ENGL 204 B: Popular Fiction and Media

Francisco Goya, Witches' Sabbath (1798)

***No add codes after April 2***

ENGL 204 B, Spring 24: Popular Fiction & Media

“Demonology 101: Demonic Possession Narratives in World Cinema”

MW 1:30-3:20 PM

CMU 326

Instructor Info

Janine “Nina” Hsiao Sobers (she/her)

jsobers@uw.edu

Office hours: TTH 2-3 PM or by appt.

PDL B-37

Course Description

If there is anything that might be called universal, it is the figure of the demon. Repositories of cultural anxieties, social taboos, and personal fears, mythologies of the demonic are as varied as they are ubiquitous across civilizations and histories; to put it colloquially, we all have our demons. That the demonic is a mainstay in productions of contemporary popular culture is also readily observable. As the perpetual output of media that deals with spirit possession, exorcisms, and haunted locales attests to, we love our demons. On the surface, the ongoing fascination with the demonic may seem uncharacteristic for the present era; the days of witch hunts are presumed to be behind us, as we are supposedly the enlightened subjects of a modern new age driven by the pursuit of progress and innovation. And yet, our preoccupation with demons endures; our class centers on an inquiry into why that is, engaging with the significance of the demonic across cultures as represented in popular cinema. Framing the motif of demonic possession as a site of the reproduction and contestation of socio-cultural norms, it engages with the following questions: what is the role of the demon, especially as “Other?” How does exorcism function as a power struggle in which prevailing social orders are enforced and unsettled? In what ways is the demonic a culturally-constructed category, and to what effects?

Through exploring these questions, students will practice analytical engagement with creative productions in popular culture as vehicles for critical commentary. As the course is also a “W” class, we will be exercising skills in written inquiry to substantively engage with the content and learning objectives at hand.

Course Materials

There are no books or readers that you need to purchase for this class. Text-based readings will be uploaded to the “Files” tab of our Canvas page, and films will be available for streaming through UW Libraries, Netflix, or other readily accessible means.

Course Assessment

Grade percentage points are additively accrued across the quarter based on the successful and timely completion of coursework. The grade breakdown for the class is as follows:

• 14% Monday In-Class Solo Write-Ups (7 x 2%)
• 16% Wednesday In-Class Group Write-Ups (8 x 2%)
• 25% Friday At-Home Small Writing Assignments (5 x 5%)
• 25% Midterm Paper
• 30% Final Paper

Monday In-Class Solo Write-Ups (14% total, 7 x 2%)

Submitted in class, written on notebook paper. For each Monday meeting, at the end of class, I’ll display a short answer question on the board about the assigned readings for that day. These questions will be shorter, informal, and/or free response, but they will require familiarity with the readings to answer. On your own, you’ll have the last 15 minutes of class to write your responses, but expect them to take no more than 10 minutes at the most. There will be 8 total solo write-ups offered throughout the quarter and 7 are required, so one Monday can be skipped without impacting this part of the grade.

Must turn in an honest attempt to receive credit. In other words, no worries if the response is rough, but I can’t give credit for a low effort response that says something like “Sorry, didn’t do the reading” or “I don’t know.”

Wednesday In-Class Group Write-Ups (7 x 2% each)

Submitted in-class via Canvas, in the “Assignments” tab. In Week 2, the class will be divided into 10 groups of 4 students each. These will be your work groups for the quarter. For each Wednesday meeting, at the start of class, I’ll display a short answer question about the assigned texts for that day. In your groups, you’ll then have the first part of class to compose a write-up response to these questions together, with your resources combined! Expect these write-ups to take no more than 15 minutes at most to answer, but you’ll have the first 20 minutes or so of class to submit them.

Please note that attendance will be taken every Wednesday, and that two consecutive Wednesday absences will result in a 2% deduction to this part of the grade for that student. Subsequent consecutive absences thereafter will result in an additional 2% deduction per absence. To confirm, this doesn’t include absences for Monday classes.

Friday At-Home Small Writing Assignments (5 x 5%)

Submitted at home via Canvas, in the “Assignments” and/or “Quizzes” tab. Periodically throughout the quarter, I’ll assign small writing assignments on Canvas, which you’ll do outside of class on your own. Typically, these small assignments will involve exercises to help you along with the two long papers, and will be due on Fridays at midnight. Details on these small assignments will be given as the quarter progresses.

Long Papers (2 total, 25% & 30%)

There are two long papers that you’ll write for this class. The first is due at the end of Week 5, and the second is due at the end of Week 10. These papers are in essence close reading-based argumentative essays written in response to a chosen prompt, with minor research elements. Details for these papers will be given as the quarter progresses.

Course Policies

• Electronics: unless otherwise directed, the use of electronics (e.g. laptops, phones, tablets) is prohibited in class. Those with the appropriate DRS accommodations are an exception.
• Group work: as group work is necessary to succeed in the course, students are strongly encouraged to maintain clear communication channels with their assigned group throughout the quarter, notifying groupmates of absences or emergencies when they interfere with coursework. There is no need to notify the instructor of short-term absences.
• Slurs: as is customary, slurs that appear in readings should not be verbalized.

Late Work Policy

In the absence of extenuating circumstances or requisite DRS accommodations, papers submitted after class deadlines will receive a deduction of 5% per day that the submission is late.

If extenuating circumstances are involved, a student may request one extension, the exact submission date to be proposed by the student, then mutually agreed upon by both instructor and student. There is no need to disclose the grisly details, but clear and timely communication to the instructor is necessary. After the extension submission date, the option to make up the work has passed, and whatever material is submitted will be graded as is.

Extra Credit

There are two extra credit opportunities available:

• Museum visit and write-up: see handout in "Files" on visiting the MOPOP in Seattle Center. Due Monday, May 27th, at the start of the last week of instruction. Worth 3% added to the final grade.
• Discussion thread questions: each week, I'll post a thread in the "Discussions" tab on the movie we're watching where you can reply with a discussion question about it. The question can pertain to any key scene, theme, technique, character, etc., just as long as it prompts conversation on implicit meaning in the text. Replies should be posted by midnight before the class that your question pertains to. Can be done no more than three times (3x) over the quarter, each worth 1% to the final grade, for a maximum of 3%.

Academic Integrity Clause

Syllabus blurb: “Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is presenting someone else's ideas or writing as your own. In your writing for this class, you are encouraged to refer to other people's thoughts and writing—as long as you cite them. As a matter of policy, any student found to have plagiarized any piece of writing in this class will be immediately reported to the College of Arts and Sciences for review.”

On AI writing: because the focus of the writing exercises is the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, the use of AI writing is here considered a violation of academic integrity.

All papers in this course will be screened for plagiarism upon submission.

Religious Accommodation Clause

Syllabus blurb: “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-reqest/).”

Class Schedule (First Half)