Reading & Composition
FUNNY GAMES: NARRATIVE AND MANIPULATION
While the act of narration in general might fairly be called a kind of manipulation, this class will examine literary and filmic texts that explicitly play calculating and, more often than not, cruel games with their characters and/or readers. Whether these games are played out between characters, or between the text and reader, we will examine the dynamics of narrative manipulations ranging from plot arcs to conspiracy theories, storytelling to retelling, literary puzzles to thwarted expectations.
These concerns pose a number of questions regarding the idea of plot and manipulation: How does plot as a literary device relate to the action of plotting? Consequently, how do characters that are plotters, schemers, and conspirators reflect upon the idea of authorship? How can those caught up in the plot – here we may think of characters explicitly framed as victims or investigators, or ourselves as readers – respond to these kinds of manipulation? What do works of fiction have to tell us about the differences (or similarities) between play and reality? Does one stay faithful to the other, or conversely, what can we learn from their distortions?
Finally, this is the second class in the Reading and Composition series, and will specifically address the process of writing a research paper. We will build upon the analytical writing skills students have acquired through their experience in R1A, and gradually work towards producing a final research paper. Requirements for the course include a library workshop, in-class presentation, and annotated bibliography.
Texts may be chosen from among the following:
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
Balzac, Le Père Goriot
Freud, “Dora”
Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Amis, Time’s Arrow
Perec, W, or The Memory of Childhood
Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Welles (dir), Citizen Kane
Singer (dir), The Usual Suspects
Gondry (dir), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Haneke (dir), Funny Games (1999 and/or 2007)