Engl 20923, Literature
and Civilization II, sec. 674
Fall 2015, MW,
3:30-4:50 PM, RJH 333
What’s So Funny?
Literature and Civilization II is a course intended to
explore the role of literary, rhetorical, and dramatic expression in the
development of cultural ideas, institutions, and roles. As it is vetted for global awareness credit
(GA), the course is intended to help students develop a critical awareness of
global perspectives. As it is also
vetted for Humanities credit (Hum), the course is intended to help students
analyze texts, examine the nature and value of human life, and construct
relevant arguments.
08/24, M
introduction
08/26, W
What is literature?
What is civilization?
08/31, M
jokes and cartoons
09/02, W
jokes and cartoons
09/07, M
Labor Day
09/09, W
Humour: A Very Short
Introduction, Chapter 1, “The Nature of Humor,” 4-54
09/14, M
Humour: A Very Short
Introduction, Chapter 2, “Humour, Emotion, Cognition,” 55-75
09/16, W
Humour: A Very Short
Introduction, Chapter 3, “Humour and Value,” 76-117
09/21, M
A New Theory? (pdf)
09/23, W
The Importance of
Being Ernest
09/28, M
The Importance of
Being Ernest
09/30, W
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” short story by James
Thurber (available on the internet)
10/05, M
The Secret Life of Walter
Mitty (film)
10/07, W
take-home midterm essay due
in-class midterm
10/12, M
Fall Break
10/14, W
The Comic Toolbox,
1-57
10/19 M
The Comic Toolbox,
58-115
10/21, W
The Comic Toolbox,
117-161
10/26, M
“Vacation ’58,” short story by John Hughes
10/28, W
Halloween
11/02, M
The Humor Code, 1-66
11/04 W
The Humor Code, 67-148
11/09, M
The Humor Code, 149-212
11/11, W
The Greatest Comedy Film!
11/16, M
Cat’s Cradle
11/18, W
Cat’s Cradle
11/23, M
Slaughterhouse-Five
(film)
11/25, W
Thanksgiving
11/30, M
Nora Ephron, “A Few Words About Breasts” (pdf)
12/02, W
Dave Barry, “Tips for Women: How to Have a Relationship with
a Guy” (pdf)
12/07, M
Final Presentations
12/09, W
Final Presentations
Requirements:
1) Community
Engagement/Global Awareness: Community Engagement is one of the primary
course components and is required of all students. The basic assumption behind community
engagement is that, by becoming involved in community-engaged activity,
students can gain significant insight into their social and cultural
surroundings—and ultimately into their own lives. Our community engagement
project has a global aspect. For our
project you will be paired with an international student studying in TCU’s
Intensive English Program (IEP) at the beginning of the semester as a
conversation partner. You will be required to meet with you conversation
partner a minimum of 6 times during the
semester.
2) Blogging: To
document your conversations, and as well to comment on your learning, you are
required to keep an online journal or weblog. With the help of technology at
Blogger (http://www.blogger.com; or
http://wordpress.org), you will build your own web log, or “blog,” and keep an
electronic journal of your experiences as a conversation partner, as a learner,
and more generally as an individual living in a complex world. You will be
expected to write 6 two-page reflections
of your meetings with your conversation partner. These reflections should not
only describe what you did but also your thoughts and reactions. Since conversation
is a two-way street, you will learn a lot about your partners as they learn about
you, and you are asked to write about this learning and sharing process in your
blogs. Also, since one of the best ways to learn about a subject is to have to
teach it, you will—hopefully—gain insight and sensitivity into English
rhetorical practices, and you will be expected to comment on these insights. English
is not an easy language to learn!
You are also asked to write 4 two-page reflections commenting on your learning experiences.
Obviously, you are constantly learning—in this class, in all your classes, and
outside of class. Every three weeks or
so you are expected to blog about what you have learned in our class, or
possibly in your other classes, that you found interesting, useful, and/or
relevant. What you write is up to you. What I ask is that you reflect on your
learning experiences and assess the value of these experiences in terms of your
own life.
Also, in terms of our class focus, I ask that you write 2 two-page reflections about two
different incidents in which either you or the people you were with broke out
into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
Using your blog, reflect back on not only what specifically caused the
laughter but also how either you or the people you were with were affected by
the laughter incident.
Blogging is a less formal form of writing than an essay,
and thus blogs are a good forum to reflect, analyze, vent, explore, and
consider. But blogs are also a more public form of writing and, because of the
technology, an excellent way of sharing, collaborating, and responding. In
addition to posting your own blog entries, you will also be required to post brief one or two paragraph responses to a
minimum of 6 other course blogs throughout the semester. You are welcome to
comment on any of the other course blogs, but please vary the blogs you respond
to. Please do not respond to the same blog (and person). We will use our course blogs as an open online
dialogue to reflect on our experiences in Literature and Civilization II.
Please keep in mind that a blog is not a personal—and
private—diary. Blogs are a public forum,
accessible to anyone who has internet access, so please do not post anything
that you would not share with your classmates and random internet readers.
The
minimum that is required: twelve entries and six responses.
3) Midterm and
Final Exams: There will be both midterm and final essay exams, and both
exams will have two parts, a take-home essay and an in-class short answer exam.
These exams will not simply test for familiarity with course content, but will
also be used to reflect on your experiences in Literature and Civilization II.
My intention is not to quiz your specific knowledge of texts and authors, but
to encourage your critical thinking and self-evaluation.
4) In-Class Writing
and Activities. In most classes there will be short writing exercises or
some type of class-related activity. The writing exercises will serve as a
reading check, but they will also be used to generate discussion. They will be
graded on a point scale, with 3 for excellent, 2 for good, and 1 for
acceptable. At the end of the semester you will receive a cumulative score for
your in-class work.
5) Student
Presentations: Humor Around the
World. Throughout the semester we
will examine the cultural differences in humor around the world. You will be asked to help lead our
discussions, and these presentations may be undertaken individually or in small
groups (maximum of 3). Each individual or group will choose a specific class
day and will be expected to make a presentation to the class on a type of
cultural or national humor (English humor, Italian humor, German humor, Swedish
humor, Brazilian humor, African humor, Australian humor, Chinese humor,
Japanese humor, Indian humor, Arab humor, Russian humor, Romanian humor,
Icelandic humor . . .). These presentations should include a brief discussion
of what the individual (or group) thinks are the relevant characteristics of
their subject’s humor (What is French humor and how is it different than
English or American humor?). These presentations should be informative and
provocative. Yet at the same time they should also be enjoyable! I encourage
you to consider creative suggestions for stimulating interest and arousing
attention. Dramatizations may be videotaped, parts of texts acted out, and
character roles performed. Multimedia presentations are always welcome, but I
do encourage you to do something more than the usual PowerPoint
presentation. Students are responsible
for choosing what to present and when to present. A
brief handout summarizing key points and pertinent information is required.
6 Student
Presentations: Active Classrooms:
During the semester several classes days have been set aside for students to
locate and research material for class discussions. Students will be asked to bring to class, and
then present, humorous materials that they think are especially interesting for
cultural, social, political, or artistic reasons. These presentations may be undertaken
individually or in small groups (maximum of three).
On
August 26 we will consider questions related to the concepts imbedded in our
course’s title: Literature and Civilization.
Individually or in a small group, you will present brief video
interviews of four people (not in our class) trying to answer two questions:
What is literature? What is Civilization?
On August 31, and September 2, we will examine “Jokes and
Cartoons.” For these classes, you are
asked to share and discuss examples of jokes and cartoons that you think are especially
humorous.
On November 11, we will consider possibilities for “the
greatest comedy film.” Individually or
in groups, you are asked to research films that have been listed as some of the
greatest comedy films ever, and then choose the one that you think the best or
funniest overall. In class you must
present short clips from the film and then discuss why you think it’s the best
comic film overall. At the end of class
we will vote on the best comic film (and best overall presentation).
Please note: for
each in-class presentation, two things are required. First, I
will not tolerate anything obscene, racist, or offensive. Second, you must offer some critical insight
into what you are presenting. It’s not
enough to say, “this is funny,” or “this made me laugh.” You must analyze and critique what you found
humorous, and, if possible, classify it.
How was the laughter evoked?
7) Final
Presentations: For your final assignment, I would like you to put together
a multimodal project that presents a reflection of your thoughts, observations,
and experiences throughout the semester. Consider what you have experienced as
a learner that was interesting, striking, memorable, and/or relevant. These
projects may include photographs, videos, sketches, recordings, music, prose,
and poetry. You may use PowerPoint, present a video, or use other forms of
multimodal presentation. Please be as creative as you like. As with the
previous presentations, please consider how to engage your audience’s
attention. Along with your presentation, you must submit a 2-page justification of your presentation. These projects may be
done individually or in small groups (maximum of 3). If done as a group
project, each person's individual contributions must be apparent.
What you do in your final presentations is up to you, and
part of the assignment is figuring out what to do. You can focus on a specific
text, or on a combination of texts, or even on an entire series or theme that
you found informative and interesting. This should be an opportunity to assess
what you have learned.
9) Participation
and Attendance: I am not formally setting an attendance policy, and you are
responsible for your own attendance. I caution you, however, to keep in mind
that in-class writings and activities cannot be made up or turned in late.
Also, please keep in mind that active participation is expected, and both
written and verbal contributions will count towards participation.
10) Sense of Humor
and An Appreciation of Irony: Given the course’s subject matter, a
willingness to laugh is essential. I
also ask for your patience, understanding, and good humor. I sincerely wish
that all of us enjoy our work together this semester, and I ask for your help
in making this course a success.
Grading
Scale:
Midterm: 15%
Final Exams: 15%
Community Engagement Project: 10%
Blogging: 15%
Humor Around the World Presentations: 5%
Active Classroom Presentations: 15% (5% What is Lit and
Civ; 5% jokes and cartoons; 5% greatest comedy film)
Final Presentations 15%
In-Class Writing and Activities 10%
Required Texts:
Humour:
A Brief Introduction, Noel Carroll
The
Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even If You’re Not,
John Vorhaus
Anguished
English, Richard Lederer
The
Importance of Being Ernest, Oscar Wilde
Cat’s
Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
The
Humor Code, McGraw
and Warner
Dan Williams
Scharbauer 3018D and TCU Press
(3000 Sandage)
817-257-5907 (campus)
Office Hours: by appointment. I will meet with students whenever it is most
convenient, but since I work out of two offices, please check in advance where
I’ll be working on a particular day and time.
I am free for online virtual office hours virtually any morning.
Course Outcomes:
--Students will analyze representative texts of significance
and practice critical analysis of these texts
--Students will explore texts in terms of multiple cultural
heritages, aesthetic approaches, and ideological perspectives
--Students will demonstrate critical awareness that problem
solving in the global community requires the integration of a variety of
perspectives
--Students will learn how to evaluate sources from a variety
of perspectives and to use those sources
--Students will demonstrate through reading responses,
informal writing, and class discussion a critical engagement with
intellectually challenging texts
--Students will incorporate additional media into the composing
products produced
--Students will demonstrate strategies of literary analysis
through writing about the assigned texts in class
--Students will identify representative genres and types of
humor and comedy
--Students will gain an understanding of how humor functions
socially
--Students will gain pedagogical experience, and develop
greater sensitivity to significant cultural issues, by working closely with an IEP
student.
Academic Conduct:
An academic community requires the
highest standards of honor and integrity in all of its participants if it is to
fulfill its missions. In such a community faculty, students, and staff are
expected to maintain high standards of academic conduct. The purpose of this
policy is to make all aware of these expectations. Additionally, the policy
outlines some, but not all, of the situations which can arise that violate
these standards. Further, the policy sets forth a set of procedures,
characterized by a "sense of fair play," which will be used when
these standards are violated. In this spirit, definitions of academic
misconduct are listed below. These are not meant to be exhaustive.
I. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Any act that violates the spirit
of the academic conduct policy is considered academic misconduct. Specific examples
include, but are not limited to:
A. Cheating. Includes, but is not
limited to:
1. Copying from another student's
test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings.
2. Using in any academic exercise
or academic setting, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in
charge of the test.
3. Collaborating with or seeking
aid from another student during an academic exercise without the permission of
the person in charge of the exercise.
4. Knowingly using, buying,
selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the
contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release.
5. Substituting for another
student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, in a manner
that leads to misrepresentation of either or both students work.
B. Plagiarism. The appropriation,
theft, purchase, or obtaining by any means another's work, and the
unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one's own offered
for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another's
work without giving credit therefore.
C. Collusion. The unauthorized
collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.
D. Abuse of resource materials.
Mutilating, destroying, concealing, or stealing such materials.
E. Computer misuse. Unauthorized
or illegal use of computer software or hardware through the TCU Computer Center
or through any programs, terminals, or freestanding computers owned, leased, or
operated by TCU or any of its academic units for the purpose of affecting the
academic standing of a student.
F. Fabrication and falsification.
Unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an
academic exercise. Falsification involves altering information for use in any
academic exercise. Fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information
for use in any academic exercise.
G. Multiple submission. The
submission by the same individual of substantial portions of the same academic
work (including oral reports) for credit more than once in the same or another
class without authorization.
H. Complicity in academic
misconduct. Helping another to commit an act of academic misconduct.
I. Bearing false witness.
Knowingly and falsely accusing another student of academic misconduct.
Disabilities Statement:
Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding
students with disabilities. Eligible
students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Services for
Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services located in
Sadler Hall, 11. Accommodations are not
retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as
possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further
information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box
297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.
Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and
accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the
Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking
accommodations. Each eligible student
is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation
and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/DISABILITY.HTM.
Students with emergency medical
information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be
evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as
soon as possible.
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