Upcoming Special Topics Courses
Spring 2011: (The full brochure can also be viewed and downloaded here.)
Desperate Housewives (ENG 278-01)
The popular culture phenomenon that is the TV show Desperate Housewives, while certainly entertaining, also raises some key questions about women’s social roles in a post-feminist world. Do women still idealize and even lust after the “perfect” domestic life? Did they ever? Or, given that the women of Wisteria Lane appear to have a lot more agency than did their apparent 1950s counterparts, does the show challenge us to reverse stereotypes about the “lowly housewife” social role? This course seeks to examine the “desperate housewives” of literary history in order to analyze the ways that female characters in domestic settings have responded to challenging situations and the ways in which representations of social and cultural roles of women have shifted across eras and cultures. Therefore, this course’s objectives include not only an introduction to literary history, increased proficiency in critical reading, and continued development of written and oral communication skills, but we will also utilize these texts to examine some key questions about representations of domesticity and the shifting roles of women in society.
Possible Texts [not a finalized list—I will be choosing a handful of texts from possibilities like these]:
Anonymous Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Chaucer, Geoffrey “The Miller’s Tale” and/or “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
Shakespeare, William All’s Well that Ends Well or Macbeth
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice
Flaubert, Gustave Madame Bovary
Ibsen, Henrik Hedda Gabler or A Doll’s House
Chopin, Kate The Awakening
Glaspell, Susan Trifles
Faulkner, William “A Rose for Emily”
Larsen, Nella Passing
Morrison, Toni Beloved
Fielding, Helen Bridget Jones’s Diary
Into the Wild: Discovering the American Landscape (ENG 278-02)
From the newly colonized Virginia of the early 1600’s to the Alaskan wilderness of 1990’s, this course explores the various ways in which writers experience, depict, construct, respond to and identify with specific geographic spaces and places in America. While tracing the development of America’s complex cultural landscape beginning with John Smith’s adventures in the Virginia colony in 1607 and ending with Chris McAndless’ journey into the wild of Alaska in 1992, we will investigate through prose, poetry, and film various shifting interpretations of ‘wilderness,’ ‘landscape,’ and ‘nature’ in an attempt to more fully develop our own sense of place in America.
War in Literature and Media (ENG 278-03)
This course will study five phases of war: 1) Outbreak of War, 2) Everyday Life during Wartime, 3) Harsh Realities of War, 4) Returning from War, and 5) Aftermath of War: Peace.The course will focus on America’s involvement in war as depicted in novels (like Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, and Heller’s Catch-22, poems (like Whitman’s Drum-Taps and Crane’s War Is Kind), films (like Born on the Fourth of July, Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, and The Hurt Locker), television shows (like M*A*S*H, Hogan’s Heroes, and China Beach), and some songs (like “War,” “Something’s Happening Here: For What It’s Worth,” “Give Peace a Chance,” “I Feel like I’m Fixin’ To Die,” “Flag Decal: Jesus Don’t Like Killin’,” “Four Dead in Ohio,” and “Peace Train”), among other similar works of the students’ choosing.
King Arthur: Fact, Fiction, and Film (ENG 278-04)
This class explores the legend of King Arthur from its origins in sixth century Britain through the great romances of the High Middle Ages to some treatments of Arthur in modern times. We will look at several versions of the legend, and consider the themes of chivalry, constructing modern masculinity, the quest for the Holy Grail, the Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur love triangle, and the Death of Arthur. We will read Sir Thomas Malory, the Pearl Poet, Marion Zimmer Bradley and other writers, plus view Arthurian-themed films as texts.
Practical Latin (ENG 278-05)
This course is an introduction to the Latin language, and constructed primarily for students to learn to read Latin and translate it into English – based on the needs of pre-law, pre-med, biology, nursing, history, art or other majors that are exposed to the Latin language in their work. The aim is for students to have the skill to translate any Latin script they may encounter in the future, whether it is in law, medicine, or a museum. Students will take four exams and be required to answer oral questions on homework every day in class.
Tales of the Supermen (ENG 478-01) (aimed at English majors but open to everyone)
In Super Gods, comic-book writer Grant Morrison writes, “Someone, somewhere, figured out that, like chimpanzees, superheroes make everything more entertaining. Boring tea party? Add a few chimps and it’s unforgettable comedy mayhem. Conventional murder mystery? Add superheroes and a startling new genre springs to life…Superheroes can spice up any dish.” And, in truth, be it mythological champions or Nietzsche’s misinterpreted notion of the “Übermensch,” mankind has forever been fascinated with the possibility of the “superman,” particularly when it comes to “spicing up” their stories. Next spring, coming to a classroom near you, “Tales of the Supermen” (ENG 478.01) will give students an opportunity to explore this idea more thoroughly as they read a wide variety of literature from a broad chronological survey of the superhero genre, beginning with the ancient epics of Gilgamesh and Beowulf, and ending with contemporary graphic novels and films such as Watchmen andSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace…okay, probably not that particular film. During the course of the semester, students will explore related issues of literary criticism, theory, and gender studies by tracing the development and evolution of the “superman” and the superhero genre in general.
Possible Texts Include:
Beowulf: A Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
The Odyssey by Homer
Greek and Roman Mythology
The Holy Bible
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Superman Chronicles, Volume 1
The Wonder Woman Chronicles, Volume 1
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
V for Vendetta by Allan Moore and David Lloyd
Sophia Wisdom: A Celebration of Women in Faith (REL 278-01)
This course will study the role of the “feminine” image in faith traditions and the role of women in various aspects of history and society and will focus primarily on women’s contributions to the major religions of our world. This course will celebrate women through various readings and show how the unique characteristics of women and their strong values are put forth on behalf of many. The student will come to appreciate women for women and challenge each to see and understand how women are viewed in scripture, society, and the world at large.
Spiritualities of the World (REL 278-02)
This course is designed to offer the student an overview of the vast array of spiritual thoughts which have influenced the world, modern society, and individuals throughout history. The course will look at the writings, times and personal beliefs of the chosen authors from a variety of multicultural viewpoints. Students will compare and contrast the writings and discover how spirituality influences daily living.
Spirituality of Healing (REL 478-01)
This course is designed to give the medical professional and non-professional alike the opportunity to study, investigate and gain knowledge into the issue of healing as part of the human condition. The course will take a look at the history of healing from various religious and non-religious traditions and its impact on total patient care: mind, body, and spirit. The course will also offer practical advice into the whole concept of pastoral care of the individual, the family, and self.
Spanish for Business Professionals (SPAN 478-01)
In SPAN 278, students enhance and strengthen their control of standard Spanish grammar and orthography through the study of representative samples of business letters and formal written communications in Spanish. In the course students will also develop vocabulary recognition and writing skills, focusing on the paragraph, e-mail messages, and other short communications.
Westerns (ENG 278-01) (6-week course spanning Summer I & II)
This course is designed to introduce students to literature about the American west. We will explore the development of the genre from early dime novels to modern epics. We will look at history and the literary portrayal of the West, including its inhabitants, such as ranchers, Native Americans, and pioneers. Common themes found in the literature will also be examined, like the harshness of prairie life, the silent hero, codes of honor, and the similarity between western characters and those of other types of literature. etc. In addition to readings, we will examine the portrayal of the American West in film and popular culture.
Beowulf : Fact, Fiction, and Film (ENG 278-01)
This class explores the legend of Beowulf from the original Old English text through its rediscovery as a source for action-adventure films. We will look at several versions of the tale: starting with the original (using the translation by Seamus Heaney), and continuing with Gardner’s Grendel, and Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead. In film we will see many versions of the story, ranging from viewing excerpts from Benjamin Bagby’s Beowulf to the recent Zemeckis version with Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother.
Current Special Topics Courses
Jane Austen and Popular Culture (ENG 278-01)
Woman as Monstrous (ENG 278-02)
Sports and Literature (ENG 278-03)
West Virginia Writers (ENG 278-04)
African American Vernacular (ENG 478-01)
The Roaring 20′s (ENG 478-02)
Environmental Ethics (PHIL 278-01/478-01)
Catholicism (REL 278-01)
Hispanic Readings (SPAN 278-01/478-01)
Spanish for Business Professionals (SPAN 478-02)
Past Special Topics Courses
Literature into Film
Modern Japanese Literature
Literature of Nature
Survey of Drama
The Literature of Sport
The Roaring Twenties
The Beat Generation