LIT3180: The LIT3180: The Graphic Novel
Fall 2023
Tentative Course Schedule
MW 3:30-4:45
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
WEEK 1
M 8/28 Course Introduction; The Language of Visual Analysis; Group Discussion:
HOMEWORK (DUE 8/30):
- Set Up Blog; email the Web address to your page (see instructions)
to Professor Harmon: kenny.harmon@jwu.edu by class time.
- Complete Syllabus Quiz
- Purchase Textbooks
- Read Raymond Carver's "Little Things"; be prepared to discuss
W 8/30 Review Tools for Traditional Literary Analysis; Discuss Carver Story
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/6):
- Read Chapters 1, 2,& 3 of Understanding Comics ("Setting the Record
Straight , "The Vocabulary of Comics," & "Blood in the Gutter")
- Do Reader Response 1: Identify what you see as an important page in The
Walking Dead. What's important about it thematically to the issue as a whole
and how do concepts presented by McCloud in Understanding Comics
highlight and emphasize that theme? You are forming an argument, and you
must support it wiThis is 100% your opinion and interpretation. This must be
submitted to ulearn by class time.
WEEK 2
M 9/4 NO CLASS, LABOR DAY
W 9/6 Discuss Walking Dead; Form group for in-class presentation
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/11):
Understanding Comics
- As a group, complete a 3-5 min. presentation that defines one of
the terms from McCloud's text, explains what makes it unique and important to
the graphic novel genre, and identify an example of this concept from The
Walking Dead graphic novel and discuss how the concept/idea is presented in the work. These are graded for delivery as well as content. This is due W 9/13.
WEEK 3
M 9/11 Watch Episode 1, Season 1 of The Walking Dead, "Days Gone Bye" (67 min.)
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/13):
- Read chapters 4 and 5 of Understanding Comics
- Do Reader Response 2: For this response you are arguing which is "better," the
comic or the television version, and you must prove why (your opinion).
You must refer to specific examples from both texts (the novel and the episode).
If you can also incorporate an idea from chapters 4 or 5 of McCloud's text, you
will receive extra credit. Your response must be a minimum of 300 words and
submitted to ulearn before our next class meeting.
- Group presentation due
- Complete test for McCloud's Understanding Comics in ulearn. See week 3
folder in ulearn.
W 9/13 Group Presentation, Concept from McCloud
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/18):
- Read "Social Distance" by Mark Haddon and complete a 5 paragraph
essay; Choose one of the following and write a formal essay in response:
- Option 1: How does Haddon convey a sense of time and space to the reader?
Discuss specific a panel(s) and connect it to an idea presented in chapter of 4 of
McCloud's Understanding Comics.
- Option 2: How does Haddon evoke emotional and sensual responses in his
reader through the use of line, color, or texture? Point to specific a panel (or
panels) and connect it to an idea presented in chapter 5 of Understanding
Comics.
- NOTE: THIS IS NOT A FREEWRITE. "ESSAY" IMPLIES FORMAL STRUCTURE
WITH A THESIS/CLAIM.
- Upload completed essay to Ulearn (week 3 folder)
WEEK 4
M 9/18 Discuss Haddon's "Social Distance"
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/20):
- Complete Understanding Comics Test in ulearn by class time on Tuesday
- Watch, "What is the Patriarchy"
- Begin reading Bitch Planet
W 9/20 Discuss Hooks
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/25):
- Read Bitch Planet Book One (entire book) and Do Reader Response 3: What do
you see as an overall theme of this text? Present this them as a one-word idea.
Your response should be a minimum of 300 words and should include one
quote from Adichie or Hooks. You must refer to specific examples from Bitch
Planet. Upload completed response to Ulearn (see week 4 folder).
- Complete Reading Quiz for Bitch Planet in Ulearn
WEEK 5
M 9/25 Discuss Bitch Planet
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/27):
- Watch Judith Butler: "Your Behavior Creates Your Gender"
- Watch Judith Butler: "How Discourse Creates Homosexuality"
- Begin reading Virgil (entire book)
W 9/27 Discuss Binaries, Gender Performance, & Bidart's Queer
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/2):
Read Virgil (entire book) and Do Reader Response 4: What do you see as one
of the most important pages of this text? What does that page reveal about
what you see as the overall theme of the work? Theme should be expressed as a
one-word idea. What connection can you make to Bidart's poem or
Butler's ideas? Upload completed response to Week 5 folder in Ulearn.
- Complete Virgil Reading Quiz in Ulearn
WEEK 6
M 10/2 Group Discussion via Zoom
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/4):
- Read chapter 7, "The Monster and the Homosexual" by Harry M. Benshoff from
Horror, the Film Reader, pp. 91-98
- Read "Run, Mourner, Run" by Randall Kenan (see Week 5 folder)
Do Reader Response 5: In what ways does this text by Kenan position queer
identity as "monstrous/monster/abject? Support your argument with
examples from the story and include one quote from Benshoff
W 10/4 Discuss "Run, Mourner, Run" and the Idea of Monstrosity
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/9):
- Watch Get Out (2017) (104 minutes)
- Do Reader Response 6: Discussion board for Get out; see instructions in Week
6 folder of ulearn; Initial post completed by end of day Saturday (11:59pm);
response to two other students completed by 11:59pm on Monday
WEEK 7
M 10/9 NO CLASS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/11):
Watch "The Philosophy of Get Out" (15 minutes)
- Complete Claim and Subclaims for Midterm Exam; submit to ulearn
W 10/11 Discuss Midterm Essay; Organization and Developing
Argument
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/16):
Work on Midterm
Complete Outline of Midterm; Submit to ulearn (min. 2 full pages); see
instructions in week 7 folder
WEEK 8
M 10/16 Developing Argument for Midterm
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/18):
- First FULL Draft of Midterm Due; Submit to assignment folder in Week 7
folder.
- Submit to Draft to Smarthinking and submit Smarthinking Report and
- Revision Plan to Ulearn
W 10/18 First Draft of Midterm Due; Why Critique and Discuss Critique Process;
Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/23):
- Complete peer critique of partner's esay(both steps); upload to
written critique to ulearn by class time on Thursday
Complete Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan Due
WEEK 9
M 10/23 Peer Critique; Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan Due;
Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/25):
- Final Version of Midterm Due with Reflection
W 10/25 Final Version of Midterm Due with Reflection; Time to Begin Reading MFTIM
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/30):
- Read My Favorite Thing is Monsters:
"The Renowned Creates of Movieville, 1967 Year in Review," "Ghastly,
Feb. '68, Kiss of the Warlock," "Ghastly, Jan. '68, Curse of the Gypsy's Crypt,"
"Dread, Feb. '68, Castle of Blood/Dark Hunger" & "Ghastly, Feb. 67, The Devil's
Picnic"
- Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
- Do Reader Response 7: What do you see as Karen's conflict and why? Support your argument with examples from the text.
WEEK 10
M 10/30 Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/1):
- Read "Ghastly: Beach Party Feeding Frenzy," "Spectral, May '66, Twin Terror
Kinderscarton" "Dread, March '68, The Devouring" & "March '68, Tales of the
Eldritch and the Arcane"
- Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
- Do Reader Response 8: How do Bendetti's or Benshoff's ideas of the monstrous
apply to this text so far? Support your argument with evidence from the novel
and quotes from the article.
W 11/1 Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters; Meet Group Members for Group
Project; Set up Google Docs (Proposal, Draft)
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/6):
- Read "Tales of the Eldritch and the Arcane, April 1968," Horrific: Hell Wenches
of the Inferno, March '68 "Terror, March '68, Robotic Hybrids of Zombieland"
"Ghastly, April '66, The Plague from Above," "Dread, April '65, Dr. Jekyll & Mr.
Hyde," "Gory Stories: Frankenstein," "Dread, April '67," & "Terror, April '68"
- Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
- Do Reader Response 9: What do you see as the most important theme of this
text and why? Present the theme as a one word idea and support your
argument with examples from the text.
WEEK 11
M 11/6 WATCH FILM FOR GROUP PROJECT; COMPLETE BLOG POST BY 11:59PM; IN
POST, EXPLAIN WHAT YOU SEE AS THE CENTRAL THEME AND DISCUSS
HOW THREE DIFFERENT SCENES COMMUNICATE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT
IDEA/THEME; MINIMUM 450 WORDS.
Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters; Discuss Group Project and Topic
Proposal
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/8):
- Read Remainder of My Favorite Thing is Monsters
- Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
- Meet Group Members on Zoom and Choose
Topic; Complete Topic Proposal for Group Project; submit one copy for group
T 11/8 Topic Proposal Due for Group Project; Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters;
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/13):
- Begin Reading Graphic Novel for Group Project
WEEK 12
M 11/13 Workday for Group Project/Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/15):
- Read Graphic Novel for Group Project
- Do Reader Response 10: What do you see as the main character's
central conflict (person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. society, person
vs. nature, person vs. technology) and how is that conflict overcome? How
does the character change as a result?
W 11/15 Meet with project group to discuss writing order and process (first 2 pages due
in one week); Begin work on claims and subclaims
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/20):
- Watch Film for Group Project
- Claims and Subclaims Due for Group Project
WEEK 13
M 11/20 Claims and Subclaims Due for Group Project; Begin Drafting
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/27):
First Two Pages of Group Project Due
W 11/22 NO CLASS, THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK 14
M 11/27 First Two Pages of Group Project Due; Meet with Group: Revising and Drafting
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/29):
- Continue working on group project
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/29):
- First full draft of group project due; submit one copy for group in ulearn
- Each group member submits a copy of the first draft to Smarthinking tutors
W 11/29 First Full Draft of Group Project Due; work on presentation
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/30):
- Continue to Revise Essay and Work on Presentation
- Complete Smarthinking Revision Plan by next class
WEEK 15
M 12/4 Continue to Revise Group Project and Work on Presentation
HOMEWORK (DUE 12/5):
- Final Draft of Group Project Due with Reflection; submit one copy of paper for
group; everyone does their own reflection PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM
CLASS (and in ulearn); grade group members
- Begin Work on Final Exam
W 12/6 Final draft of Group Project Due with Individual Reflection (see reflection
instructions in ulearn)Work; Group Presentation
HOMEWORK (DUE 12/7):
- Final Exam due with Reflection
WEEK 16
