Reading & Composition

This course will deal with scams, schemes, and conspiracies, from bloody revenges to amorous pursuits to government takeovers. We’ll look at these plots from a number of angles: What, if anything, motivates the masterminds behind them? By what means are they carried out? What are their moral, legal, or personal consequences? We will also consider some of the broader issues plotting raises: Does plotting reflect a fundamental desire to exercise free will? When does an innocent plan become a devious plot? Can a plot ever be deemed necessary or legitimate? And finally, we will explore our core definition of plot as scheme in relation to its other definitions—as land, as chart, and most importantly, as the main action of a text.

As this is a writing intensive course, a significant portion of our time will be dedicated to refining your prose. You will be responsible for writing and revising a total of three papers: a two-page diagnostic essay and two longer essays. In addition, there will be a number of shorter assignments designed to hone your skills as critical readers, researchers, and writers. At the end of the semester, you will present a multimedia group project, showcasing an original interpretation of one or more of our texts.