabus#

Post-apocalyptic Fiction, Film, and Art#

Course Description#

Author Page Example

Alan Taylor#

Revanchist Masculinity in Recent Post-Apocalyptic Cinema#

Reading Notes

Disaster, Apocalypse, and the State of Nature#

Reading Notes#

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)#

Stills from Night of the Living Dead

Stills from Night of the Living Dead (1968)#

Stills from The Last Man

The Last Man (1964)#

Writing 3

Writing 3#