AJ26273 Anglo-American Political Fiction, Film and Television

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Jeffrey Alan Smith, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 12:00–13:40 B2.23
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( AJ09999 Qualifying Examination || AJ01002 Practical English II ) && AJ07002 Intro. to American Studies II
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 13 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
An introduction to some of the many ways in which political themes have been treated in fictions in various media from the 18th century to the present. Readings and film viewings will offer a survey of selected stories, principally American but also British, focused on politicians and government leaders, on political events and movements, and on imagined “utopian” or “dystopian” political futures. Topics to be discussed include the various uses of political fictions; recurring themes and their transformations in different periods and for different artistic purposes; and how fictions have anticipated and responded to real events, thereby contributing to the evolution of the Anglo-American “political imaginary.”
Learning outcomes
By successfully completing the course, students will achieve a better understanding of American and British history and politics, of certain “classic” works and characteristic developments in Anglo-American fiction and film, and of differences in modes and methods of storytelling in written prose, feature films and episodic television. They will gain further experience in analyzing imaginative works and relating them to historical events and contexts, and will become acquainted with an array of topics that could serve as the eventual basis for a master's thesis.
Syllabus
  • TENTATIVE / TO BE REVISED:
  • WEEK 1 (26 September): COURSE INTRODUCTION
  • VIEW: “The West Wing,” pilot episode
  • WEEK 2 (3 October): THE WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN PARADIGMS
  • READ: posted selections from Bolingbroke, Ideal of a Patriot King; Anon., Diary of a Public Man; Herndon, True Story ... of Abraham Lincoln; Andrews, The Perfect Tribute
  • VIEW: Young Mr. Lincoln
  • WEEK 3 (10 October): THE “MR. SMITH” MYTH
  • READ: posted selections from Tom Clancy, Executive Orders; Martin L. Gross, Man of Destiny
  • VIEW: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Dave
  • WEEK 4 (17 October): CONSULTANTS AND “CABALS” (1)
  • READ: Machiavelli, The Prince, posted excerpts
  • VIEW: The Candidate; Primary Colors
  • WEEK 5 (24 October): CONSULTANTS AND “CABALS” (2)
  • VIEW: Yes, Minister, posted episodes; Network
  • WEEK 6 (31 October): BIG BROTHER(S)
  • READ: posted/linked selections from George Orwell, 1984 (“The Theory & Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism”); "A Look at Orwell's Newspeak"; Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here, posted excerpts
  • VIEW: 1984; Brazil
  • WEEK 7 (7 November): COLD WAR PARANOIA I
  • VIEW: Brazil (reassigned); The Manchurian Candidate
  • WEEK 8 (14 November): READING WEEK -- NO CLASS MEETING
  • WEEK 9 (21 November): COLD WAR PARANOIA II; FEMINIST (?) POLITICAL FICTIONS
  • VIEW: Seven Days in May; Dr. Strangelove
  • READ: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland, posted exerpts
  • VIEW: Veep and Commander in Chief, posted episodes
  • WEEK 10 (28 November): COUNTERCULTURAL POLITICS
  • VIEW: Wild in the Streets; Hair
  • WEEK 11 (5 December): SHAKESPEAREAN ECHOES
  • VIEW: House of Cards (UK), episode 1; House of Cards (US), episode 1
  • WEEK 12 (12 December): ALTERNATE HISTORIES
  • READ: Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle, chapters 1-7 and 14; Philip Roth, The Plot Against America, posted excerpts
Teaching methods
Lecture, discussion, film/video screenings
Assessment methods
100% final exam, details TBA
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
http://tiny.cc/politicalfiction2018
Assigned readings and videos are available at that web address unless otherwise indicated.
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