This course will take these various theories on spatiality and apply it to American literature and film. The United States is a huge country with an enormous variety of spaces and places with different cultural beliefs, ideologies, and customs. The literature and films produced about these American spaces can be studied in terms of the novel/film characters who pass through or experience these places in affective ways, all which depends on their own identities, lived experiences, and desires.
The MA seminar will alternate between presentations on spatiality and the various histories and ideologies of the chosen American spaces and student-led discussions using literature and film case studies related to the aforementioned American space groupings. This course will take these various theories on spatiality and apply it to American literature and film. The United States is a huge country with an enormous variety of spaces and places with different cultural beliefs, ideas, and customs. The literature and films produced about these American spaces can be studied in terms of the novel/film characters who pass through or experience these places in affective ways, all which Depends on their own identities, lived experiences, and desires.
The MA seminar will alternate between presentations on spatiality and the various histories and ideas of the chosen American spaces and student-led discussions using literature and film case studies related to the alienated American space groups.
The emergence of space as a key concept in literary and cultural studies came about in the latter half of the twentieth century due to the rise in postmodern thought. Frederic Jameson’s 1984 article “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” asserted that in the twentieth century “our daily life, our psychic experiences, our cultural languages are dominated by categories of space rather than categories of time,” thus directly acknowledging a spatial turn that attempts to understand life as situated in a mobile array of social and spatial relations. However, culturally, academics often attempt to distinguish place from space in terms of presence versus absence, arguing the former is more focused on human experience, desire, and identity. In other words, place requires a physical presence. This course will take these various theories on spatiality and apply it to American literature and film. The United States is a huge country with an enormous variety of spaces and places with different cultural beliefs, ideologies, and customs. The literature and films produced about these American spaces can be studied in terms of the novel/film characters who pass through or experience these places in affective ways, all which depends on their own identities, lived experiences, and desires. The MA seminar will look at diverse American spaces that are common to American literature and film, namely, the American city, the American suburb, the American South, the American West, and finally the American road novel/film. The course will also discuss in detail the relative theories on space which students can apply to the chosen course texts. These include the social construction of space; embodied space; language, discourse and space; and emotion, affect, and space.
The MA seminar will alternate between presentations on spatiality and the various histories and ideologies of the chosen American spaces and student-led discussions using literature and film case studies rela
The emergence of space as a key concept in literature and cultural studies came about in the latter half of the twentytieth century due to the rise in postmodern thought. Frederic Jameson’s 1984 article “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” asserted that in the twentytieth century “our daily life, our psychic experiences, our cultural languages are dominated by categories of space rather than categories of time,” thus directly acknowledging a spatial turn that attempts to understand life as situationd in a mobile array of social and spatial relationships. However, culturally, academics often attempt to distinguish place from space in terms of presence versus absence, arguing the former is more focused on human experience, desire, and identity. In other words, place requires a physical presence. This course will take these various theories on spatiality and apply it to American literature and film. The United States is a huge country with an enormous variety of spaces and places with different cultural beliefs, ideas, and customs. The literature and films produced about these American spaces can be studied in terms of the novel/film characters who pass through or experience these places in affective ways, all which depends on their own identities, lived Experiences, and desires. The MA seminar will look at diverse American spaces that are common to American literature and film, namely, the American city, the American suburb, the American South, the American West, and finally the American road novel/film. The course will also discuss in detail the relative theories on space which students can apply to the chosen course texts. These include the social construction of space; embodied space; language, discover and space; and emotion, affect, and space.
The MA seminar will alternate between presentations on spatiality and the various histories and ideas of the chosen American spaces and student-led discussions using literature and film case studies rela
Cole, Teju. Open City. Random House, 2012.
Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. Vintage, 2000.
Portis, Charles. True Grit. Overlook Press, 2010.
Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. Penguin, 1999.
Mississippi Burning (1987). Dir. Alan Parker.
Unforgiven (1992). Dir. Clint Eastwood.
Paris, Texas (1984). Dir. Wim Wenders.
Cole, Teju. Open City. Random House, 2012.
Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. Vintage, 2000.
Portis, Charles. True Grit. Overlook Press, 2010.
Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. Penguin, 1999.
Mississippi Burning (1987). Dir. Alan Parker.
Unforgiven (1992). Dir. Clint Eastwood.
Paris, Texas (1984). Dir. Wim Wenders.
| 評分項目 Grading Method | 配分比例 Grading percentage | 說明 Description |
|---|---|---|
| two journal/ response paperstwo journal/ response papers two journal/ response papers |
30 | |
| student lead discussions and presentationsstudent lead discussions and presentations student lead discussions and presentations |
30 | |
| Research PaperResearch Paper Research Paper |
30 | |
| presentation on final research paper presentation on final research paper presentation on final research paper |
10 |
