contemporary critical approaches to literary theory

fall 2008 ∙  LA 102   ∙  MWF 2-2:50 

 

Michel Foucault in Paris
Michel Foucault in Paris


"My role is to raise questions in an effective, genuine way, and to raise them with the greatest possible rigor, with the maximum complexity and difficulty so that a solution doesn't spring from the head of some reformist intellectual or suddenly appear in the head of a party's political bureau."

"Interview with Michel Foucault." Power. Ed. J. Faubion. Trans. Robert Hurley. New York: New Press. p. 288.

 

 

The following table contains the reading and assignment due dates for this class. Students are expected to prepare for class discussion by reading all assigned materials very carefully and thoughtfully outside of class. Students are also required to bring the Martel and Culler texts to class and to print out all pdf files and bring them to class as well.

 

Week

Date

Readings/Work due

1

Wed Aug 27

Syllabus

Introductions

 

Fri Aug 29

Martel, Life of Pi, "Author's Note," pp. v-xi

 2

Mon Sep 1

No class--Labor Day Holiday

 

Wed Sep 3

Martel, Life of Pi, 1-117
chapters 1-36

 

Fri Sep 5

Martel, Life of Pi, pp. 121-175
chapters 37-50

 3

Mon Sep 8

Martel, Life of Pi, pp. 175-244
chapters 51-65
 

 

Wed Sep 10

Martel, Life of Pi, pp. 245-end
chapters 66-end

 

Fri Sep 12

Re-read Martel
"Robinson Crusoe, Move Over"
 

 4

Mon Sep 15

Re-read Martel
"The Empathetic Imagination: An Interview with
Yann Martel"
 

 

Wed Sep 17

Critical Response #1 due

 

Fri Sep 19

Culler, chapter 1, pp. 1-17

 5

Mon Sep 22

Culler, chapter 2, pp. 18-41

 

Wed Sep 24

Culler, chapter 3, pp. 42-54

 

Fri Sep 26

Re-read Culler, chapters 1-3

 6

Mon Sep 29

Nietzsche, "On Truth and Lies in a Non-Moral Sense" (pdf)

 

Wed Oct 1

Re-read Nietzsche

 

Fri Oct 3

 Critical Response #2 due

 7

Mon Oct 6

Culler, chapter 4, pp. 55-68

 

Wed Oct 8

 Re-read Culler, chapter 4

 

Fri Oct 10

Instructor at conference--No class

 8

Mon Oct 13

Culler, chapter 5, pp. 69-81

 

Wed Oct 15

Culler, chapter 6, pp. 82-93
  Fri Oct 17 No class--Fall Break
9 Mon Oct 20 Culler, chapter 7, pp. 94-107
  Wed Oct 22 Re-read carefully chapter 7
  Fri Oct 24 Critical Response #3 due
 Derrida, "The Exorbitant. Question of Method" (pdf)
Bring Culler
10 Mon Oct 27 Re-read Derrida
  Wed Oct 29 Re-read Derrida
  Fri Oct 31 Re-read Derrida one more time!
11 Mon Nov 3 Culler, chapter 8, pp.108-120
  Wed Nov 5 Culler, Appendix, pp. 121-132
 Davis, "Grammar Questions" (pdf)
  Fri Nov 7 Sachs, "Speed" (pdf)
12 Mon Nov 10 Alvarez, "My English" and "La Gringuita" (pdf)
  Wed Nov 12 Documentary on Derrida
 Critical Response #4 due
  Fri Nov 14 Documentary on Derrida
 Critical Response #4 due either today or Monday
13 Mon Nov 17 Barth, "Autobiography" (pdf)
Critical Response #4 due--last day to turn it in
  Wed Nov 19 Barthes, "The Death of the Author" (pdf)
  Fri Nov 21 Re-read Barthes
14 Mon Nov 24 Foucault, "What Is an Author?" (pdf)
  Wed Nov 26 No class--Thanksgiving Break
  Fri Nov 28 No class--Thanksgiving Break
15 Mon Dec 1 Re-read Foucault
  Wed Dec 3 More discussion of Foucault
 Critical Response #5 due
  Fri Dec 5 Critical Response #5 due--last day to turn it in
16 Mon Dec 8 Blanchot, "Encountering...." (pdf)
  Wed Dec 10 Discussion of final paper
Bring rough draft of paper for peer review
  Fri Dec 12 Study Day--No Class; Office Hours 10-12, 2-3
  Mon Dec 15 Final exam in the classroom
Mon Dec 15, 1-3 pm
Final paper due