Syllabus Fall 2013 Perversion IDSEM-UG1536 Tuesday 3:30-6:10 25 West 4 th. Street, Room C-9

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1 Nina Cornyetz (212) Broadway, Room 606 Office Hours: all by appointment: Tuesday: 11:30-3:00 Wed 10:00-2:00 Occasional Thursday afternoon Syllabus Fall 2013 Perversion IDSEM-UG1536 Tuesday 3:30-6:10 25 West 4 th. Street, Room C-9 For Sigmund Freud, perversion denoted a quantitative degree of sexual deviance from the heterosexual and genital social norm. For Jacques Lacan, perversion meant a particular structure of desire, regardless of social norm. For Michel Foucault, perversion was an effect of modern sexuality. This course will explore these three contrasting notions of perversion, alongside some queer and/or feminist critiques of the psychoanalytic models, in relation to a selection of (mostly) Japanese fiction and film depicting a variety of perversions. Readings will include: Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905), Deleuze, Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty, Foucault, History of Sexuality Vol. I, selections from Lacan, Tanizaki, Naomi, Kono, Toddler Hunting, Mishima, Confessions of a Mask. Films will include Patriotism and Happiness. Course requirements: Attendance, Participation, 10% Papers 50% response writings/ homework 25% presentations 15% Papers: 2 of 3 papers, details to be handed out. Response papers: Semi-formal short papers of 2-3 pages, typed, double spaced, size 12 font, topics as announced in class. Unexcused absences will negatively impact your grade. Late papers will be accepted, but progressively penalized for tardiness. Course Objectives: A clear understanding of how Freud, Deleuze, Foucault and Lacan each described and analyzed the notion of perversion. An ability to articulate an intellectual dialogue between fiction, film and theory.

2 Statement on Plagiarism Plagiarism means: presenting as your own someone else s words, ideas, opinions, and/or argument. You must be sure to cite your sources, include a bibliography, and use quotation marks when you incorporate another person s words or language verbatim. This includes buying a paper! Cases of suspected plagiarism will be referred to the Dean for disciplinary action(s). Students are required to bring a copy of the assigned readings to class. **** On Japanese names: Japanese names are in the opposite order of American ones, so the FAMILY NAME (our last name) comes first, and the GIVEN NAME is second. (Like in a bibliographic list, but without a comma: i.e. Cornyetz Nina). Required Books: For sale at Shakespeare and Company, 716 Broadway. Also on reserve at Bobst Library. 1. Deleuze, Gilles. Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty & Venus in Furs. New York: Zone Books, ISBN: Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1: An Introduction. New York: Vintage, ISBN: Freud, Sigmund. General Psychological Theory: Papers on Metapsychology. New York: Touchstone, Reprint, ISBN: Freud, Sigmund. Sexuality and The Psychology of Love. New York: Touchstone, ISBN: Freud, Sigmund. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. New York: Basic Books. Revised Edition, ISBN: Mishima, Yukio. Confessions of a Mask. New York: New Directions, ISBN: X 7. Mishima Yukio. Patriotism. New York: New Directions, ISBN: Mori, Ogai. Vita Sexualis: A Novel. HK and Tokyo: Tuttle, ISBN: Tanizaki, Jun ichirô. Naomi: A Novel. New York: Vintage, ISBN:

3 10. Swales, Stephanie S. Perversion: A Lacanian Psychoanalytic Approach to the Subject. New York and London: Routledge, ISBN: Articles, Chapters, on NYU Classes: 1. Cornyetz, Nina. The Lacanian Frame, typescript 2. Kanai Mieko, Rabbits, in Phyllis Birnbaum, ed. Rabbits, Crabs, etc. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, Kono Taeko, Toddler Hunting, in Toddler Hunting and Other Stories. New York: New Directions, Bergner, Daniel, What do women want? (NY Times) 5. Rose, Jacqueline, Introduction II In Jacques Lacan, Feminine Sexuality: Jacques Lacan and the école freudienne, New York: WW Norton, 1982, 6. De Sade, Marquis. Selections. 7. Hagio Moto, Heart of Thomas. Selections. 3

4 Schedule Part One: Freud 1. September 3, Tuesday: Introduction Kawabata, House of the Sleeping Beauties excerpt, handout. In class film: Huston on Freud. 2. September 10: Perversion and Infantile Sexuality Readings: Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1903) 3. September 17, Drive and its Objects Readings: Freud Instincts and their Vicissitudes, (1915) and The Economic Problem of Masochism, (1924), in Freud, General Psychological Theory, , ; Freud, Fetishism, (1927), in Freud, Sexuality and the Psychology of Love, ; Kanai Mieko, Rabbits (NYU Classes); Student Presentation 1 4. September 24, Masochism - Another Language? Readings: Freud, A Child is Being Beaten, (1919), in Freud, Sexuality and the Psychology of Love, ; Deleuze, Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty part one; Kono Taeko, Toddler Hunting, (NYU Classes) Student Presentation 2 5. October 1, Pain and Pleasure Readings: Finish Deleuze, Masochism; selections, de Sade (NYU Classes); Tanizaki, Naomi. Student Presentation 3 6. October 8, In Class Film, Happiness No new Readings. First Paper Due No Class October 15 Fall Break Part Two: Foucault 7. October 22, Power, Knowledge, Discourse Readings: Foucault, History of Sexuality part one. 4

5 8. October 29, The Truth of Sex? In class lecture on the shishôsetsu in Japanese literature. Readings: Finish Foucault, History of Sexuality. Mori Ogai, Vita Sexualis. Student Presentation 4 9. Nov. 5, Confession and Perversion in class lecture, Mishima Readings: Mishima, Confessions of a Mask Student Presentation Nov. 12, In Class Film: Summer Vacation 1999 (90 minutes); Readings: The Heart of Thomas, excerpts; Berger, What Do Women Want? (NYU Classes) Second Paper Due Part Three: Introducing Lacan 11. Nov. 19, Perversion as a structure of desire Readings: Cornyetz, The Lacanian Frame (NYU Classes); Swales, Perversion, Introduction, xi-xvi; Button Ties, November 26, Tuesday: In Class Film: Patriotism (56 minutes) Readings: Mishima, Patriotism; Swales, Perversion, Perverse Relation to the Other, Student Presentation December 3 Tuesday: In class film: In the Realm of the Senses (104 minutes) Readings: Rose, Introduction II In Jacques Lacan, Feminine Sexuality: Jacques Lacan and the école freudienne, (NYU Classes) 14. December 10 No new Readings Third Paper Due. 5