History 398 Introduction to Historical Thought
Autumn 2011 MW 9:30 – 11:18pm 168 Dulles
Dulles Hall 204
Office Hours: MW 12:30-1:30 or by appointment.
Phone: 292-7014
e-mail: childs.1@osu.edu
How
this course fits into the curriculum.
History 398 is required for all
students who desire to declare a Major in History.
History 398 is required for students
graduating with a History Minor before August 2012. Once OSU transitions to semesters, new History
Major and Minor requirements go into effect.
To earn credit for 398 as a
History Major or History Minor, you must
earn a grade of C or higher.
History 398 does not count as a
course in the GEC Historical Study category.
Clio, Muse of History
Description.
We will explore the historians’
craft – the ways in which professional historians go about their work. We will analyze the questions they ask, the methods
they use, and the problems they encounter when investigating the past. All of the readings present examples of how
historians do their work and how that work complements and yet remains
different from other professions (the natural and social sciences, law, and
journalism).
Questions we will address
include: What are the different kinds of
sources historians use and how do they evaluate them? Can history be objective? Is the course of history determined? Do individuals shape history? Does history repeat itself? How do historians determine causation? How do historians judge what is “good”
history? How does history relate to
myth? How and why do generations of historians
change their view of the past?
Much of “history” today appears
in a variety of media presentations (movies, documentaries, biographies, books,
the world-wide-web), and much of that does not follow the professional approach
that historians have developed over centuries.
We will discuss how these uses of history differ from the professional
approaches and how they inform our own lives.
The final assignment will ask you to compare and contrast an historical
film with an historical monograph on the same topic.
Preparation for and attendance at
every class meeting is essential, for most of the class meetings will consist
of discussion of readings.
Objectives.
Generally, all History courses, including 398, develop students’
knowledge of how past events influence today’s society and help them understand
how humans view themselves. More
specifically,
- Students
acquire a perspective on history and an understanding of the factors that
shape human activity.
- Students
display knowledge about the origins and nature of contemporary issues and
develop a foundation for future comparative understanding.
- Students
think, speak, and write critically about primary and secondary historical
sources by examining diverse interpretations of past events and ideas in
their historical contexts.
Students in History 398 will
improve their reading, analytical, discussion, and writing skills, and their
understanding of the methods employed in “doing history.” Oral presentations of their written work are
designed to help students improve their presentation skills. All of this activity will prepare students to
take full advantage of the History Major and Minor at Ohio State, to excel in
other courses, and to perform well in the “real world” after graduation.
Reading/viewing Assignments.
The assigned readings 1-4 and 8 below
are available exclusively at SBX; 5. will be chosen in
consultation with Dr. Childs; 6. will be shown in
class; 7. will be linked on the syllabus web page.
1. James Davidson and Mark Lytle, After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection (6th
edition, 2010).
2. Jules R. Benjamin, A Student’s Guide to History (11th edition, 2010).
3. James E. Crisp, Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy
Crockett’s Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (2005).
4. Natalie Z. Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre (1983).
5. One history book (a monograph, not a text or
edited collection) written by a full-time faculty member of the Department of
History at Ohio State.
6. DVD of Le
Retour de Martin Guerre (1982); streaming copy available.
7. Historical Film handouts.
8. Recommended but not required: John R. Trimble, Writing with Style:
Conversations on the Art of Writing (2nd edition; 2000).
Course Requirements. (Due dates are listed on the Schedule of
Class Meetings and Assignments.)
1. Course
Grade.
15% Class participation (attendance,
involvement in discussion). Extraordinary class participation could
result in improving your course grade, which is based mostly on the written
work noted below. I believe that class
participation helps improve your written work.
5% A one-page
précis. A rewrite will be required for
students earning less than an A on the first attempt.
30% (10% each) Three three-page analytical essays of
selected readings from After the Fact. A rewrite of one of the first two will be
allowed.
20% Review of a monograph.
(4-5 pages).
30% An essay that
analyzes and compares the historical movie, Le
Retour de Martin Guerre, with the monograph, The Return of Martin Guerre (6-8 pages). This will constitute the final exam in the
course.
2. Turning in your assignments.
You will submit all assignments
electronically to the Carmen course drop box by 9am of the due date; you will
submit a paper copy to me at the beginning of that day’s class meeting.
No late papers
will be accepted. If you do not turn in the précis or one of
the first two ATF essays, you may not
use that assignment for the rewrite option.
You are forewarned that I will pursue cases of academic misconduct
to the appropriate University committee.
In addition to our class- and
office hour-discussions on writing, see the Center for the Study of Teaching
and Writing home page (CSTW) for tips on
writing, and especially its web page on plagiarism.
Final
Course Grade Breakdown: A: 92.6 and above; A-: 89.6-92.5; B+: 87.6-89.5; B:
82.6-87.5; B-: 79.6-82.5;
C+: 77.6-79.5; C: 72.6-77.5; C-: 69.6-72.5; D+: 67.6-69.5; D:
62-67.5; E: below 62.
4.
Attendance policies.
You are expected to attend every
class and to be prepared to discuss the reading assignments. In addition, please note:
a) If you miss
more than 3 meetings, you will be dropped from the course;
b) I reserve the
right to give unannounced quizzes on the scheduled readings; the grades for
those will be factored into the class participation portion of your course
grade.
c) If you do not
attend one or more of the final meetings – when your fellow students are
presenting their oral reports on the final assignment – you will receive a
one-half grade reduction on your course grade for each time missed. (For example, a course average of 88 will
become an 83; a B+ will become a B.)
d) Each time I
see you texting or “surfing” the web via an electronic device, I shall reduce
your course grade by a full point. (For
example, a course grade of 78 would become a 77 if you violated this policy
once – from a C+ to a C.) You are not
fully in attendance if you are otherwise engaged. We will normally take a 5-10 minute break
each class meeting.
5. Disability Services.
Students
with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability
Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor
as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is
located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue;
telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu
6. Classroom behavior.
Do arrive a few minutes before
class begins. If you arrive late, walk
quietly around the sides of the room to find a chair.
Do bring your laptops, mini
computers, iPads, etc. for note-taking purposes.
Do turn-off your phones and iPods
and any other electronic, non-note-taking devices during class time.
Do refrain from surfing the web,
texting, e-mailing, chatting, and calling others during class time. (Each class will include a 5-10-minute
break.)
Do familiarize yourself with the OSU Code of
Student Conduct.
Do contact Prof. Childs if you do
not understand any of the above.
Schedule
of Class Meetings and Assignments
Week
1 Introduction
Wednesday Objectives and
Syllabus.
Begin
to investigate members of the Department
of History in order to choose a monograph written
by one of them (excluding Prof. Childs’ books).
Week
2
Monday. Discuss : Benjamin Chapter 1; ATF Prologue.
Discuss
writing a précis. (See assignment
description below.)
Wednesday September 28: Précis of ATF
Prologue due.
Discuss
ATF, Chapter
1 ; Benjamin Chapters 2, 3.
Week
3
Monday Discuss Sleuthing the Alamo, ix-xvi; Prologue, Chapters 1, 2.
Wednesday Discuss Sleuthing the
Alamo, Chapters 3, 4, Afterword.
The June 10, 1692 hanging of Bridget Bishop
Week
4
Monday. October 12th: Turn in title for the book review; brief
description to class.
Rewrite
of précis due. Include original, graded
précis.
Discuss: ATF
Chapters 2, 3.
Discuss
how to write the ATF essays. (See
assignment description below.)
Wednesday. Discuss: ATF
Chapters 4, 5.
Week
5
Monday. October 17th: First ATF essay due (chosen from Chapters 1-5).
Brief
oral reports on book review project.
Discuss: ATF Chapter 6.
Begin
reading handouts on The Return of Martin
Guerre; Natalie Z. Davis, The Return
of Martin Guerre; and ATF Chapters
9, 17.
Natalie Z. Davis,
‘‘’Any Resemblance to Persons Living or Dead’: Film
and the Challenge of Authenticity,’’ The
Yale Review 76(September 1987)4, 457-482.
Click here : NZDavisYaleart
Ed Benson, “Martin Guerre, the Historian and
the Filmmakers: An Interview with Natalie Zemon
Davis,” Film and History 13(September 1983)3, 49-65. OSU Library
subscribes to this journal as an ejournal.
Natalie Zemon
Davis, “Movie or Monograph? A Historian/Filmmaker's Perspective,” The Public Historian,
Vol. 25, No. 3. (Summer, 2003), pp.
45-48. You may locate this article through OSU J-STOR search system or
try this stable URL.
Wednesday. October 19th: Bring your UHO Handbook. Discuss:
The History Major at OSU.
Discuss
ATF Chapter 9.
Discuss
writing book reviews (see assignment description below) and Benjamin, Chapters
4, 5.
Week
6 Historical
Films
Monday. October 24th. Screening of the film, Le
Retour de Martin Guerre.
Wednesday. Finish viewing the film and discuss the
film, the handouts, the Davis
monograph, and ATF Chapters
9, 17.
Complete reading Davis’ book and the handouts before today.
Title page of Arrest Memorable, an account
of the case written by Jean
de Coras in 1560
and published in 1565.
Foix,
France, June 2004. Photo by BC.
Week
7
Monday. October
31st:
Continue
discussion on film and history. Outline
Final Assignment.
Discuss: ATF
Chapters 10, 11.
Discuss
oral book reviews.
Wednesday. November 2nd: Second ATF due (chosen from Chapters 1-6, 9,
17).
Discuss: Benjamin, Chapters 6, 7.
Week
8
Monday. November 7th: Begin oral book reviews.
Discuss: ATF,
Chapter 12.
Wednesday. November 9th: Book Review due. Complete oral book reviews.
Discuss
ATF, Chapters 13, 14.
Ball as Lucy, Vivian
Vance as Ethel on the "Job Switching" episode of I
Love Lucy
Week
9
Monday. Discuss
ATF, Chapter 15.
Wednesday. November 16th: Rewrite of first or second ATF essay due
ATF,
Chapter 16. Discuss Final Paper;
Benjamin, Chapter 8.
Week
10
Monday. November
21st: Third ATF essay due (chosen from Chapters
9-16).
Begin
Final Reports. Note: Attendance is mandatory for all days on which
students are presenting final oral reports.
See above for course-reduction penalty for missing a day.
Wednesday. Nov. 23rd: We may or may not have class today. It depends on how many students volunteer to
give reports on Monday. The decision
will be made the Wednesday before.
Student
Evaluations through eSEIs.
Week
11 Final
Oral Reports continued and completed.
Final papers must be submitted to me in my office, Dulles 204, on Tuesday,
December 6th between 9:30 AM - 11:18 AM. An electronic version must be submitted to
the Carmen course dropbox by noon the same day.
Descriptions of Assignments.
Instructions for the
one-page précis.
1. Substantive requirements: The précis is a summary in your own words of the material you have read. It should focus on the author’s most important arguments and the
reasoning behind those arguments. This
is one of the most difficult assignments you will ever face! To be done well, you will need to read the
material carefully, take notes on the key points, perhaps reread the material,
and write more than one draft. Economy
in prose is a must. Eliminate all
unnecessary words (adjectives, adverbs, passive constructions) and less
significant points. You are not to analyze or judge the content; you should simply
summarize the most significant points that the author has made in the order
s/he made them. Do not use quotations. Each
précis will be graded on clarity, grammar, and the understanding you exhibit of
the chapter being summarized.
2. Mechanical instructions: Each précis will be no longer than one page,
double-spaced (about 250 words). On the
first line of the page, you will type your name, date, and 398 assignment title
(e.g., First One-Page Précis). Please
employ one-inch margins top, bottom, and sides.
Use type no smaller than 11 point.
You should keep a copy of your précis.
You may lose points if you do not follow these directions.
3. A few tips for good writing:
a. Avoid using the
passive construction; use “active” verbs.
b. Avoid using the
phrase “due to.” Writers often employ
this term incorrectly (see a dictionary for the correct use).
c. I do not like the
use of contractions in formal written work.
d. It is acceptable
to use the first person: “I believe
....”
e. Do not use “lead”
when you mean “led” or “it’s” when you mean “its.”
f. Do not use
excessive quotations from the book you are reviewing (none in the précis).
e. Avoid use of
adjectives and adverbs; use them sparingly and thus effectively.
Instructions for the ATF Essays.
1. Substantive requirements: You must state in the first paragraph of your
essay the purpose and the historical thesis of the essay you are
analyzing. The purpose will deal with an
historical method; the historical thesis will deal with what Davidson and Lytle
conclude about the historical topic.
Following that, your thesis will state clearly whether or not you will
argue that Davidson and Lytle did or did not serve their purpose and did or did
not sustain their thesis and why and how you will do so.
You should summarize the chapter
briefly—note the basic divisions of the essay and how Davidson and Lytle moved
from one point to the next.
You should critically analyze the
chapter: Did you detect any biases in
how Davidson and Lytle approached the topic?
Did they leave out any information that would have strengthened or
undermined the essay? (Answers to these
questions will form the basis for your thesis.)
How might you have approached the topic differently?
Each essay will be graded on
clarity, grammar, argument, and the understanding of historical methods that
you exhibit.
2. Mechanical instructions: Each essay will be no longer than three pages, double-spaced. On the first line of the first page, you will
type your name, date, and 398 assignment title (e.g., ATF First Essay). Each subsequent page will have a page number on
it. You will maintain one-inch margins
top, bottom, and sides. Use type no
smaller than 12 point laser size (the size of the type you are now
reading). You will keep a copy of your
essay. You may lose points if you do not
follow these directions.
I will be happy to discuss your
essays with you during office hours or by appointment.
Study Guide for After the Fact (6th edition).
The following guide is intended
to help you focus your reading of each essay on two major tasks. First, you should note the specific problems
each essay addresses in “doing history (i.e., the historical method under
scrutiny); second, you should focus on Davidson and Lytle’s historical thesis
(what they believed happened and why they believe that).
The following are only
suggestions to help you understand each chapter more thoroughly; answering them
does not mean that you have mastered the chapter! You still need to reflect on each chapter and
pull out of it the purpose(s) and theses.
Prologue “The
Strange Death of Silas Deane”
How does the story of Silas
Deane’s death illustrate the “difference between ‘what happened in the past’
and what history really is”? How was
Deane’s death untimely? What do
historians have that Deane’s acquaintances did not have at the time he
lived? How does Edward Bancroft figure
in the story?
Chapter 1 “Contact”
How do Davidson
and Lytle prove their assertion that history is in constant need of
reconstruction? Are you comfortable with
the “ecological” perspective included in this chapter? How much should historians rely on
anthropologists? Are you comfortable
with the method of “projection”? Are you
convinced by Davidson and Lytle’s conclusions about what happened during the
140-year gap?
Chapter 2 “Serving
Time in Virginia”
What does the fictional depiction
of the Yankees say about history written by the historical actors? How do simple statistics prompt the
historian? Why did labor become so
important in the Virginia colony? Note
the contrast between the Pocahontas story and the history of slavery.
Chapter 3 “The Visible and Invisible Worlds of Salem”
Note each historical technique
employed in this chapter to transform “a traditional and oft-told story.” How do the authors discover the visible and
invisible Salems?
How do the authors link gender to witchcraft? Compare the community of the Virginia colony
to the community of Salem.
Chapter 4 “Declaring
Independence”
Is there a double-meaning in the
title of this chapter? Note the
questions asked and the “facts” uncovered about the document in the authors’
quest to establish “context” and the actual text of the Declaration. Note the interplay between ideas and actions
(which is more important to this story?).
How did African-Americans affect the unfolding story of declaring
independence?
Chapter
5 “Material Witness”
What is
“witnessed” in this chapter? How is the
house transformed from the colonial to the early Republic era? What do the appearance of material goods and
the absence of material goods in the paintings suggest? How does focusing on material goods change
the perspective on the transition from and agricultural to an industrial
economy?
Chapter 6 “Jackson’s
Frontier—and Turner’s”
Why must the historian employ
theories? How is the historian’s use of
theory similar to the scientific method?
How is it different? How does
Andrew Jackson fit into/not fit into Turner’s hypothesis? How do current events shape historians’ views
on the past? How have the “new Western
historians” changed the analyses of Andrew Jackson?
Chapter 7 “The
Madness of John Brown”
Note the relation between legal
and psychological approaches employed to understand John Brown. Are they any help in helping us understand
how one man’s action incited so many?
Chapter 8 “The
View from the Bottom Rail”
Why is the “top rail” bias, or
elite history, easier to do and to understand?
Why are white accounts of black experiences misleading? Why are northern accounts of slavery and the
freedmen misleading? What problems face
the historian using the slave narratives?
Note the reactions of the freedmen to their new status. How was their status not new? Do you think white Americans will ever
understand what it means to be black in America?
Chapter 9 “The
Mirror with a Memory”
List the problems encountered in
using photos as historical evidence. Did
the authors leave out any factors that should have been included? Why are family photo albums misleading? How is Jacob Riis a “tourist” of the
slums? Where did Riis place the blame for
the plight of the urban poor? Does his
answer reveal his bias? How is a
photograph like any other piece of historical evidence?
Chapter 10 “USDA
Government Inspected”
Are political cartoonists
reliable reporters of political history?
Note the intended impact and the actual consequences of Sinclair’s The Jungle. Before 1906, what was wrong with the
inspection system? What was
“muckraking”? List the various
institutions involved in the story.
Should Roosevelt have publicized the Neill-Reynolds report? Note how the legislative process altered the
initial reform proposal. What was the
central controversy—meat inspection or something else? Who “won” the controversy? Why did Davidson and Lytle include
information on the innovations meatpackers had made to their business?
Chapter 11 “Sacco
and Vanzetti”
Note how lawyers have analyzed
the trial. Note how specific events
shaped the trial; what gaps appear in the story? Should “consciousness of guilt” be allowed as
“evidence”? If it is allowed (as it was
in the trial), how does the historian deal with this “evidence”? Note the backgrounds of Sacco and Vanzetti
and the climate of opinion in the USA in the 1920s. Did the judge and prosecutor make the trial
into one of patriotism versus radicalism?
Or were others involved in focusing the trial in this manner? Why “all the fuss”?
Chapter 12 “Dust
Bowl Odyssey”
Note how Chapters 5 and 8 relate
to this chapter. How do statistics help
put the Joad saga into context? Note the biases in the work of the FSA
photographers and in Steinbeck’s fiction.
Why did Steinbeck not include the broader context of migration and
racial prejudice? If Grapes of Wrath left out so much, or, if
it focuses on such a small number of Americans, why has it been so powerful in
American literature and history?
Chapter 13 “The
Decision to Drop the Bomb”
Why should historians use
models? (How are models similar to
theories?) What is the rational actor
model? the organizational process model? the internal institutional process model? What was the number one goal of USA policy
makers in the summer of 1941? Does the
decision to build assume that the bomb would be used? Was FDR’s death instrumental in HST’s
decisions? What was the issue of
unconditional surrender? How was the
outcome ironic/tragic? Are institutions
uncontrollable?
Chapter 14 “From
Rosie to Lucy”
Describe Ms. Friedan’s general
thesis and how she supported it in The
Feminine Mystique. Note the
statistics of working women from WW I to 1960.
What factors held back the revolution in attitudes about women? How much importance do you place on each
factor? How do you respond to the
authors’ contention that the media is not monolithic? How does this compare with the analyses of
institutions in Chapter 12?
Chapter
15 “Sitting-In”
Is there more continuity or
discontinuity tied to the story of the Greensborough sit-ins? Do Davidson and Lytle make good use of models
in this chapter? What is a “social
movement”? What was the role of SNCC in
the civil rights saga? Have Davidson and
Lytle described clearly the narrative of civil rights in the U.S. during the
middle 20th century?
Chapter 16 “Breaking into Watergate”
How are audio tapes the
equivalent of “the mirror with a memory”?
What can audio tapes offer to an historian? How are the audio tapes similar to other
historical evidence? How are they
different?
Chapter 17 “Where
Trouble Comes”
Why should an historian be
concerned with “pov”?
What are the Hollywood myths? How
is the construction of “The Green Berets” “tantalizingly odd”? How does this construction reflect (and not
reflect) American experience in Vietnam?
How do you explain the atrocities at My Lai? How do other chapters in ATF help you answer this question?
How did the revelation of My Lai change American perceptions of the
war? From other readings and
discussions, what evidence could Davidson and Lytle have used in this essay to
underscore the problems at My Lai? What
do the films “The Deer Hunter,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “Platoon” reflect about American perceptions of Vietnam?
Instructions for the Book Review.
1. Choosing the monograph: You must choose a monograph (not a textbook
or edited book) written by a member of
the Department of History at Ohio State.
I suggest that you choose an historian who is working in an area you
find interesting. You should use the OSU
Department of History web page to survey the members of the Department. http://history.osu.edu/default.cfm
2. Substantive requirements: In contrast to the précis assignment, your
book review should be a critical one, not just a summary of the book. That is, be sure to highlight what you think
are the strengths and weaknesses of the monograph. Your essay should include the following [adapted
from Benjamin, A Student’s Guide to
History (1998)]:
a. On the first line, type your name, the
course number, and quarter. Double-space
and then begin your review by listing the author, title, and publishing
information (see examples in American Historical
Review).
b. In the first paragraph, state the purpose
and thesis of the author and your thesis (did the author meet his/her
purpose and prove his/her thesis?).
c. You must include the information called for
below, but you may place it in any order you think works best.
You must include information on
the author, his/her background, other publications, biases, etc.
You must assess the argument made
and the evidence used to support the argument.
Is the argument clearly stated?
Is it supported by the evidence?
What kinds of evidence does the author rely on?
Does the historian use any of the
techniques we have discussed in class?
You must read and include
analysis of at least three reviews
of the book from scholarly journals.
You may contact the author and
meet him/her during office hour or otherwise conduct an interview (via e-mail
or phone), but you do not have to do so for this assignment.
3. Mechanical instructions: Each monograph review will be typed, double
spaced, and no less than four pages and
no more than five pages in length.
Cite all quotations and/or
outside evidence using correct footnote or endnote styles as explained in the
Benjamin text.
Include a bibliography of works
consulted (not the book reviewed) following instructions in the Benjamin text. This bibliography will include the citations
for the three (or more) reviews you consulted.
All other mechanical instructions
will follow those for the ATF essays.
Follow the tips for good writing
listed above under précis.
I will be happy to read rough
drafts during office hours or by appointment.
4. Oral book reports.
Your book report will be no
longer than 5-7 minutes. I suggest that
you consult the Benjamin book on how to prepare an oral presentation. It is not an effective oral presentation if
you simply read your essay (that would take much longer than 5-7 minutes anyway).
Your oral report will include all
of the information included in the book review report (author information;
sources; thesis and whether or not s/he sustained her thesis; brief summary; at
least 3 book reviews).
Instructions for the Final Assignment.
Much of “history” is presented
today through media other than books, particularly through Hollywood and
television films, but also through news documentaries.
In this assignment, you will
review Natalie Zemon Davis’s The Return of Martin Guerre (1983) and compare it to the
film of the same name, which we viewed and discussed in class. You will be expected to bring into your essay
themes and discussion points from our review of James Crisp’s Sleuthing the Alamo.
1. Substantive
instructions: In essence, this
assignment asks you to write another book review and to add a comparative
component to the review.
Thus, you should include in the
paper all of the elements of a book review (see previous instructions). The additional requirement – comparing the
book to the film – is a new assignment for you.
Questions you can use to frame the comparison include:
What is your definition of
historical authenticity?
Which was the more historically
authentic representation of history, the book or the film? Why?
Did you learn more from one medium than the
other?
Could viewing the film without
reading the book have given the viewer an authentic view of the historical
story and times?
The articles listed above in Week
5 present you with some elements through which you can compare the book with
the film. You may find that some of the
scholarly reviews of the book (remember, you need to include at least three
reviews in the book review portion) implicitly or explicitly compare the film
to the book. You can use these to frame
your comparative portion of the paper. You
can use your notes from class discussions to frame the comparison around your
definition of “historical authenticity.” And remember that our discussions of
sources, history, and myth emanating from Sleuthing
the Alamo should also be included.
2. Mechanical instructions: You will follow the instructions for the
first book review. This paper must be
6-8 pages in length (no shorter than 6 and no longer than 8 pages).
Be sure to review your previously
graded assignments and avoid making the same mistakes on this final essay.
Use correct footnote or endnote
styles as explained in the Benjamin text.
Include a bibliography of works
consulted, including Davis’ book, following instructions in the Benjamin text.
3. Oral Reports on “Return of Martin Guerre”
assignment.
Your report will be no longer
than 10 minutes. I suggest that you
consult the Benjamin book on how to prepare an oral presentation. It is not an effective oral presentation if
you simply read your essay (that would take much longer than 10 minutes anyway). A solid oral presentation could boost your
final essay grade substantially; a weak oral presentation could lower your
written score.
Your oral report will include all
of the information included in the book review report (except for author
information) plus answers to the following questions about comparing the book
to the movie (these will be shorter than in your final essay):
What is your definition of
historical authenticity?
Which was the more historically
authentic representation of history, the book or the film? Why?
Did you learn more from one
medium than the other?
Could viewing the film without
reading the book have given the viewer an authentic view of the historical
story and times?
There
will be much repetition, naturally, from report-to-report. But there will be more variety than you might
think!
Work
on poise, clarity, eye contact, projection!
Unless otherwise noted in class
or via the e-mail list, I shall hold my regular office hours and be available
for appointments.
See below for a select
bibliography on film and history.
Select Bibliography On
Film and History
Secondary
books:
Robert Burgoyne, Film Nation:
Hollywood Looks at U.S. History (1997).
Kenneth M. Cameron, America on Film: Hollywood and American History (1997).
Mark C. Carnes (ed), Past Imperfect: History
According to the Movies (1996).
Peter C. Rollins (ed), Hollywood as Historian: American
Film in a Cultural Context (1998).
Robert Brent Toplin,
History by Hollywood: The Use and Abuse of the American Past (1996).
Selected
Internet Sources in Film:
UCLA
Film and Television Guide. This has a good list of on-line sources
Film
& History: An Interdisciplinary
Journal of Film & Television Studies is in hard copy and on the web at: http://www.uwosh.edu/filmandhistory/
allmovie.com is now Allrovi.com
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
(available through OSU Library web site).
This is an excellent starting point for your research, for it can locate
not only reviews, but also interviews and articles that include references to
the film you are analyzing. I suggest
that you not restrict the years of the search and that you not rely on this
engine alone.