AU21 1

FA M O U S FI R S T LI N E S from CL A S S I C LI T E R AT U R E

College of DuPage
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes
civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows

English/MPTV 1154: Film as

Literature, “New Year, New
Look, Same Story”

Fall 2021

Room: BIC 3415

ROMEO & JULIET Starring By William Shakespeare
Romeo • Juliet • Friar Laurence • Mercutio • The Nurse • Tybalt • Capulet • Montague
Paris • Benvolio • Prince • Escalus • Friar John • Balthasar • Art Direction by Larry Knox
L
LITERATURE
THEMES, MOTIFS, AND SYMBOLS MAY RE-
QUIRE A TEACHER FOR FULL EXPLANATION Copyright MMXV by
ROMANCE, FORBIDDEN LOVE, DEATH, HILARITY,
IN SELECT CLASSROOMS More titles coming soon to: www.prestwickhouse.com/free-library
SEXUALITY, HATRED, REVENGE, AND SOME VIOLENCE
FoReal 3D}}} All Rights Reserved

Course Description:
Explores the process of film adaptation from a variety of sources. Includes examination of
films adapted directly and indirectly from prior media, as well as an overview of theoretical
approaches to studying film adaptation. Through close study of selected films, students will
develop a nuanced, open approach to considering the process of adaptation on screen.

Basic Info: Student Hours:

Instructor: Dr. Jacinta Yanders (aka Dr. J
or Professor Yanders)
Pronouns: She/Her (what’s this about?)
Email: yandersj@cod.edu
Office: BIC 2444E
Mondays and Wednesdays: 9am-12pm; Fridays:
1-3pm; also other times as needed.
Student Hours are a good opportunity to ask
questions, get to know each other, learn about
resources, discuss future plans, etc. Come on by!

COD Mask Policy:

As noted on COD’s website, the college has a mask mandate in place for the fall semester.
This means masks have to be worn in all campus spaces. If you forgot to bring a mask, you
can pick one up at Campus Central or in the Student Services Center. If you need a
medical accommodation in relation to masking, please submit a request to the Center for
Access and Accommodations. Heads up: as mentioned in President Caputo’s message on
the website, proof of vaccination will be required for all faculty, students, and staff on
campus beginning on January 1, 2022.
AU21 2
Hello! “Writing about texts is
perhaps the single, most
Welcome to English 1154 aka Film as Literature. common trademark for the
Essentially, this is a class about media adaptation. Even if kind of writing and thinking
you’re not someone who studies film, you might’ve
that is expected of you in
noticed that quite a few movies and TV shows are
adaptations of novels, plays, or short stories (not to the academy. However, this
mention video games, action figures, comic books, etc). does NOT mean: that you
While some regard this proliferation as an extremely new write about things you don’t
phenomenon, that’s not really the case. From the very care about, that you write
beginning, filmmakers used literary works as sources to
as if you sound like an
adapt and expand upon. New creators also often return
to tales that have already been adapted. Consider how encyclopedia/wikipedia,
many films and TV shows exist about King Arthur or that you omit your own
Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes or the Wizard of Oz or voice and perspective, that
Cinderella or – you get the picture. you cannot be creative and
energetic, that you must
Given the ubiquity of adaptations, it might not be
particularly surprising to learn that a whole field of sound like the type of
academic inquiry – Adaptation Studies – exists to person who might wear
examine the existence and underpinnings of these works wool/plaid jackets with
and how they circulate throughout culture. These studies suede patches on the
will be part of the toolkit we use to analyze both the
elbows in order to be taken
specific adaptations we’ll watch as well as the act of
adaptation in and of itself. seriously, that you cannot
be everything that makes
Our central text for this class will be Romeo and Juliet. up your multiple selves, that
Now I’m sure some of you were hoping to leave you cannot be Hip Hop/
Shakespeare in high school, and while I personally would
Soul/ Bomba y Plena/ Soca/
argue that Billy’s wordplay and storytelling (though often
problematic) have much to offer, I also want to be clear Bachata/ Metal/ Reggae/
that this isn’t really a class about his literature. We will use EDM/ or Rock-N-Roll, that
the literature as our starting point, but our focus is going you cannot have some fun
to be on the adaptations. When it comes to narratives with it. You do not give up
that have been repeatedly adapted, R&J is very high on
who you are to be an
the list. Furthermore, the play provides an archetype –
star-crossed lovers – whose continued replication far academic writer. On the
exceeds Shakespeare’s reach. For this reason, this contrary, you take who you
particular Shakespearean tragedy is an excellent resource are even MORE
for us to grapple with in this class. SERIOUSLY.”
- Carmen Kynard, Lillian Radford
I hope you’re ready to dive in! Chair in Rhetoric and Composition
Studies and Professor of English at
— Dr. J Texas Christian University
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Course Objectives:
……………………………………………………………
Practice active rather than passive spectatorship of film

Compare and contrast film adaptations from different eras,

nations, and authors

Discuss film as a mass medium in terms of its

differences from other media, including in
relationship to spectatorship

Explain the theoretical progression of film adaptation

criticism

Apply theoretical approaches to studying film adaptation

Analyze formal film techniques in relationship to both

film and source material content
AU21 4

Required Materials Wise Words for English 1154

…………………………………… …………………………..
• No books ✌
• You should have a dedicated notebook
(or notebook section) for this class.
Doesn’t matter whether it's digital or
analog. Use whatever suits you as long as
it allows you to keep track of notes and
ideas.
• Blackboard (bb.cod.edu) is the central
hub for this class. Course materials and
assignment boxes live there. Make sure
you regularly log in.

Accessibility:
……………………………………………
We all have different learning needs,
which I’ve tried to account for in
designing this class. We’ll utilize many
modalities, such as audio, video, and
text. If there's some way in which your
access and ability in this course could
additionally be supported, please let
me know. To receive accommodations
from COD’s Center for Access
and Accommodations, email them at
access@cod.edu or complete the online
form at cod.edu/access. If you’re
already registered with the Center for
Access and Accommodations, don’t
forget to email me your Letter of
Accommodation.
AU21 5

Assessment:

Let's say two students come into a writing-based class. One typically gets good grades in
writing while the other tends to struggle. After a semester, the first student maintains the same quality
of work they always had. Meanwhile, the second student still struggles, but has put in significant labor
and shown growth. Should the second student receive a lower final grade than the first student
simply because they started the semester on a different level? Should final grades reflect what you do
in a class or what you already knew and were able to do before the class? What if I told you research
has consistently shown that letter grades actually do much more to hinder learning than to support it?

To ungrade means to remove mechanisms of traditional grades. Professors who implement ungrading
use an array of approaches, including contract grading, specifications grading, labor-based grading,
and more. For our class, you will see assignments listed as having 0 points in Blackboard (because
Blackboard requires some type of point value to be inserted). Assignments will get marked complete
if they have fulfilled the expectations provided. Submissions that don’t fulfill expectations – for
example, if I asked you to write an analysis and you wrote a summary instead – will not be marked
complete. However, you will be allowed to redo the assignment. Assuming the revision meets the
expectations, it will be marked complete. The only ways to not get completes in this class are to
simply not do assignments or to not do revisions when necessary.

I will give feedback on much – though not all – of the work you submit in the class. The goal is to use
that feedback to inform future work. I’m not interested in ranking you. Rather than focusing on a
letter, we’re focusing on growth and development. The college does require me to enter a letter
grade at the end of the semester. This grade will be determined by way of ongoing observation of
your labor from me as well as input by you in the form of conferencing and self-assessment. Now you
might be thinking, “That sounds super subjective!” Fair. However, all grading is subjective. Consider
the varying grading scales, assignments, and penalties that exist from class to class. Furthermore,
writing in particular does not lend itself easily to objective analysis. Writing is messy and complicated,
especially when it comes to trying out new ideas or approaches. The last thing I want to do is hinder
you from exploring your writing by imposing a letter grade on a draft. I don’t want you to write for a
grade. We’re not looking for paint-by-numbers work here. Make the things you create for this class
interesting. Make them matter to you, so that they also matter to your audiences.

I suspect this approach is new to many of you. At the beginning of the class, we’ll talk more about
why ungrading is valuable. I know that sometimes you might really want to know what your current
grade is, and this model does not allow for that since the grade is holistically determined at the end.
However, we can always chat to discuss your progress in the course material. You will be able to
review all of your assignments and feedback you’ve received in Blackboard. The learning objectives
provide guidance on the desired outcomes of the class as well. While none of these components may
be as concrete as saying you have a C+ or a 75%, they can still give you a sense of where you are.

My advice?

Do the work with a consistent desire to demonstrate what you’ve learned. Ask for help if/when you
need it, and don’t forget to use any resources provided. Trust yourself, and trust me. Do these things,
and I have little doubt that you’ll leave this class with the grade you desire.
AU21 6
Ok, but what kind(s) of work will we do?:

In this class, we watch a bunch of movies!

But that’s not all we do. We also read a lot, think a lot, reflect a lot, and write a lot. In
particular, you’ll sometimes be tasked with reading and applying some pretty complex
theoretical material. But don’t worry! This isn’t a high stakes, high pressure situation. We’ll
take our time and figure this all out together.

Timeliness Basic Needs

………………………………………………….
Our assignments have due dates, and you
should aim to submit your work in
accordance with those due dates. The later
an assignment is submitted, the less likely it
is to receive feedback. That being said,
there are no late penalties in this class. If
you find yourself in a situation where you’re
really far behind, let’s chat and come up
with a plan so that you can catch up.
Communication
………………………………………………………………
My email address is on the first page of this
syllabus. You can also use the email function in
Blackboard. Check your COD email regularly
(trust me). I tend to respond to emails pretty
quickly, but if you don't hear back, give me at
least 24 hours before trying again. Our class has
a Discord server, which we’ll talk more about
during the first week of class. This provides
another means of contact and sharing info.
…………………………………………………….
It's hard to focus on school work when you're
facing difficulties with having your basic
needs (such as food) met. I do not expect you
to leave your humanity at the metaphorical
door for the sake of this class. I've created a
Resources page on Blackboard that includes
information that can assist with such issues. I
also want to note here that COD does require
me (as well as the rest of your professors) to
report disclosures of sexual violence to our
Title IX office. I want to be upfront about that
because while I absolutely do want to provide
support in such instances, I also know that a
student may not wish to trigger an automatic
report for various reasons, and I believe it's
important for you all to have that information
before making the decision to disclose.
AU21
Community:
• We may discuss topics like race, sexuality,
socioeconomic status, gender, etc. You may
have an emotional response to something
you see, read, or hear, which is normal (and
often, intended by creators). Some concepts
may challenge your views or be contrary to
your experiences. Approach the work of this
class with respect and generosity. Doing so
enables our class to be the learning space it
needs to be for people to share and for us all
to grow. Listen. Try not to jump to
conclusions. Ask clarifying questions. Make
sure you understand what's actually being
said before you formulate a response. We
don't have to agree about everything, but we
do need to be able to listen to one another.  College Composition and
• I strive to give a heads up when content
we're engaging with includes topics that can
be traumatic, such as sexual violence, child
abuse, and suicide. If there's a type of
content beyond the more commonly known
that you'd like a heads up on, let me know.
• My classes operate on a fundamental
agreement that we do not make space for
racism, ableism, transphobia, sexism,
xenophobia, etc. None of that is productive,
and it's disruptive to classroom communities
(and humanity in general). We’ll work
together to ensure our class is one in which
compassion and care are at the forefront.
• Relatedly, how we address one another
conveys respect. For example, referring to
me as Dr. Yanders or Dr. J or Professor
Yanders (my preferred names) rather than Ms.
Yanders or Mrs. Yanders is a matter of respect
as is me using the name you tell me you wish
to use. I expect you to refer to one another
by the correct names, with the correct
pronunciations, and with the correct
pronouns.
• Last, but certainly not least, the devil
does not need an advocate.
7
In this class…
• We Engage: The work of this class is
designed to demonstrate your
understanding and to foster community.
To make this happen, we all have to
regularly engage with each other and
the material. There will be ample
opportunities to actively engage with
the material, and I encourage you to
make good use of those opportunities.
That’s why we’re here 😁
• We Value Linguistic Diversity: Despite
common perceptions, there’s no such
thing as “correct” or “proper”
English. Many scholars – myself
included – believe the Conference on
Communication had it right in 1972
when they declared that students have a
right to their own language. As the
statement explains,"The claim that any
one dialect is unacceptable amounts to
an attempt of one social group to exert
its dominance over another…A nation
proud of its diverse heritage and its
cultural and racial variety will preserve
its heritage of dialects.” In this class,
I welcome the deliberate usage of
language variation. You don't need to
give up your identity, your voice, or your
persona to be in this class. We all have
something to bring to the class. Like all
of you, I'm teeming with life
experiences, values, and beliefs. This
means you should not expect me to be
neutral or objective, just like I don't
expect you to be neutral or objective. I
do, however, expect you to support
what you say with details and
explantation. And I challenge you to
always strive to make your writing
interesting and alive. You have stories in
you that only you can tell. So tell them.
AU21 8

Course Overview

Week 1 Intro, Syllabus, & More

Week 2 Foundations of Adaptation/R & J
Week 3 A Traditional Approach
Week 4 The Same...But Not
Week 5 The Shakespeare Cinematic Universe
Week 6 Expect the Unexpected
Week 7 About Fidelity…
Week 8 Leaving the SCU
Week 9 Becoming Archetypal
Week 10 Remaking...With a Twist
Week 11 Is It Enough?
Week 12 TV Has Something to Say
Week 13 TV, Part II
Week 14 Thanksgiving - No Class
Week 15 TV, Part III
Week 16 The End