Humphrey Bogart as Phillip Marlowe
in Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946)
English 288 -- Studies in Literature -- Prof. Jon Hegglund -- Spring 2000
Humphrey Bogart as Phillip Marlowe
in Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946)
| Description | Texts | Course Requirements | Course Schedule |
Detectives, spies, and secret agents have been some of the most popular literary and cinematic figures for at least the past century. What is it about these figures that makes them so appealing to the public imagination? Is it simply the vicarious thrill of watching someone discover clues, make deductions, and solve crimes, or is it the method and style by which these crimes are solved? Over the hundred years or so covered by this course, the detective evolves from a character who is squarely on the side of the law to a more complex figure who often straddles the fence between lawfulness and corruption. One of the ongoing topics of the course will thus be the relationship between morality, legality, and crime. We will also examine the related figure of the spy, who emerges at the same time as the detective, but operates in the complex sphere of international political intrigue rather than the relatively limited realm of the city. The course concludes by looking at how recent writers and filmmakers incorporate issues of gender, race, and technology into the generic conventions of detective fiction and film.
Novels (available at CCSU Bookstore and The Other Bookstore):
Arthur
Conan Doyle, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent
Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express
Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon
Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
Chester Himes, A Rage in Harlem
John LeCarré, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold
Sara Paretsky (ed.), Women on the Case
Films
(with directors and links to the Internet Movie Database 
listing for each film):
Alfred
Hitchcock, Sabotage
John Huston, The Maltese Falcon
Howard Hawks, The Big Sleep
Guy Hamilton, Goldfinger
Martin Ritt, The Spy Who Came In From
the Cold
Ridley Scott, Blade Runner
Assignments:
Reading and Viewing: The reading load for this course is manageable, and you should have no trouble keeping up in the course. You must do all of the day’s reading before you come to class. Lectures and discussions will be of little value to you if you have not done the reading thoroughly and carefully. We will also be watching several films in the course: these are not meant to supplement the readings; they are every bit as important. You should watch the films with the same concentrated attention that you would give to reading the novels.
Papers: There will be one formal paper assignment in the course, due on April 18. I will give you more specific suggestions and guidelines as the due dates approach. All papers should be double-spaced with 1" margins and should conform to MLA style. You may submit your papers as either an MS Word e-mail attachment or as a hard copy. Late papers will lose 1/3 of a grade for every day late. Papers will not be accepted more than one week after the due date.
Exams: You will have two midterm exams--the first on February 15, the second on March 16--and a final exam on May 16. The midterms will consist of identifications, short answers, and a brief essay. The final exam will follow the same format as the midterms, plus a longer essay that will draw on material from the entire course. The exams will be based on both readings and class lectures. You will be responsible for all material on the syllabus, whether or not we have covered it in class.
Grade Breakdown:
|
Midterm Exam #1 |
20% |
|
Midterm Exam #2 |
20% |
|
Analytical Paper |
30% |
|
Final Exam |
30% |
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance in class is required. Every absence after your third will lower your course grade by 1 grade per absence. If you miss more than 6 classes, you will not pass the course. You are responsible for material covered in class whether you are in class or not. If you do miss a class, see one of your classmates to find out what you've missed before you ask me. I will take roll at the beginning of every class. If you come to class late, it is your responsibility to let me know of your presence. If you are more than 5 minutes late, you will receive credit for one-half of a day's attendance. If you are more than 30 minutes late to class, you will be marked absent.
I expect you to participate regularly in class. "Participation" means that you have done all of the reading assignments carefully, you have brought your text(s) to class, and you are prepared to contribute to class discussion with questions or responses. You will not receive credit for participation simply by attending class. Your course grade may be lowered or raised by one-third of a grade based on the frequency and level of your participation.
Week 1
T 25 Jan
R 27 Jan
Week 2
T 1 Feb
R 3 Feb
Week 3
T 8 Feb
R 10 Feb
Week 4
T 15 Feb
R 17 Feb
Week 5
T 22 Feb
R 24 Feb
Week 6
T 29 Feb
R 2 Mar
Week 7
T 7 Mar
R 9 Mar
Week 8
T 14 Mar
R 16 Mar
Week 9
T 28 Mar
R 30 Mar
Week 10
T 4 Apr
R 6 Apr
Week 11
T 11 Apr
R 13 Apr
Week 12
T 18 Apr
R 20 Apr
Week 13
T 25 Apr
R 27 Apr
Week 14
T 2 May
R 4 May
Week 15
T 9 May
R 11 May
R 18 May
page last updated on 01/23/00
hegglundj@ccsu.edu