Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Paul Sheehan
Contact via paul.sheehan@mq.edu.au
Australian Hearing Hub, Level 2 North Wing
Wed 12-1; or by appointment
Tutor
Jimmy Van
Contact via jimmy.van@mq.edu.au
By appointment
Tutor
James Mackenzie
By appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is a series of comparative studies examining cinematographic uses and interpretations made of novels, and other works of the literary imagination. Among topics explored are literary and cinematic images; filmic equivalents of such literary genres as poetic drama, satire, prose fiction and narrative methods in drama, prose and film; and problems that arise in refashioning literary texts for the screen.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Scene analysis assignment | 5% | No | 12 August |
Bibliography assignment | 15% | No | 26 August |
Essay | 30% | No | 30 September |
Tutorial participation | 10% | No | Weekly |
Examination | 40% | No | Exam period |
Due: 12 August
Weighting: 5%
Scene: Go to iLearn Week 1, and view the scene from Memento (see: ‘Scene analysis assignment’).
Topic: In a single concise paragraph, describe the appearance and effect, in the context of the film, of the scene that is being played out. You should mention the composition, camera movement, soundtrack and performance, as well as what is happening. You will need to know the film in order to discuss the scene in its context, but you can assume that your reader knows the film and does not need to have the story retold.
Due: 26 August
Weighting: 15%
Imagine that you have been given the essay topic “In Edgar Allan Poe’s story ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, does the method that Dupin uses to solve the crime (‘ratiocination’) suggest that he is a sensitive and imaginative human being, an inhuman thinking machine, or something in between?”
Find three items of literary criticism or literary theory that you would read in order to write such an essay. They should each be the length of an article or a book chapter and at least two of them should be items that you think are worthy of inclusion in your imaginary essay’s bibliography. Read them.
Then write a 200-250 word assessment of each one, indicating its value to your research for your imaginary essay. Your assessment should include the author’s credentials, and/or the process of review you think the item must have undergone before appearing in public; its factual accuracy and reliability; the kind of audience and purpose it is designed for and its theoretical orientation; and its relevance to your essay topic. Attach a bibliography giving the appropriate details of the items according to the format in the English Department guidelines.
Due: 30 September
Weighting: 30%
Topic: How are various ideas about existence and selfhood explored in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and one film: either the True Detective TV series (eps 1-4) or David Cronenberg's film The Fly? You should compare and contrast the texts, paying close attention not just to the content of the works but also to the dramatic and film techniques used.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%
Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. Students who miss more than two tutorials without a documented medical reason may fail the unit.
All students are expected to be fully prepared for class and to participate in class discussions. Your participations will be graded as none, fair or good each week and the aggregate will count towards the 10% grade.
All students must give a five-minute oral presentation on one of the tutorial sub-topics for discussion in the relevant week. This should be arranged with your tutor in week one. The talk may be supported by relevant technology depending on what technological support is available in the scheduled tutorial classroom. The quality of your presentation may be used to modify your participation grade, but the grade is principally determined by your weekly participation and not by the presentation.
Due: Exam period
Weighting: 40%
This will consist of two essay-type questions in two hours. The texts in the September essay will not appear in the exam but related texts will (i.e. Hamlet the play text is not in the exam but Hamlet the film is). Any of the set texts may be brought into the exam room but e-readers and calculators are not allowed. The date will be set as part of the university’s formal examination timetable, available halfway through the semester. Early exams are not given. Do not make travel arrangements that interfere with the examination period, as this unit is often scheduled towards the end of the exams. Past exam papers are available through the Library’s e-reserve site if you want to see the kind of questions we ask.
Details of the exam will be posted in the EXAMINATION box of the unit’s iLearn site during the semester.
This unit is offered internally. Its mode of delivery is supported with an iLearn webpage. Lectures will be recorded weekly and posted on the iLearn site. Guided questions to assist you with your weekly readings are provided in the unit handbook, which is uploaded to the iLearn page.
REQUIRED TEXTS (TO BUY):
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”; “The Purloined Letter” Both stories in: The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales (Penguin)
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (HarperPress)
Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange (Penguin)
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Gollancz)
Recommended:
Richard Barsam Looking at Movies, 3rd edition
These are required viewing for the unit:
FILMS
Memento (2000), dir. Christopher Nolan
True Detective (season 1, eps 1-6; 2014), dir. Cary Fukunaga
The Fly (1986), dir. David Cronenberg
*Hamlet (2009), dir. Gregory Doran
A Clockwork Orange (1971), dir. Stanley Kubrick
Macbeth (2015), dir. Justin Kurzel
Westworld (season 1, eps 1-6)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017), dir. Denis Villeneuve
The Walking Dead (season 1, 2009)
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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