Topics in Literature: Technological Fantasies: Making the Human

SPRING 2016 University of North Carolina, Greensboro Department of English

ENG108: Topics in Literature–Technological ENG 108-03 Fantasies: Making the Human Subject Hours: 3 Gary Lim: [email protected] Schedule: Tu / Th 11.00 to 12.15 Office / hours: MHRA 3309 Tu /Th 10 to 11 am Location: Curry 238 Wed – by appointment

In this introductory-level literature course, we explore how literary works have explored the interface between humans and technology. Beginning with the gothic classic Frankenstein, we will explore how early 19th C. attitudes to science and nature provoked a “technological” response in Mary Shelly’s novel. Then, we turn to that American children’s classic, L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, which we will read as an allegory of a rapidly industrializing and technological turn-of-century America. In the second half of the course, as we turn to science fiction, we consider dystopian fantasies of how technology stretches the limits of what defines the human by reading Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Kazuo Ishiguro’s genre-bending, Never Let Me Go. With each novel, we will study the film versions of each work, considering how the conventions of cinematic storytelling and the technological “magic” of the silver screen re-interpret the central questions about the human relationship to technology that the novels raise.

At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:  Identify and understand varied characteristics of literature and film narratives;  Develop and apply techniques of close-analysis to literary texts and non-literary texts;  Use literary study to develop skills in careful reading and clear writing;  Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in which literary and cinematic texts have been produced and interpreted.

Novels  Frankenstein (1818 version). Mary Shelly. Etext, linked on Canvas.  The Wizard of Oz. Frank L. Baum. Etext, linked on Canvas  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick. (Del Rey 1996) ISBN: 978-0345404473  Never Let Me Go. Kazuo Ishiguro. (Vintage 2006) ISBN: 978-1400078776

Films  Frankenstein (1931) Dir. James Whale. Linked on Canvas.  The Wizard of Oz (1939) Dir. Victor Fleming. Linked on Canvas.  Blade Runner (1982) Dir. Ridley Scott. Linked on Canvas  Never Let Me Go (2010) Dir. Mark Romanek. See note below. Novels: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Never Let Me Go are available at the UNCG bookstore. We’ll use e-texts of both Frankenstein and The Wizard of Oz these are linked on Canvas.

Films: Frankenstein, The Wizard of Oz, and Blade Runner are available via the UNCG library’s subscription to film database. I’ve put these links on Canvas. To stream these films in your browser, you’ll need to have Microsoft Silverlight installed on your computer. As for the film Never Let Me Go, you can borrow a copy from the UNCG library (or any other public libraries). An affordable option would be to rent via YouTube or Amazon.

Attendance Policy Students are allowed three unexcused absences without a grade penalty. At absence may be excused, at the instructor's discretion, if some sort of professional documentation (for a court date / medical emergency) is provided. For every absence beyond those allowed, students will be penalized two percentage points from their "Attendance and Participation" score (to a total of 10%). In the event that you have a genuine crisis (such as serious illness or a death in the family), you should notify me and contact the Office of the Dean of Students (336 334-5514) / (http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/contact-us/). This office will work with you (and your instructors) so that you receive the academic support for continued enrollment. You are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays, which do not count toward your total. If you plan to miss class because of religious holidays, you must notify me in advance of your absence.

Assessment and Grading  20% Quizzes (14 quizzes in all)  20% Short Film-Novel Contrasts (3 to write )  20% Exam #1 (Short Identifications / Analysis)  30% Exam #2 (Thematic Essay)  10% Attendance and Participation

Quizzes Each quiz consists of four to five multiple-choice questions based on the assigned readings. These quizzes are done through Canvas’s quiz function. Each quiz is due BEFORE we discuss the material in class. For example, the schedule (at the end of this syllabus) shows that quiz 1 is due on Tuesday, Jan 19. This means that you should complete this quiz before we meet at 11.00 am on this day.

Over the course of the semester, there will be 14 quizzes. The due dates for each quiz are in the schedule at the end of this syllabus.

More information about the quizzes: Make sure you are familiar with the quiz function on blackboard. I suggest taking the practice quiz that I've set up. This quiz is based on the syllabus and while there's no credit for this, it will help you become familiar with the quiz interface.

There is a time limit (ten minutes) for each quiz. While you may refer to the book when taking the quiz, you should have read the material before attempting the quiz. So, read the material carefully before taking each quiz. I've programmed the quizzes to become available on Canvas so that you have a reasonable amount of time to access each quiz. However, do note that you can only access each quiz once and you must complete a quiz once you've started it. Make sure you have a good Internet connection (and are free from distractions) before attempting a quiz. Finally, make sure you're on top of the quiz schedule that's laid out in the syllabus: do not expect to be reminded that there's a quiz due before the next lesson. Missed quizzes cannot be taken (since the point is to be tested on your reading preparation before the class, not after). A few missed quizzes won't hurt your grade too badly (each quiz is worth just under 1.5% of the final course grade) but they can quickly add up.

Novel-Film Contrast These are short writing assignments (500 words each) that you will do three times over the semester. With three novel-film pairs that we will study in the course, you will write a short “novel-film” comparative analysis. This requires you to analyze a short episode / clip from the novel and film and make analytical comments about how the novel and film versions differ in terms of style, meaning, and overall effect. I will specify specific moments / passage for this contrast and offer clear guidelines for these assignments.

Exams The course schedule lists each of the exam dates. Exam 1 will feature "short responses" where you may be asked to identify literary techniques, characters, or explain quotes from the texts we've studied in a few sentences. Exam 1 will cover Frankenstein and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Exam 2 is a longer paper that explores a theme that we have studied. It will involve writing about both novels and films. Exam 2 covers Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep / Blade Runner and Never Let Me Go. Detailed guidance will be offered about the format and expectations for the exams as the course progresses.

Both exams are “take home” and will be submitted via the Canvas interface.

Attendance and Class participation In addition to the attendance policy stated above, you are expected to contribute in class discussions. There will be opportunities to ask me and your classmates questions, answer questions, and share your perspectives with the whole class or in small groups. Make sure that you are prepared to engage in intellectual discussion for each session.

Academic Integrity "Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at . I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. Exams and assignments that violate the Academic Integrity Policy will receive an F.

Special Needs Accommodation Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources & Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: [email protected].

Laptop / Device Policy Laptops and other devices may be used in class only to take notes pertaining to our class or to view documents on our Canvas website. Any student who uses a laptop for any non-classroom activity during class time will not be allowed to use a laptop in class again. To be perfectly clear: one violation means no laptop use.

Course Schedule Date Lesson Jan 12 Tues Introduction Part 1: Frankenstein: Science, Nature, and the Sublime

Jan 14 Thurs Frankenstein Volume 1 [etext linked on Canvas] Jan 19 Tues Frankenstein Volume 2; Quiz 1 due Jan 21 Thurs Science, Nature, and the Sublime [Materials on Canvas] Jan 26 Tues Frankenstein Volume 3; Quiz 2 due Jan 28 Thurs Film: Frankenstein (1931) [Linked on Canvas] : Elements of Mise En Scene – Setting / Composition (Make sure you view the entire film before class) Feb 2 Tues Film: Frankenstein (1931): Elements of Mise En Scene – Lighting / Actors; Quiz 3 due Feb 4 Thurs Contrasting Frankensteins – Visions of Technology; Contrast 1 Assigned Part 2: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Technological Tinkering

Feb 9 Tues The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Chapters 1 to 11) [etext linked on Canvas] Quiz 4 due Feb 11 Thurs The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Chapters 12 to end) Quiz 5 due Feb 16 Tues Henry Adams, “The Dynamo and the Virgin” (1900) [Canvas] Contrast 1 Due; Exam 1 assigned Feb 18 Thurs Film: The Wizard of Oz (1939) [Linked on Canvas]: Elements of film – Narrative Form Feb 23 Tues Film: The Wizard of Oz (1939): Elements of film – Cinematography Quiz 6 due Feb 25 Thurs Contrasting Wizards: The “Magic” of Technology Exam 1 due Contrast 2 Assigned Part 3: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep / Blade Runner: Replicating Humans

Mar 1 Tues Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Chapters 1 to 7) Quiz 7 due Mar 3 Thurs Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Chapters 8 to 13) Mar 8 Tues Spring Break – No Class Contrast 2 Due Date Lesson Mar 10 Thurs Spring Break – No Class Mar 15 Tues Sherry Turkle: “Enchantment” and “Friendship” [Canvas] Quiz 8 due Mar 17 Thurs Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Chapters 14 to end) Quiz 9 due Mar 22 Tues Film: Blade Runner (1982) [Linked on Canvas]: Elements of film – Editing Contrast 3 Assigned Mar 24 Thurs Film: Blade Runner (1982): Elements of film – Sound Quiz 10 due Part 4: Never Let Me Go: How to (Re)make the Human

Mar 29 Tues Never Let Me Go (Chapters 1 to 9) Mar 31 Thurs Never Let Me Go (Chapters 10 to 15) Quiz 11 due; Contrast 3 Due Apr 5 Tues Never Let Me Go (Chapters 16 to end) Quiz 12 due Apr 7 Thurs No Class – I’m away on a Conference Apr 12 Tues Maryanne Wolf: “Our Deep Reading Brain” & “The Importance of Deep Reading”; Nicholas Cage: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” [Canvas] Quiz 13 due Apr 14 Thurs Film: Never Let Me Go (2010) Exam 2 Assigned Apr 19 Tues Film: Never Let Me Go (2010) Quiz 14 due Apr 21 Thurs Individual conferences for final exam Tues Apr 27 Individual conferences for final exam Reading Day Friday Apr Exam 2 Due (Submitted via Canvas) 29