College Writing
Seminar
Life, the Universe, and Everything: Science Fiction, Religion and the Questions
that Drive Us
Professor Laura
Ammon
Platner 120
office: 907-4200, x4339
LauraAmmon@linkline.com
Office Hours Tuesday and Thursday 1-2:30 or by appointment
Course webpages: www.trickster.org/basilica
shortcuts: reading schedule, resource
page and on-line
readings (username is ammon and password is price)
Course
Description
Science fiction gives us
new ways to think about controversial issues like religion. Since Blade
Runner, science fiction films have grappled with the questions of what
it means to be alive in this world and imagined the possibilities of other
worlds. This course will explore new worlds through a variety of films and
texts to discover the ways science fiction authors have answered the ultimate
questions of human life in the modern world. We will analyze contemporary
science fiction to discover how science fiction authors construct their
worlds and reconstruct ours. Through discussion and written assignments,
this course will interrogate texts, comparing these created worlds with
our own. In addition to reading, we will be writing and rewriting assignments
to develop critical thinking skills using the ideas examined in this seminar.
Course
Requirements
1) Attendance.
This means in class, every class. 3 legitimate excused absences will be
granted IF NECESSARY. There will be short, graded reading and writing assignments
given in class periodically. You can’t do that work if you’re not in class
and if you can’t do the work, you can’t be graded for it. So, come to class.
2) Class
participation. This class is about talking about reading and writing
as well as doing reading and writing. The instructor is not here to pontificate
or otherwise dispense wisdom. We are in a learning process together. Also,
for the record, Dennis is not a walking cheat sheet. Treat him well.
3) Reading.
In order to discuss the issues in the texts and learn to read thoughtfully
and critically, you must do the reading.
4) Writing.
In order to formulate deeper thoughts about the texts and a clearer understanding
of issues and ideas, we will be writing. A lot! Writing, not surprisingly,
is what this class is about. Therefore we will be writing many different
things. Every class. And using peer-review to begin the process of re-writing
and re-thinking. Writing something down makes you think about it in a different
sort of way. It makes you focus and define your thoughts. These notes can
also provide a great basis for papers you write later.
5) Portfolios.
Keep all your writing in a folder (portfolio) which
you will hand in at the end of the semester).
Grading
(also known as the bottom line)
3 essays (save all drafts
in your portfolio) total = 40% of grade
DO NOT THROW
YOUR DRAFTS OR YOUR PAPERS AWAY
essay 1 review of summer films/descriptive writing
essay 2 comparison essay about Minority Report book and film
essay 3 on themes of science/religion/philosophy in The Matrix,
involving description, synthesis and argumentation.
Your attendance and participation
will count for 50% of grade.
In class essays (also
to be kept in portfolio) = 10% of grade
Some
Caveats
Dennis can be a great help
to you. He is an extremely successful student and can give you advice, solace
and be a terrific shoulder to lean on. However, you must treat him with
respect, especially regarding his time outside of class. He is not “on-call”
for you — make appointments with him when you need
help or even when you just want to talk. Remember that he is a student,
too (and that chocolate is nearly universal for “thank-you”).
Dictionaries are your friend.
If you are using a word and you’re not certain what it means, LOOK IT UP.
If you feel like you’re
using the same words over and over, a thesaurus can be a good friend, too.
But if your word processing program suggests a word you don’t know the meaning
of LOOK IT UP.
Plagiarism. This is a very serious issue and can end
your college career very quickly. Plagiarism is the act of using another’s
words or ideas as your own without giving appropriate credit to the originator.
Plagiarism on any written work will result in a failing grade for that assignment
and, if persistent, a failing grade for the course. It can also result in
your expulsion from college. If in doubt, give a citation.
Required
Texts
The Matrix and Philosophy:
Welcome to the Desert of the Real , ed. William
Irwin (Editor)
Minority Report by
Philip K. Dick
Sandman: The Season
of Mists by Neil Gaiman, With Jill Thompson, With Vince Locke
The New Well-Tempered
Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed
by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
(available 9/24/03
at the bookstore)
Various Handouts and On-line
Material
Recommended
Text
The Matrix: The Shooting Script
by Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Also available on the internet
http://www.ds2.pg.gda.pl/~colan/screenplay.htm
Class
Schedule
Thursday Sept. 4
Introduction
Tuesday Sept 9
Pustz, “Discovering Comic
Book Culture” handout, pp. 3-25
Thursday Sept. 11
Harlan Ellison’s Introduction
to The Sandman and Episode 0 pp. 1-37
Tuesday Sept. 16
“Comics Literacy” pp. 110-156
(available
on-line here)
Sandman Episode
1 pp.39-62
Thursday Sept. 18
“Conclusion” pp. 199-214 (available
on-line here)
Essay on Neil Gaiman and
Comics, available on neilgaiman.com (http://www.neilgaiman.com/exclusive/essay05.asp)
Draft of Essay 1 due
Tuesday Sept. 23
The Sandman, Episode
2 pp. 64-88, Episode 3, pp. 90-113, and Episode 4, pp.116-140
Draft of essay 1 returned
to you
Thursday Sept. 25
Essay Draft consultations
with me and Dennis
Tuesday Sept. 30
The Sandman, Episode
5 pp. 143-166, Episode 6 pp. 169-192, and Episode ∞
pp. 194-218
Thursday Oct. 2
In class film Minority
Report (please plan to stay a little late in order to finish the film)
Final draft of essay 1
due
Tuesday Oct. 7
Minority Report, pp. 3-60
Philip K. Dick introduction (http://www.themodernword.com/scriptorium/dick.html)
Thursday Oct. 9
Minority Report,
pp. 61-103
PKD documentary
Tuesday Oct. 14
Parrinder, Science Fiction:
Metaphor, Myth or Prophecy? pp. 23-34 (available
on-line)
Thursday Oct. 16
Warrick, Philip K. Dick’s Answers to the Eternal Riddles, pp. 107-126
(available on-line)
Tuesday Oct. 21
Consultations re: essay 2 with me and Dennis
Thursday Oct. 23
Jim Rovira, Baudrillard
and Hollywood:
subverting the mechanism of control and The Matrix and Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra
and Science Fiction
Tuesday Oct. 28
In Class — The Matrix
recommended text: Lee M. Silver Commentary
for Watching the Film The Matrix
Thursday Oct. 30
In class — The Matrix
Reloaded
Essay 2 due
<We will schedule draft due
dates throughout the month of November to give you plenty of time to work
on your final essay>
Tuesday Nov. 4
Worth “The Paradox of Real
Response to Neo-Fiction” in The Matrix and Philosophy, pp. 178-187
Thursday Nov. 6
Irwin “Computers, Caves and Oracles:
Neo and Socrates” pages 5-15 and
Gracia and Sanford “The
Metaphysics of The Matrix” pages
55-65; recommended (http://www.princeton.edu/~wws320/Films/Matrix.htm)
SEE THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS BEFORE
CLASS ON TUESDAY
Tuesday Nov. 11
Erion and Smith “Skepticism,
Morality and The Matrix” pages 16-27
and
Weberman, “The Matrix,
Simulation and the Postmodern Age” pages 225-239
Thursday Nov. 13
Griswold “Happiness and
Cypher’s Choice: Is Ignorance Bliss?” pages 126-137 and McMahon, “Popping
a Bitter Pill: Existential Authenticity in The Matrix and Nausea”
pages 166-177
Tuesday Nov. 18
In Class: Watch
“The Second Renaissance, Part I” and “The Second Renaissance, Part II” from
The Animatrix
Holt “The Machine-Made
Ghost: Or, the Philosophy of the Mind, Matrix Style” pages 66-74 and
Barwik “Neo-Materialism
and the Death of the Subject” pages 75-86
Thursday Nov. 20
Schick “Fate, Freedom and
Foreknowledge” pages 87-98 and
Hibbs, “Notes from the
Underground: Nihilism and the Matrix” pages 155-165
Tuesday Nov. 25
Lawler “We are (the) One!
Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” pages 138-152 and
Danahay and Rieder, “The
Matrix, Marx and the Coppertop’s Life” pages 216-224
Thursday Nov. 27 NO CLASS — THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY
Tuesday Dec. 2
Brannigan “There Is No
Spoon: A Buddhist Mirror” pages 101-110 and
Bassham “The Religion of
The Matrix and the Problems of Pluralism” pages 111-125
Thursday Dec. 4
Korsmeyer “Seeing, Believing,
Touching, Truth” pages 41-52 and
Freeland “Penetrating Keanu:
New Holes, but the Same Old Shit” pages 205-215
Final draft of third essay due
Dec 12 by 5pm