Instructor: Ben McCorkle
Office: 313 Skiles Hall
Office Phone: 404.894.1025
Office Hours: M/W/F 11:00 AM - noon & by appt.
Email: warren.mccorkle AT lcc.gatech.edu

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Note: Syllabus is subject to change as needed.

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a provocation (or two).
If the outlaw hero's motto was "I don't know what the law says, but I do know what's right and wrong," the official hero's was "We are a nation of laws, not of men," or "No man can place himself above the law." To the outlaw hero's insistence on private standards of right and wrong, the official hero offered the admonition, "You cannot take the law into your own hands."--Robert B. Ray, "The Thematic Paradigm"

Our society desperately needs monsters to reclaim its own moral virginity.--Sylvere Latringer

The Russian philologist and rhetorician Mikhail Bakhtin theorized culture as a continual dialogue of competing forces: the centripetal and centrifugal, the status quo and the subversive, the “normal” center and the “abnormal” margins. This theory serves as a backdrop for our look at a theme and character type that figures prominently throughout the history of Western art, and especially more recently—namely, the outlaw, the subaltern, or the subversive. For this course, we will be examining and discussing characters in contemporary film and literature who occupy the marginal landscape of our society—the cyberpunk, the hacker, the graffitist, and even the serial killer—and how these figures help contribute to the dialogue of culture, in term helping to reformulate its ideology, value structure, aesthetic and rhetorical sensibilities, and so on. Drawing on Bakhtin and similar theorists, we will analyze how these figures and the themes they raise engage in culture’s rich heteroglossia—upholding certain cultural values while actively critiquing (or outright assaulting) others.

More generally, the goal of English 1102 at Georgia Tech is to improve students' communication and research skills by focusing on the discipline of cultural studies. In this course students explore a variety of literary, theoretical, film, and cultural "texts,” and they engage in sustained research to understand the relationship between culture and cultural production. Students learn how to read critically and write effectively as they develop a deeper understanding of audience and the social contexts that inform communication. To enhance their understanding of a variety of communication modes, students learn how to expand and support their written work with oral presentations, and they explore visual as well as textual arguments. Additionally students learn how to improve their writing through their engagement with a variety of educational technologies. Working independently and collaboratively, students improve their composition skills while gaining a deeper understanding of audience, fundamental research practices, and the contexts that inform effective communication.

(Primary)
American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 2000 (orig. pub. 1991). [ISBN: 0679735771]

A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess. New York: WW Norton, 1986 (orig. pub. 1962). [ISBN: 0393312836]

Neuromancer, William Gibson. New York: Ace Books, 2003 (orig. pub. 1984). [ISBN: 0441569595]

War Games (Dir. John Badham, 1983).

Style Wars (Dir. Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, 1983).

Fight Club (Dir. David Fincher, 1999).

(Secondary)
The Bedford Researcher, Mike Palmquist. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s P, 2002. [ISBN: 0312404301]

Grammar handbook (You may have held onto your Little, Brown Handbook from English 1101; a similar style guide/handbook will also suffice)

Online Course Packet (a collection of essays pertaining to rhetorical/critical theory—Bakhtin, Ray, Spivak, and the like)
 

2 Essays (4 – 5 pages each): Essay One will be a character analysis of one of the protagonists from the various films and novels we’ll be reviewing. Essay Two will be a preliminary exploration of a topic of your choosing with respect to the course’s theme; this essay will not include research, but will serve as a starting point in a cumulative set of assignments (annotated bibliography, final research project) which will require you to conduct scholarly research. As we move through this assignment cluster, we’ll be referencing The Bedford Researcher for advice and guidelines for our research.

1 Annotated Bibliography (3 pages): This will be a list of journal articles, books, and online sources that are pertinent for your research project. Accompanying each entry will be a short analytical description of each piece, explaining its relation to your primary texts.

Final Research Project: This 8-10 page research project will extend the work begun in Essay Two and the Annotated Bibliography by synthesizing this research into a cohesive and (hopefully) coherent analysis of how subversive characters function in contemporary film and literature…not to mention the overall impact on culture at large.

In-class Presentation: We want to hear what you’re up to. In this 20-minute presentation (which will require the use of some sort of multimedia: PowerPoint, a web tour, video clips, etc), you will detail your project, along with your research findings and any lingering questions you’re still pondering) to the rest of the class.

Web CT Forum Postings: 10 postings (one page in length) relating in some way to that day’s in-class discussion. I may also occasionally assign more directed prompts for you to write about.

• Essay One: 20%
• Essay Two: 20%
• Annotated Bibliography: 10%
• In-class Presentation: 10%
• Final Research Project: 20%
• Class and Online Participation (including WebCT postings, attendance, and possible reading quizzes): 20%

I will calculate all letter grades according to the following scale:

A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 1-59

A+/98 ; A/95 ; A-/92 ; B+/88 ; B/85 ; B-/82 ; C+/78 ; C/75 ; C-/72 ;
D+/68 ; D/65 ; D-/62; F/1-59*

*Failure to complete an assignment will result in a "0"

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty:
All work you turn in for this class must be your own work, with all outside reference sources properly cited and acknowledged. All written assignments for this course will be turned in through the anti-plagiarism program “Turn It In” (http://www.turnitin.com). The "Student Conduct Code of the Rules and Regulations" (Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog, Section XIX) states, “Academic misconduct is an act that does or could improperly distort student grades or other student academic records” and offers the following descriptive list:

• Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignment included in an academic course;
• Substitution for, or unauthorized collaboration with, a student in the commission of academic requirements;
• Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or persons, without adequate credit notations indicating authorship (plagiarism);
• False claims of performance or work that has been submitted by the claimant;
• Alteration or insertion of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned academic credit;
• Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any institute document relating to the academic status of the student.

The Code continues, “While these acts constitute assured instances of academic misconduct, other acts of academic misconduct may be defined by the professor.” Consult the Honor Code online at “http://www.honor.gatech.edu/” or in the General Catalog to remember your primary commitment to academic honesty. Students who engage in academic dishonesty may receive a 0.0 on the assignment or fail the course. In addition, the instance will be reported to the Dean of Students who may take further action.

Software/Computing Resources and Requirements:
We will meet regularly this quarter in a multimedia computer lab, and we will make frequent use of Internet applications in the lab and from remote locations (i.e. your home or dorm room). I assume all students enrolled this quarter will meet the technology requirements for incoming freshmen at GT. You must have access to your own computer with Internet capabilities to complete the work in this class. We will use e-mail applications, Web browsers, and 3 online conferencing applications (WebCT, MOO, and Faketown) as a means of communicating both in and out of class. These tools will enable you to meet with classmates in "chat" rooms (Faketown and MOO environments) and to engage in electronic "bulletin board" discussions (WebCT) in order to complete coursework. You will receive detailed instructions within the first few weeks about how to download and access these applications, if necessary, on your personal computer. Previous knowledge of Internet research, e-mail, and conferencing software is not a prerequisite for this course, but those students who have had exposure to at least some of these technologies may have an advantage over those who are completely new to the Internet and/or to electronic forms of communication. If you have doubts about your abilities, consult with me ASAP.

Late Work:
Essay drafts can be up to three days late, but with each passing day, your grade on the assignment will drop 1/3 of a letter grade (from a B+ to a B after one day, from a B to a B- after two days, etc.). Additionally, if you fail to produce copies of your drafts in time for reader response sessions (when Draft One is due for each essay), your class participation grade will drop one letter grade.

Attendance:
You are both expected and encouraged to come to each class meeting. After two unexcused absences, I will lower your final grade by 1/2 a letter (from a B+ to a B-, for example); this fine is doubled on reader response days. Tardiness of more than 15 minutes is considered an unexcused absence, and persistent tardiness (i.e., more than three) of less than 15 minutes will count as one unexcused absence. For an absence to be excused, it must be documented, for instance a doctor’s note.

Students with Disabilities:
Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation for any sort of disability, please make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students with disabilities should also contact Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students (ADAPTS) to discuss reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor call (404) 894-2564 (voice) / (404) 894-1664 (voice/TDD) or visit Suite 210 in the Smithgall Student Services Building. For more information visit the following website: http://www.adapts.gatech.edu/.

It is your responsibility to keep current with this schedule, but remember also that the schedule may change. Readings listed for any particular day are to be completed in advance of that day; you need to be prepared to discuss them in class.

Abbreviation Key:
OCP--Online Course Packet
BR--Bedford Researcher

Week Two:
M (1.12) Group invention exercise (bring your brains & review Ch. 1-2, BR)
W (1.14) Essay One prompt assigned; discussion of prompt (review Ch. 3, BR)
F (1.16) Robert Ray, "The Thematic Paradigm" (OCP); WebCT introduction and posting

Week Three:
M (1.19) MLK JR. DAY--NO CLASS
W (1.21) Mary Klages, "Background on Mikhail Baktin" (OCP)
F (1.23) Essay One due; workshop drafts

Week Four:
M (1.26) Style Wars (screening/analysis)
W (1.28) SW (screening/analysis cont.)
F (1.30) Catch up on unfinished business; WebCT posting

Week Five:
M (2.2) A Clockwork Orange reading due; Cameron Clark, "Three Kinds of Clockwork Oranges" (OCP)
W (2.4) Clockwork Orange Discussion; Essay Two prompt assigned
F (2.6) CO Discussion, cont.; discussion of prompt (review Ch. 4-5, BR)

Week Six:
M (2.9) WarGames screening/analysis
W (2.11) WG screening/ analysis cont. (review Ch. 6-7, BR)
F (2.13) Drop Day; WebCT posting

Week Seven:
M (2.16) WG analysis cont.
W (2.18) WG analysis cont.
F (2.20) Essay Two due; workshop drafts; WebCT posting

Week Eight:
M (2.23) Neuromancer reading due
W (2.25) Neuro. discussion cont.
F (2.27) Neuro. discussion cont.

Week Nine:
M (3.1) Fight Club screening/analysis; Adrian Gargett, "doppelganger: exploded states of consciousness in fight club" (OCP)
W (3.3) FC screening/analysis cont.
F (3.5) FC analysis cont.; Web CT posting

Week Ten:
M (3.8) SPRING BREAK
W (3.10) ditto
F (3.12) also ditto

Week Eleven:
M (3.15) Annotated Bibliography Assigned (review Ch. 8-10, BR)
W (3.17) discussion of project
F(3.19) Regents Test Review; WebCT posting

Week Twelve:
M (3.22) Open Conference hours
W (3.24) Research time
F (3.26) American Psycho reading due; WebCT posting

Week Thirteen:
M (3.29) Annotated Bibliography Due; Mike Grimshaw, "Cultural Pessimism and Rock Criticism: Bret Easton Ellis' Writing (as) Hell"(OCP)
W (3.31) AP discussion, cont.
F (4.2) AP discussion, cont.; WebCT posting

Week Fourteen:
M (4.5) Final Project Prompt assigned; discussion of prompt
W (4.7) Final Project workshop (review Ch. 11-13, BR)
F (4.9) Conference--open office hours

Week Fifteen:
M (4.12) Presentations (review Ch. 14-15 BR)
W(4.14) Presentations
F (4.16) Presentations

Week Sixteen:
M (4.19) Presentations
W (4.21) Presentations
F (4.23) Presentations

***Final Projects Due: APRIL 26, no later than 5 pm.***