Dr. Roger Hickey
Texts: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley,Meeting Place: Class will meet in Johnstone 201 each day from 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM. Occasionally, class may run past 11:30; plan accordingly. All films will be shown in Miller 202, beginning at 1:00 PM. Most films are shorter than 2 hours (some are significantly shorter), but on some occasions, a film may be slightly longer. Please be on time for class and films.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
The Dunwich Horror and Others by H.P. Lovecraft
Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories, and
other selected short stories and poems (packet to be handed out)
Attendance policy: You are expected to attend every class and every film. Class discussion of the films and readings will be a significant component of your grade. Any unexcused cuts will have a negative influence on your grade. If you have a reasonable excuse for missing class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible.
It is disruptive when someone walks in and out of class during the middle of a discussion. Therefore, please get your drinks, visit the bathroom, etc. before class begins and remain in your seat until class is finished. Turn off your cell phone.
Quizzes: The class will not work well unless everyone reads the stories and views the films every day. Therefore, there will be a brief quiz at the beginning of each class. The quiz will be based on the assigned readings. The quiz question will be straightforward and will ask about something in the reading. It will be something that you will not get wrong if you have carefully done the readings, but which you will not likely know unless you actually done the reading. Since these quizzes will count as a significant part of your grade, you will, in effect, be getting credit for carefully doing your homework.
Your own horror stories: You will be expected to tell a "ghost" story to the class at the beginning of the third week of the term. This should be about a ten minute, original story, told in the dark, campfire style. (This story should be "told", not read, to the class.) In addition, you will be required to write a different horror story of 2000 words or more by the end of the term. You will be required to work with the Writing Center while writing this story.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as representing someone else's work as your own. It is a very serious offense and can result in sanctions ranging from a zero on the work in question to expulsion from Hartwick. When you write your horror story, or make up your ghost story, be sure that your work is original. You can use the basic idea from a story that you have read, or seen in film or on TV, but the the story must be your own.
Exams: There will be hour exams at the end of the second and
fourth week of the term.
Final Grade Your final grade will be based on the following:
Daily quizzes 15%
Class participation 15%
Oral presentation of your original story 10%
A 2000 (or more) word written horror story 20%
Mid-term exam 20%
Final exam 20%
Date Reading Due Film
Mon, Jan 7 -------------- Freaks (1932)
Tues, Jan 8 Frankenstein Frankenstein (1931)
Wed, Jan 9 Frankenstein Bride of Frankenstein
Thurs, Jan 10 Frankenstein Blade Runner
Fri, Jan 11 Short stories Nosferatu
Mon, Jan 14 Dracula Dracula
Tues, Jan 15 Dracula Horror of Dracula
Wed, Jan 16 Dracula Psycho
Thurs, Jan 17 Carmilla Halloween
Fri, Jan 18 MIDTERM EXAM -------------
Sun, Jan 20 Ghost stories (evening)
Mon, Jan 21 Poe stories The Exorcist Ghost stories (evening)
Tues, Jan 22 Poe & Lovecraft Rosemary's Baby
Wed, Jan 23 Lovecraft Cool Air, M. Valdemar
Thurs, Jan 24 Poetry Curse of the Demon
Fri, Jan 25 Short stories Wolfen
Mon, Jan 28 Turn of the Screw The Innocents
Tues, Jan 29 Turn of the Screw The Birds
Wed, Jan 30 Short Stories Poltergeist
Thurs, Jan 31 Short Stories Term papers due
Fri, Feb 1 Final Exam