ENGL 3750 WSU Fall 12 22571 (https://weber.instructure.com/courses/115913) → Syllabus ENGL 3750 WSU Fall 12 22571 Change Home Page Layout | See Course Stream
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ENGL 3750: Television as Literature (or, Advanced Studies in Firefly) v. 1.0
MWF 12:30 - 1:20
Dr. Scott Rogers | EH 448 | [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) | http://faculty.weber.edu/srogers (http://faculty.weber.edu/srogers)
Office Hours TBA | 801-626-7502
The Course:
The average American watches about 5 hours of television a day. We are told that this is bad. We are told that television is bad for us, that it is bad for our families, and that it is wasting our time. But not all television is that way. Some television shows have what we might call “literary pretensions.” Shows such as Twin Peaks, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, Battlestar Galactica, and LOST have been both critically acclaimed and the subject of much academic study.
In this course, we will focus our attention on one such television series: Firefly.
Like his earlier series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon’s critically acclaimed series Firefly has enjoyed tremendous interest—from casual viewers, devoted fans, and from academics who find the series worthy of critical academic attention. In this course, we will examine Firefly not only as fans, but with rigorous, critical, academic attention. We will approach each episode of Firefly, and the film Serenity, in an active and critical fashion, paying attention to the standard literary devices (e.g. character, theme, symbol, plot) as well as televisual matters such as lighting, music, cinematography, and camerawork.
Caveat Emptor:
Make no mistake: while we are going to have a great deal of fun, this is also going to be a great deal of work. Each episode of Firefly is roughly 42 minutes long, and while you might be able to read 45 pages of a novel quickly, you cannot watch television any faster than it is being displayed on the screen. In addition, you’re going to be pausing, taking notes, comparing lines of dialogue with the scripts, comparing actions with stage directions in the scripts, reading essays and listening to DVD commentaries. And that is just so that you’ll be prepared for the class discussions. You’re going to be working hard in this class.
In addition to the viewing itself, I expect you to read the Official Companion section for that episode. I also expect you to read the Onion's AV Club's coverage (at this point, multiple times) of Firefly (http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/tvshow/firefly,356/)
Texts:
Firefly, the complete series. These are widely available online (Amazon, Netflix, etc.). I strongly recommend that you get the DVDs, as they have commentary that we will be working with. Investigating Firefly and Serenity: Science Fiction on the Frontier. Ed. Rhonda V. Wilcox and Tanya R. Cochran. London: I. B. Tauris, 2008. Unless otherwise indicated, all readings are from this text. Official companions to Firefly (2 volumes) and Serenity. I will expect you to read each episode's script and accompanying information.
Assignments:
Reading/Viewing Quizzes: 15% | A handful of quizzes to make sure that you’re staying on top of the reading and viewing assignments. These will always focus on basic matters of reading/viewing comprehension.
5 Position Papers: 15% | These are to be one page (exactly) close readings of something small—an image, a word, a phrase, a sound. The idea here is to get you looking at the details and thinking about what they might mean and how they connect to larger themes in the series. In these, you should identify the subject you’re discussing, offer your interpretation of it, and then explain why it is important in the grand scheme of the series. (e.g. what is the significance of Mal kissing his cross early in the episode “Serenity”? What is the significance of the crew’s dining table being made of wood?). You may only turn in one per class period.
Midterm essay: 25% | A “literature review” about a single episode of Firefly. Your task here is to select an episode that interests you and then research what people (scholars, critics, bloggers, fans) have said about that episode. You will then compose an essay in which you describe the conversation about that episode, making time to highlight what you think is the most important commentary about it.
Final essay: 30% | An argumentative and well-researched essay about Firefly and/or Serenity.
Final Exam: 10% | A comprehensive, written final examination. I will solicit questions from you all and will choose the ones I like best (and may add my own). You will respond to two (2) questions in the allotted time. Future Series Proposal: 5% | You will propose another series (new or old) for study. You should explain what the series is and why it is worth academic attention.
Policies:
Attendance is mandatory. I will take roll every day. You may miss one full week of class without penalty. Each absence after the fourth will result in a half letter grade (5 points) reduction of your final grade.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Unless prior arrangements are made, if assignments are not delivered into my hands then and there, they will be considered late. Late work will be penalized 1/2 letter grade for each day it is overdue. This includes weekends.
I will not accept ANY assignment turned in via email unless prior arrangements have been made. This is for your protection. I receive far too much email on a daily basis, and there is a very good chance that your assignment might be lost.
I expect you to behave civilly and respectfully at all times (both to me and to your peers). Should you behave inappropriately (sleeping, reading the newspaper, doing other work in my class, etc.) you will either a) be counted absent for the day, b) be asked to leave the class and then counted absent. In short, behave appropriately and respectfully.
I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus to accommodate the dynamics of the class. I will only ever modify the syllabus in your favor.
Plagiarism is the attempt to claim anotherʼs work as your own. The WSU Student Code defines plagiarism as “the unacknowledged (uncited) use of any other person or group’s ideas or work” (Section 6-22, part IV, subsection D). Any attempt to claim credit another’s work, in whole or in part, is a violation of this policy and is a serious offense and will result in failure of the courses.
In the event of a catastrophic event or campus closure (e.g. zombie attack), we will continue to provide instruction via email and web resources. It is imperative that you provide a working email address that you check on a regular basis.
Accommodations:
Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary.
Weber State University recognizes that there are times when course content may differ from a student's core beliefs. Faculty, however, have a responsibility to teach content that is related to the discipline and that has a reasonable relationship to pedagogical goals. If you, as a student, believe that the content of the course conflicts with your ability to pursue a topic, you may request a resolution from the instructor. Please see WSU policy 6-22 for further clarification on this policy.
Date Day Details
Aug 27 Mon Syllabus; Introductions; On Watching Television due by 12:30pm
Aug 29 Wed Watch: "Serenity" parts 1 and 2 + commentary due by 12:30pm
Read: Wilcox, “‘I Do Not Hold to That’: Joss Whedon and Original Sin” (155); Erickson, “Humanity in due by Aug 31 Fri a ‘Place of Nothin’: Morality, Religion, Atheism, and Possibility in Firefly” (167) 12:30pm
Sep 5 Wed Watch: "The Train Job" + commentary due by 12:30pm
Read: DeCandido, "'The Train Job' Didn't Do the Job: Poor Opening Contributed to Firefly's due by Sep 7 Fri Dooom" (PDF) 12:30pm
Sep 10 Mon Watch: "Bushwhacked" due by 12:30pm
Read: Sutherland and Swan, "'The Alliance Isn't Some Evil Empire': Dystopia in Joss Whedon's due by Sep 12 Wed Firefly/Serenity" (89) 12:30pm
Read: "Rabb and Richardson, "Reavers and Redskins: Creating the Frontier Savage" (127) due by 12:30pm Sep 14 Fri Write: Position Paper #1 due by 11:59pm
Sep 17 Mon Watch: "Shindig" + commentary due by 12:30pm
Sep 19 Wed Read: Aberdein, "The Companions and Socrates: Is Inara a Hetaera?" (63) due by 12:30pm
Read: Beadling, "The Threat of the 'Good Wife': Feminism, Postfeminism, and Third-Wave due by Sep 21 Fri Feminism in Firefly" (53) 12:30pm Sep 24 Mon Watch: "Safe" due by 12:30pm
Read: Buckman, "'Much madness is divinest sense': Firefly's 'Big Damn Heroes' and Little due by Sep 26 Wed Witches" (41) 12:30pm
Read: Mandala, "Representing the Future: Chinese and Codeswitching" (31) due by 12:30pm Sep 28 Fri Write: Position Paper #2 due by 11:59pm
Oct 1 Mon Watch: "Our Mrs. Reynolds" due by 12:30pm
Read: Masson, "'But she was naked! And all articulate!': The Rhetoric of Seduction in Firefly Oct 3 Wed due by 12:30pm (19)
Read: Wilcox and Cochran, "'Good Myth': Joss Whedon's Further Worlds" (1) due by 12:30pm Oct 5 Fri Write: Position Paper #3 due by 11:59pm
Oct 8 Mon Watch: "Jaynestown" due by 12:30pm
Oct 10 Wed Read: Magill, "'I Aim to Misbehave': Masculinities in the 'Verse" (76) due by 12:30pm
Oct 12 Fri No Class due by 12:30pm
Oct 15 Mon Watch: "Out of Gas" + commentary due by 12:30pm
Read: Money, "Firefly's 'Out of Gas': Genre Echoes and the Hero's Journey" (114) due by 12:30pm Oct 17 Wed Write: Midterm Essay due by 11:59pm
Oct 22 Mon Watch: "Ariel" due by 12:30pm
Oct 24 Wed Read: Goldsmith, "Freedom in an Unfree World" (PDF) due by 12:30pm
Oct 26 Fri Read: Wharton, "The Alliance's War on Science" (PDF) due by 12:30pm
Oct 29 Mon Watch: "War Stories" + commentary due by 12:30pm
Oct 31 Wed Read: Greene, "The Good Book" (PDF) due by 12:30pm
Read: Huff, "'Thanks for the reenactment, sir': Zoe: Updating the Woman Warrior" (PDF) due by 12:30pm Nov 2 Fri Write: Position Paper #4 due by 11:59pm
Nov 5 Mon Watch: "Trash" due by 12:30pm
Read: Lackey, "Serenity and Bobby McGee: Freedom and the Illusion of Freedom in Joss due by Nov 7 Wed Whedon's Firefly" (PDF) 12:30pm
Nov 9 Fri "Trash," continued due by 12:30pm
Nov 12 Mon Watch: "The Message" + commentary due by 12:30pm
Read: Burns, "Mars Needs Women: How a Dress, a Cake, and a Goofy Hat Will Save Science due by Nov 14 Wed Fiction" (PDF) 12:30pm
"The Message," continued due by 12:30pm Nov 16 Fri Write: Position Paper #5 due by 11:59pm
Nov 19 Mon Watch: "Heart of Gold" due by 12:30pm
Nov 21 Wed Read: Bledsoe, "Mal Contents" (PDF) due by 12:30pm
Nov 23 Fri Thanksgiving: No Class due by 12:30pm
Nov 26 Mon Watch: "Objects in Space" + commentary due by 12:30pm Nov 28 Wed Read: Lerner, "Music, Race, and Paradoxes of Representation: Jubal Early's Musical Motif of due by
Barbarism in 'Objects in Space'" (191) 12:30pm
Write: Future Series Proposal due by 12am Nov 30 Fri Read: Zynda, "We're All Just Floating in Space" (PDF) due by 12:30pm
Dec 3 Mon Watch: Serenity due by 12:30pm
Read: Abbot, "'Can't stop the signal': The Resurrection/Regeneration of Serenity" (227); Cochran, due by Dec 5 Wed "The Browncoats Are Coming! Firefly, Serenity, and Fan Activism" (239) 12:30pm
Serenity, continued + Review due by 12:30pm Dec 7 Fri Write: Final Essay due by 11:59pm
Dec 13 Thu Write: Final Examination due by 12:20pm