Calendar
Spring class times:
Wednesdays, 6 - 10 pm (beginning April 4th)
Saturdays, 10 - 5 pm (Apr. 14 & 28, May 12 & 19, June 2)
Week Nine (May 30 and June 2)
Read: McDisneyAmerica
Saturday seminar ticket: What is the central theme that you derive from Fast Food Nation? How does it relate to the Kinzer chapters (8, 9, 12)? To Syriana? (one page typed)
Week Eight (May 23)
Final essay topic: Taking into account the program lectures, films, readings, and other sources that we have studied, write an integrated analytical essay (3-5 pages) in which you discuss the economic, social, and political legacies of American conquest. In your essay make sure that you analyze some of the mythic representations (in films, etc.) that have explained and, in some cases, justified the conquests, especially of the American West. Please refer specifically to at least five films and five readings (and or lectures) as supporting illustrations of your arguments and observations. (Due June 2).
Week Seven (May 16 and 19)
Saturday seminar ticket: Choose three passages from Dispatches that best capture Michael Herr’s style, priorities and perspective on the Vietnam War. One page typed.
Essay #3: The three Cold War films we’ve screened represent very different perspectives on the subject, captured in different genres, different time periods, different points of view. Taken together, what do they say to you about the Cold War from the perspective of Hollywood? Has history been served? Please refer specifically to relevant readings. (Due May 19)
New due dates for essay and reading:
Essay #4 (due June 2)
Read Slotkin, Chapters 15 & 16 (due May 16)
Week Six (May 9 and 12)
Saturday seminar ticket: How did Cold War ideology (as defined by Kinzer, Slotkin and other readings we've had) shape American foreign policy after World War II. At minimum please refer specifically to Guatamala and Iran as examples. One page typed.
Topic for Essay #2: How do Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Flags of our Fathers and The Thin Red Line (novel) imagine “the enemy as other.” Please cite any relevant texts/sources that you have read and researched as well as specific examples from the films and novel. Three type written pages. Due date changed to Wednesday, May 9.
Mid-quarter self evaluation. Due Saturday, May 12.
Week Five (May 2)
Here is a link to a useful map to Pacific Naval Battles of World War II.
Week Four (April 25 and 28)
Saturday seminar ticket: How historically authentic is Tora! Tora! Tora! Could the film have been made in 1950? If not, why? One type written page.
Week Three (April 18)
Read: WilliamsLargeCorp
Week Two (April 11 and 14)
Read: LimerickBurdens (Sat)
MonacoExcerpt (Sat)
LimerickInnocence (Wed)
Winter quarter assignments, etc. (for new students)
Saturday seminar ticket: The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez has been described as an unconventional western by some observers. Do consider this to be an accurate assessment? If not, in what ways does it follow the traditional genre conventions of the social bandit? Please refer to relevant program readings or research you’ve done. One type written page.
Topic for Essay #1: What connections/contrasts do you see between the Clint Eastwood character in Unforgiven and the title character Gregorio Cortez (hint: one film deals with the making of a modern myth while the other with the demystification of a myth). Please refer to White’s notion of “Imaging the West” (Ch. 21) and Social Conflict (Ch. 13) as well as the Slotkin reading in your analysis. Three double spaced type written pages. Due April 18.
Week One (April 4)
Syllabus
Calendar
Covenant
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