(4/23/2014)
You are allowed to revise either Essay 1 or 2 for a higher grade. If you decide to revise, you need to turn in the following by Monday, 4/28:
The original essay with my comments
The revised essay
A cover letter explaining what changes you made to the essay
Chocolat
(4/20/2014) Chocolat, Claire Denis (1988)
On Monday and Wednesday in class we will watch the movie, Chocolat (1988), which was written and directed by Claire Denis, a French film director and writer. The movie tells the story of a French family living in colonial Cameroon in the 1950s.
The Republic of Cameroon is a country on the coast of western Africa, bordered by Nigeria to the northwest. At the 1884 Berlin Conference that gave Congo to King Leopold of Belgium and Nigeria to Britain, Cameroon became a German colony, but after World War I, it was divided between Britain and France. Cameroon gained its independence in 1960, with the former British and French colonies merging in 1961.
Claire Denis, whose father was a French civil servant, spent her childhood in several African countries, Cameroon, Somalia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. When she was 14, she moved with her family to Paris, because her parents wanted her to finish her education in France. Chocolat (1988), her first film, is not autobiographical, bus is nevertheless a reflection on her experiences growing up in west Africa.
The film begins and ends with the story of an adult woman named France who travels to Cameroon, where we learn she grew up. The main part of the film, the longer middle section, recalls her memories of her childhood in that country. The story, related mostly from the girl’s perspective, focuses on her relationship with her family’s black servant, Protee. It also centers on the relationship between her mother and Protee. Note: The word “chocolat” was 1950s slang for “to be cheated.” (Of course, it also means “chocolate
This film, then, like Heart of Darkness, provides a European perspective on African colonialism. Like Things Fall Apart, it relates a post-colonial perspective and focuses on cross-cultural misunderstanding. Unlike either of those novels, however, it places a woman’s experiences at the center of the story.
A couple notes about watching this film: It differs from Hollywood movies in a couple ways that may make the movie seem unfamiliar, depending on your experience watching movies. First, it relies less on dialogue to carry the story. Instead, it relies on images and behavior to convey meaning. This means you will need to watch carefully. Second, it does not always explain why characters do what they do or what their actions mean. We have to see connections and make inferences. Some issues are left unresolved. Having said all this, Chocolat, though you may find it puzzling, is not a difficult film to watch. I hope you enjoy it.
Some suggestions: 1)Look for parallels and motifs. What images and actions repeat throughout the movie? (For example, you should notice connections between the adult France’s story and the story of her as a child.) 2) Keep track of questions you have about the movie and about character motivations. 3) Watch the horizon. France’s father tells her:
“When you look at the hills beyond the houses and beyond the trees where the earth touches the sky, that’s the horizon. Tomorrow in the daytime I’ll show you something. The closer you get to that line, the farther it moves. If you walk toward it, it moves away. It flees from you. I must also explain this to you. You see the line. You see it, but it doesn’t exist.”
In the 19th century, Russia had an almost feudal social structure. Having only abolished serfdom in 1861, Russia industrialized much later than western Europe. Ivan Ilych, the "hero" of Tolstoy's novel, is a social-climbing civil servant who imitates the manners of the Western bourgeoisie while aspiring to the social position of an aristocrat.
What is evolution?
(2/10/2014)
It might be helpful to us to keep in mind the three things to which the term evolution refers. The following definitions are from "The Evolution Wars" by Michael Ruse.
The fact of evolution: the idea that all organisms are the result of a long process of development, from forms vastly different. Usually, it is thought that the original forms were very simple, whereas today's forms are rather complex--some of them at least.
The path(s) of evolution: the tracks that evolution takes through time. When did life first arise on earth? When did multicellular organisms evolve from simpler forms? Did birds evolve from dinosaurs? What do we know of human origins?
The causes or mechanism or theory of evolution: What makes the whole process go and work? What drives evolution? What is its motive force?
As you read The Origin of Species, ask yourself which of the above three aspects of evolution Darwin is most concerned with. What was Darwin's contribution to the understanding of evolution? (The readings are below.)
(2/4/2014)
We will start Wednesday's class with a song, this adaption by Franz Schubert of Gretchen's expression of longing for Faust, which she proclaims while sitting alone in her room at her spinning wheel (p. 642-643). Then we will read a couple poems together, noting how they fit the pattern of the greater Romantic lyric. We will hopefully have time to get to this poem by Walt Whitman.
(1/30/2014)
I have added a handout to the Presentation page. It contains some suggestions for planning your presentation.
The Romantic Hero
(1/30/2014)
For Friday, we have two poems about Napoleon and one about Toussaint L'Ouverture. Note that the Manzoni poem was written after Napoleon's death. The Byron poem was written while Napoleon was still alive but after his defeat at Waterloo. For both poems, I'd like you to try to find specific passages that remind you of Faust.
Toussaint L'Ouverture was called the "black Napoleon." Does he sound Napoleonic or Faustian in Whittier's description of him? What qualities does Whittier praise him for?
If we have time, we'll listen to a little Beethoven. His heroic Symphony No. 3.
Faust questions and videos
(1/28/2014)
Questions to think about for class discussion tomorrow:
Does Faust develop during the course of the drama? How?
Does Gretchen develop during the course of the drama? How?
Does her relationship with Faust change? How?
Was Faust ever in love with Gretchen? How would you describe his attraction to her? Did Gretchen fall in love with Faust?
Gretchen loses almost everything as a result of her relationship with Faust: does she gain anything? If so, what?
Does she bear any responsibility for what happens?
Why does Goethe devote the second half of Faust I to the Gretchen story? What does this story tell us about Faust? For example, what must he do in order to meet Gretchen? (perjure himself) Does he ever acknowledge the birth or death of his child? Why or why not?
How does the Gretchen story relate to earlier questions about human striving, knowledge, and experience?
Here are the remaining videos:
Faust 1, part 3 ("A Street," p. 618, through middle of "Walpurgis Night," p. 663?)
Faust 1, part 4 ("Walpurgis Night," p. 663, through "Dungeon," p. 677, including a long section from "Walpurgis Night" that is not included in our text)
Faust videos
(1/26/2014)
You might get more out of you reading of Faust if you watch the videos, or at least enough of them to see how the scenes have been staged and how the actors interact with each other.
In the following video, you can find the witch's kitchen scene (with monkeys!) at 28:40. Faust sees the woman in the mirror at 33:30, and the witch appears at 35:26. At 42:12, we see Faust transformed into a younger version of himself (played by another actor).
The following video begins with the street scene where Faust first meets Margaret/Gretchen. Notice that in this section of the play, the actors are now wearing costumes that evoke Goethe's time (late 18th/early 19th c.) rather than Faust's (the Middle Ages). At about 6:40, Faust and Mephistopheles sneak into Gretchen's room and plant the jewels. At about 11:20 Gretchen returns to the room alone to discover them. At 30:15 is the garden scene with the two couples. Note how this scene is staged to alternate moments between Faust and Gretchen and between Mephistopheles and Martha. The scene "Forest and Cavern" begins about 41:30. Notice that Faust here portrayed as his older self. Even though this scene interrupts the plot, it is important because it connects the second half of Part 1 (which focuses on the Gretchen story) with the first half (which focuses on Faust's discontent and his pact with Mephistopheles). Faust again addresses a speech to nature. Here he addresses the Earth Spirit, whom he conjured earlier. Perhaps he thinks, in error, that the Earth Spirit sent Mephistopheles to him (since he can't know about the wager between Mephistopheles and God). How does this speech compare to the earlier speeches to the moon and the sun. Notice the metaphor Faust uses at the end of the scene. He compares himself to a waterfall ("cataract") that will wipe out the cottage below, where Gretchen lives.
Faust
(1/20/2013)
Here are links to a couple reading guides to Faust. They may help you find your way. The introduction in our text is helpful (553-560).
(1/9/2014)
Since we are reading an excerpt of Frederick Douglass's Narrative, I have provided a timeline of events in the book, so you can get an overview of the entire story.
Greetings!
(1/4/2014)
Welcome to our class wiki. We will be using this site as a hub for information about the class, as well as a place where you can share your writing and collaborate.
What is a wiki? Wikipedia is one, for example. Here is an example of an educational wiki. For quick intro to wikis, watch this video.
HONORS 203: Honors Humanities 3
Interview with the director of Chocolat
(4/28/2014)In this interview, Claire Denis talks about Chocolat.
Patterns in Chocolat
(4/27/2014)Optional Revision Requirements
(4/23/2014)You are allowed to revise either Essay 1 or 2 for a higher grade. If you decide to revise, you need to turn in the following by Monday, 4/28:
Chocolat
(4/20/2014)Chocolat, Claire Denis (1988)
On Monday and Wednesday in class we will watch the movie, Chocolat (1988), which was written and directed by Claire Denis, a French film director and writer. The movie tells the story of a French family living in colonial Cameroon in the 1950s.
The Republic of Cameroon is a country on the coast of western Africa, bordered by Nigeria to the northwest. At the 1884 Berlin Conference that gave Congo to King Leopold of Belgium and Nigeria to Britain, Cameroon became a German colony, but after World War I, it was divided between Britain and France. Cameroon gained its independence in 1960, with the former British and French colonies merging in 1961.
Claire Denis, whose father was a French civil servant, spent her childhood in several African countries, Cameroon, Somalia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. When she was 14, she moved with her family to Paris, because her parents wanted her to finish her education in France. Chocolat (1988), her first film, is not autobiographical, bus is nevertheless a reflection on her experiences growing up in west Africa.
The film begins and ends with the story of an adult woman named France who travels to Cameroon, where we learn she grew up. The main part of the film, the longer middle section, recalls her memories of her childhood in that country. The story, related mostly from the girl’s perspective, focuses on her relationship with her family’s black servant, Protee. It also centers on the relationship between her mother and Protee. Note: The word “chocolat” was 1950s slang for “to be cheated.” (Of course, it also means “chocolate
This film, then, like Heart of Darkness, provides a European perspective on African colonialism. Like Things Fall Apart, it relates a post-colonial perspective and focuses on cross-cultural misunderstanding. Unlike either of those novels, however, it places a woman’s experiences at the center of the story.
A couple notes about watching this film: It differs from Hollywood movies in a couple ways that may make the movie seem unfamiliar, depending on your experience watching movies. First, it relies less on dialogue to carry the story. Instead, it relies on images and behavior to convey meaning. This means you will need to watch carefully. Second, it does not always explain why characters do what they do or what their actions mean. We have to see connections and make inferences. Some issues are left unresolved. Having said all this, Chocolat, though you may find it puzzling, is not a difficult film to watch. I hope you enjoy it.
Some suggestions: 1)Look for parallels and motifs. What images and actions repeat throughout the movie? (For example, you should notice connections between the adult France’s story and the story of her as a child.) 2) Keep track of questions you have about the movie and about character motivations. 3) Watch the horizon. France’s father tells her:
“When you look at the hills beyond the houses and beyond the trees where the earth touches the sky, that’s the horizon. Tomorrow in the daytime I’ll show you something. The closer you get to that line, the farther it moves. If you walk toward it, it moves away. It flees from you. I must also explain this to you. You see the line. You see it, but it doesn’t exist.”
Why is this important?
Friday at the Museum
(4/9/14)On Friday, we will meet in the art museum (in the exhibition gallery) for a discussion with artist Dafna Kaffeman, whose work is on exhibit in the David Owsley Museum of Art throughout the summer
\Which character from Honors 203 are you?
(4/7/14)Tanner created this quiz. Enjoy! (I got Ivan Ilych.)
Take the quiz.
Gregor Brown
(4/2/14)Art and the unconscious
(3/28/2014)A dream is a wish your heart (of darkness) makes
(3/27/2014)Slides on Freud
(3/27/2014)Yale lecture on Freud
(3/27/2014)Here is the introductory lecture on Freud by Paul Bloom.
Frame narratives
(3/18/2014)What do Titanic, Life of Pi, and The Heart of Darkness all have in common? They all use frame narratives.
Slides from Monday
(3/18/2014)Here are the slides I would have shown on Monday.
Journalist on the situation in Congo today
(3/16/2014)Interview with Anjan Sundaram on The Daily Show.
"The Yellow Wallpaper"
(2/28/2014)An illustration from the original publication of "The Yellow Wallpaper" in The New England Magazine (1892).
Russian society in the 19th century
(2/17/2014)Russian society in the 19th century
In the 19th century, Russia had an almost feudal social structure. Having only abolished serfdom in 1861, Russia industrialized much later than western Europe. Ivan Ilych, the "hero" of Tolstoy's novel, is a social-climbing civil servant who imitates the manners of the Western bourgeoisie while aspiring to the social position of an aristocrat.
What is evolution?
(2/10/2014)It might be helpful to us to keep in mind the three things to which the term evolution refers. The following definitions are from "The Evolution Wars" by Michael Ruse.
As you read The Origin of Species, ask yourself which of the above three aspects of evolution Darwin is most concerned with. What was Darwin's contribution to the understanding of evolution? (The readings are below.)
Readings for this week
(2/10/2014)For Wednesday:
For Friday:
I had to split the file into three parts, because of its size:
Snowmageddon, Again
(2/4/2014)Romantic Lyric Poetry
(2/4/2014)We will start Wednesday's class with a song, this adaption by Franz Schubert of Gretchen's expression of longing for Faust, which she proclaims while sitting alone in her room at her spinning wheel (p. 642-643). Then we will read a couple poems together, noting how they fit the pattern of the greater Romantic lyric. We will hopefully have time to get to this poem by Walt Whitman.
Romantic Music
(2/4/2014)Here are the links from Monday's class. Explore Romantic music.
Presentation Update
(1/30/2014)I have added a handout to the Presentation page. It contains some suggestions for planning your presentation.
The Romantic Hero
(1/30/2014)For Friday, we have two poems about Napoleon and one about Toussaint L'Ouverture. Note that the Manzoni poem was written after Napoleon's death. The Byron poem was written while Napoleon was still alive but after his defeat at Waterloo. For both poems, I'd like you to try to find specific passages that remind you of Faust.
Toussaint L'Ouverture was called the "black Napoleon." Does he sound Napoleonic or Faustian in Whittier's description of him? What qualities does Whittier praise him for?
If we have time, we'll listen to a little Beethoven. His heroic Symphony No. 3.
Faust questions and videos
(1/28/2014)Questions to think about for class discussion tomorrow:
Here are the remaining videos:
Faust videos
(1/26/2014)
You might get more out of you reading of Faust if you watch the videos, or at least enough of them to see how the scenes have been staged and how the actors interact with each other.
In the following video, you can find the witch's kitchen scene (with monkeys!) at 28:40. Faust sees the woman in the mirror at 33:30, and the witch appears at 35:26. At 42:12, we see Faust transformed into a younger version of himself (played by another actor).
The following video begins with the street scene where Faust first meets Margaret/Gretchen. Notice that in this section of the play, the actors are now wearing costumes that evoke Goethe's time (late 18th/early 19th c.) rather than Faust's (the Middle Ages). At about 6:40, Faust and Mephistopheles sneak into Gretchen's room and plant the jewels. At about 11:20 Gretchen returns to the room alone to discover them. At 30:15 is the garden scene with the two couples. Note how this scene is staged to alternate moments between Faust and Gretchen and between Mephistopheles and Martha. The scene "Forest and Cavern" begins about 41:30. Notice that Faust here portrayed as his older self. Even though this scene interrupts the plot, it is important because it connects the second half of Part 1 (which focuses on the Gretchen story) with the first half (which focuses on Faust's discontent and his pact with Mephistopheles). Faust again addresses a speech to nature. Here he addresses the Earth Spirit, whom he conjured earlier. Perhaps he thinks, in error, that the Earth Spirit sent Mephistopheles to him (since he can't know about the wager between Mephistopheles and God). How does this speech compare to the earlier speeches to the moon and the sun. Notice the metaphor Faust uses at the end of the scene. He compares himself to a waterfall ("cataract") that will wipe out the cottage below, where Gretchen lives.
Faust
(1/20/2013)Here are links to a couple reading guides to Faust. They may help you find your way. The introduction in our text is helpful (553-560).
The Grand Inquisitor
(1/15/2014)Ilya Glazunov, "The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor" (1985)
Harriet Jacobs Timeline and Bio
(1/10/2014)Here is a timeline of Jacobs's life until 1861. Here is a brief summary of her life.
Harriet Jacobs in 1894.
Frederick Douglass Timeline
(1/9/2014)Since we are reading an excerpt of Frederick Douglass's Narrative, I have provided a timeline of events in the book, so you can get an overview of the entire story.
Greetings!
(1/4/2014)Welcome to our class wiki. We will be using this site as a hub for information about the class, as well as a place where you can share your writing and collaborate.
What is a wiki? Wikipedia is one, for example. Here is an example of an educational wiki. For quick intro to wikis, watch this video.