ENL200 Topic: Film and Literature (online)
Tentative Syllabus, Summer, 2010
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. E. Thompson, Emeritus Professor of English
E-mail: use class e-mail system or in emergencies: ethompson@umassd.edu
Phone messages through English Department secretaries: 508 999-8274/8275
COURSE OVERVIEW: This is a genre studies course that examines film in
relation to traditional literary genres such as the short story, the novel, poetry,
drama, and nonfiction. By focusing on the issues involved in adapting literary
works to film and by considering the impact that genre and medium have on the
storytelling process, we will hope to achieve a clearer understanding of film as a
narrative art form and gain some insights into the properties of literary genres as
well. The course may be applied to the Gen Ed Cultural Literacy "C" requirement
and the College of Arts and Sciences Literature requirement. It will be conducted
entirely online through a class website accessible at UMass Online:
http://dartmouth.umassonline.net/
TEXTS: A selection of literary texts and films as indicated on the assignment
schedule below. All films will be placed on 2 or 4 hour reserve at the first floor
desk of the library but are easily obtainable from other sources. I strongly
recommend a Netflix subscription for the duration of the course for those students
who cannot make use of the reserved copies at the UMD library. The short stories
and other study materials will be posted on the class website. Two novels and a
play may be purchased at the UMass Dartmouth Campus Store. However, you are
NOT required to use these particular editions of the texts. If you already own
another edition or can find a cheaper copy, feel free to use it instead. Just be sure
to have it on hand at the beginning of the course.
USEFUL URLS:
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE: http://us.imdb.com/tour.html
LITERATURE & FILM: http://www.mindspring.com/~jamesthomas/
ACA FILM STUDIES PAGE: http://www.uark.edu/~aca/studies/film.html
ASSIGNMENT