Professor Sue Davis 

In this course we use novels, short stories, and films to explore two political themes:

Because it fulfills the Second Writing Requirement, POSC 436 places particular emphasis on written work. Two papers will be required, each at least 1,500 words. For each paper a list of possible topics will be provided well in advance and each student will have a conference with the teaching assistant to choose his/her topic. Additionally, for each paper each student will be required to submit a draft, which will be reviewed for grammar, coherence, and clarity, as well as substance, and returned. A second conference will provide guidance for revising the paper before it is submitted in its final form. Conferences are required (no exceptions). 

The tentative dates for submission of drafts, conferences, and final papers are provided below. Each paper will comprise 20 percent of the final grade. There will also be 2 midterm examinations each of which will constitute 20 percent of the final grade for the course. The remaining 20 percent of the grade will be based on a group presentation (each student will receive his/her own individual grade).

Paper #1 (draft): Thursday September 20

Paper #1 (final version): Thursday October 4 

Mid Term #1: Thursday October 25

Paper #2 (draft): Tuesday November 20

Paper #2 (final version) :  Tuesday December 4

Mid term #2: Tuesday December 4

Books to Purchase:  

Isabel Allende, The House of Spirits
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
André Brink, The Other Side of Silence
Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
James Lasdun, Seven Lies
Note: click on each title to purchase from Amazon.com
Additional readings will be available in WebCT

Tuesday September 4: Identifying the “Political” 

Thursday September 6: From the U.S. to the Republic of Gilead.  

Tuesday September 11:  Dimensions of Personal Responsibility 

Thursday September 13: Late Twentieth Century Feminism in The Handmaid's Tale

Tuesday September 18: The Handmaid's Tale as Distopian Vision and/or Satire
Reading: Finish The Handmaid’s Tale, including the "Historical Notes"

Thursday September 20:  Film: Kiss of the Spider Woman
First Draft of Paper #1 Due

Thursday September 27:  The Dynamics of Class and Gender in The House of Spirits 

Tuesday October 2: Magical Realism and Resistance 

Thursday October 4: Military Coups and Dictatorships: Allende, Pinochet, and Kissinger 
Reading: Finish House of the Spirits 

Tuesday October 9:  What Does the Story a Butler have to do with Politics? 
Reading: Begin Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day (read about ½)

Thursday October 11 and Tuesday October 16: Group Discussions. Colonialism and  its Legacy. What is a Great Butler and other issues
Reading: Finish The Remains of the Day

Thursday October 18:  Film: Battle of Algiers

Tuesday October 23:   The Battle of Algiers (continued)
Read: Materials on WebCT re The Battle of Algiers

Thursday October 25:  Discussion of Battle of Algiers
Read: Materials on WebCT re The Battle of Algiers

Tuesday October 30:  Midterm #1

Thursday November 1: German Southwest Africa: more colonialism; background and context of the novel
Reading:  André Brink, The Other Side of Silence (through chapter 25)

Tuesday November 6: Anti Colonialism and Resistance in the Novel
Reading:  The Other Side of Silence (through chapter 50)

Thursday November 8: Group Discussions. Who is Hanna X? And other issues
Reading: Finish The Other Side of Silence
 
 

IV. Political Change and

Personal Transformation 

Tuesday November 20:  Stefan Vogel and the glass of red wine 
Reading: Begin James Lasdun, Seven Lies  (through Chapter 6)

Thursday November 22: Thanksgiving; No Class
Tuesday November 27:  Lies, lies, and more lies: the unreliable narrator and the possibility of freedom
Reading: Finish Seven Lies

Thursday November 29: Review for Midterm #2