MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE INFECTIOUS WORDS PGSE 0325-A Meeting times and places: T/TH from 1:30-2:45PM in Old Chapel 401 Instructor: Valéria M. Souza Office: Warner 402 Office Hours: Mon 11:30AM-12:30PM, Tues & Thurs. 12:30-1:30PM & by appointment Office Tel: 802-443-5673 E-mail: vsouza@middlebury.edu Required Texts: 1. Os Lusíadas, by Luís Vaz de Camões Available online for free; will also be made available to the class in.pdf format 2. O Alienista, by Machado de Assis - Available online for free; will also be made available to the class in.pdf format 3. O Beijo no Asfalto, by Nelson Rodrigues Will be made available to the class in.pdf format; also available from the Davis Family Library 4. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga: Um Romance B, by Caio Fernando Abreu Available for purchase in the College Bookstore At the instructor s discretion and/or based on students suggestions and needs, additional short texts in various formats (e.g. films, news reports, scholarly articles, documentary films, etc.) will be included as part of the course. This will depend, in part, upon students unique research interests. Course Description and Objectives: In this course, we will examine representations of illness in Portuguese and Brazilian literature. Readings will include the scurvy episode of Luís Vaz de Camões Os Lusíadas (1572); Machado de Assis short story O Alienista (1882), Nelson Rodrigues play O Beijo no Asfalto (1960), and Caio Fernando Abreu s novel Onde Andará Dulce Veiga (1990). The range of genres and periods reflected in this selection will allow students to gain experience in the critical reading of both canonical and lesser-known Lusophone works, in addition to exploring the relationship between literary representations of illness and the socio-political and historical context(s) in which they are produced. By the end of this course, students will have produced a final paper or project of their own design that incorporates the material studied but also builds upon it, branching out to incorporate students individual research interests and goals. 1
Criteria for Evaluation: Grading scale: A = 93-100 B+ = 87-89 B- = 80-82 C = 73-76 D = 60-69 A- = 90-92 B = 83-86 C+ = 77-79 C- = 70-72 F = Below 60 Percentage Breakdown of Final Grades: Participation in class discussions 35% Short analyses (2) 20% Final paper / project proposal 15% Final paper / project 30% Course Assignments: 1. Short analyses (2) 20 % - Students will complete two short analyses of two different texts of their choosing that we ve studied in this course. Examples of texts include poems, novellas, plays, novels, short stories, films, critical/theoretical/scholarly articles, pieces of artwork, and so on. Each short analysis should be 2-4 typed, double-spaced pages in length using 8.5 x 11 paper with 1 margins and a 12-point font. The purpose of these analyses is threefold: 1.) to strengthen critical thinking and analytical skills; 2.) to practice advanced writing in Portuguese; and 3.) to begin thinking through texts, concepts, and ideas relevant to the final paper or project for the course. The due dates for these analyses are listed in the course schedule below. 2. Final paper or project proposal 15% In the 8 th week of the course, students will prepare a formal, written proposal describing the final paper or project they wish to undertake. This proposal should be 2-5 typed pages in length and contain the following information in Portuguese: Proposed title of the final paper or project Proposed topic of the final paper or project A brief overview of existing work that has been done on the chosen topic, and/or who or what the influences on your work will be Proposed media and stylistic/genre format in which the paper/project will be completed. (For example, will this be a classic final paper? A film? An artistic response to course material? A sociological or anthropological piece of analysis? Etc.) Proposed methodology for completing the paper/project Proposed list of texts to be used, aka a Works Cited list Proposed length of the paper or project (in pages, minutes, etc.) Proposed method of submission to the instructor (e.g. file attachment, hard copy, etc.) 2
3. Final paper or project 30% Due by 23:59H EST on May 22 nd (the last day of the Spring final examination period). This paper or project will be based upon the work that the student initiated in the Final Paper or Project Proposal, taking into account any changes indicated by the instructor upon return of the graded Proposal. This work, like all other work in the course, is to be completed in Portuguese. Additional Notes, Policies & Information: 1. Extra-Credit: There is no extra credit for this course. 2. For your personal reference please save all materials that are returned to you. Should any problems arise with the recording of your grades, you ll be required to present these materials. 3. Regarding the Proposed Class Schedule included in this syllabus: The instructor reserves the right to make changes as needed. Here is some information from the ADA Office: Students with Disabilities: You are not alone! As of the year 2009, approximately 1 in every 15 students at Middlebury has identified as having a disability. Find out what the ADA Office can do for you! If you have a documentable learning disability, or other form of disability, identify yourself! Our office provides confidential services and accommodations for students who have special needs affecting their learning, vision, hearing, speech, mobility, and physical and psychological health. Such services can include, for example, the assigning of note takers or readers or scribes, access to scanners, screen-reading software with voice synthesizers or large-print software, interpreting services, Phonic Ear assistive listening systems, extended time on tests, and much more. We have an Assistive Technology Center located in the lower level of Meeker House. If you think we can help, please stop by and take advantage of all we can offer!" Contact the ADA Office: Meeker House 003 Telephone: 802.443.5936 Coordinator: Jodi Litchfield (email: litchfie@middlebury.edu) ADA Office webpage: http://www.middlebury.edu/studentlife/diversity/ada Plagiarism & Academic Honesty: In the academic community, plagiarism (using someone else s ideas without giving the person due credit) is considered a very serious violation of honesty. If you are not familiar with what constitutes plagiarism, please talk to your professor immediately. 3
You can find information on plagiarism and how the university deals with such cases on the page for Academic Honesty / Honor Code / Disciplinary Policies: http://www.middlebury.edu/about/handbook/student/academic_disciplinary_policies/node/ 133981. You can also find more information on plagiarism on the following webpages: a.) Writing and Plagiarism Guides: http://subsplus.middlebury.edu/subsplus/subjects/docs/writing%20and%20plagiarism%20g uides_10-3-09.htm b.) Plagiarism in Academe: http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/plagiarism.html Students should also be careful regarding the type of assistance they should seek from others. For example, having someone simply write over you composition, correcting your mistakes, takes away from you the opportunity to be more attentive to the type of mistakes you make and therefore to avoid making them in the future. That should also be considered academic dishonesty. Be careful then, so that collaboration, note sharing, group work, tutoring (etc.) do not turn into someone doing your learning for you. Proposed Class Schedule [Subject to Change]: Semana 1 3a 14 de Fev. Introdução ao curso; apresentações 5a 16 de Fev. O episódio do escorbuto d Os Lusíadas O que é uma doença? : Início do percurso... Semana 2 3a 21 de Fev. Não há aula hoje 5a 23 de Fev. O episódio do escorbuto d Os Lusíadas cont d + Constructions of Disability in the Ancient Greek World: The Community Concept + BarberSurgeons - Winter Carnival Recess begins at 4:15PM Semana 3 3a 28 de Fev. O Alienista Capítulos I-V 5a 1 de Mar. O Alienista Capítulos I-V cont d Semana 4 3a 6 de Mar. O Alienista Capítulos VI-XIII; Análise curta #1 due 5a 8 de Mar. O Alienista Capítulos VI-XIII cont d Semana 5 3 a 13 de Mar. Foucault, século XIX, prisões/hospitais Texto(s) TBA 5 a 15 de Mar. Filme: Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook (1996) 4
Semana 6 3 a 20 de Mar. Filme: Cropsey (2009) 5 a 22 de Mar. Discussão dos filmes em relação à obra de Machado, etc. Spring Recess : Friday March 23rd Sunday, April 1st Semana 7 3 a 3 de Abr. O Beijo no Asfalto Primeiro e Segundo Atos; Análise curta #2 due 5 a 5 de Abr. O Beijo no Asfalto Terceiro Ato Semana 8 3 a 10 de Abr. Brasil nos anos 50/60; o fenómeno Leave it to Beaver ; o conceito da família brasileira ; Sontag Texto(s) TBA 5 a 12 de Abr. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulo: Segunda-feira Semana 9 3 a 17 de Abr. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulo: Terça-feira; Final Paper / Project Proposal due 5 a 19 de Abr. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulo: Quarta-feira Semana 10 3 a 24 de Abr. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulo: Quinta-feira 5 a 26 de Abr. Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulo: Sexta-feira Semana 11 3 a 1 de Maio Onde Andará Dulce Veiga? Capitulos: Sábado e Domingo 5 a 3 de Maio Nelson vs. Caio: Textos em dialogo? Semana 12 3 a 8 de Maio Postmodern Illness (Morris); Images of AIDS (Tanner); Links to Rodrigues and Abreu 5 a 10 de Maio Images of the sick body in contemporary Brazilian graffiti and in artwork Última aula do semestre Entrega do trabalho/projeto final: 3 a -feira, dia 22 de maio às 23:59H EST (ou antes). 5