Course Description

“This course will allow students to examine the relationship between film and their literary sources. Through classroom discussions and out-of-class assignments, students will analyze classic and contemporary literary texts and their cinematic versions. Students will examine the relationship between film and literature, with specific focus on the techniques used in fiction, drama and film and the influences of censorship and society. Students will focus on the similarities and differences of literary works adapted into films.”

Course Synopsis

“English 2400 – Films from “Literature” (Quotations Intended) is a course grounded in the disciplines of media studies, cultural theory, and rhetoric. In this course, we will pick apart the official catalog description in helpful ways to analyze the essence of adaptation of various narratives to film. We will examine what role media adaptation and remixing plays in the cultural consumption of film (both acknowledged and unseen). We will explore what we mean by this idea of “literature,” (what counts as “lit” and what doesn’t) through this process. We will examine a variety of films and types of source stories to begin developing our understanding of how we not only live in a world of continuously remediated and retold stories, but how the production and distribution of narratives (in this case through films) is dependent on the confluence of dynamic market forces and ideological discourses. In other words, buckle up ‘cause we go deep.”

Selected Student Feedback

“The course material was complex but exciting. At times, I felt angry, irritated, and annoyed by the texts assigned. However, after analyzing the texts thoroughly, I had realized I had enlightened myself with knowledge and fascinating new perspectives.…The class instructor was one of the best professors I have had in a long time. The class instructors’ positive attitude and the thoroughly engaging class sessions have encouraged me to maintain interest in assignments.” – N.I. (2021)

“At the beginning of this course, I didn’t really expect much from it because it was “just another class I’m taking” but over the course of a few months I realized that this class was something more. This class has made me think deeply and more critically about the films I watch. It made me ask questions I normally wouldn’t ask and it has made me grow as a writer.” – K.W. (2021)

Course Documents

Below you will find documents from the last ENG 2400 course I taught in Spring 2021. The class was scheduled as a hybrid, which made media screenings and discussions challenging, but students’ still responded well to the course formatting and the films, books, and stories we covered. I continue to review and refine the format and media selections of the course.

Syllabus

Assignments

Course Materials

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