English 257F -- Syllabus and Assignments

Schedule of Assignments

• Midterm Essay Exam -- October 22 -- 15%
• Essay -- November 17 -- 35%
• Participation -- full term -- 5%
• Presentation and Write up -- individual dates -- 10%
• Final -- December -- 35%

Essay and Midterm Questions
Essay Questions

1. With reference to one prominent singer who has gained prima donna status, examine the concept of cultural performance. In other words, to what extent does a star enact and vocalize cultural ideals? To what extent do voice and body become sites of resistance against a dominant culture?
   
2. In this course so far, we have discussed several eighteenth- and nineteenth-century representations of the operatic voice, including the incongruous construction of a divine, supposedly transcendent, voice in an eroticized body. In reference to the middle classes, such contradiction allowed them to view the prima donna as a representative of high art--which they sponsored, in part, because of its aristocratic associations--while figuring the prima donna as a social problem, as one inferior to the people whose status she enhanced. What do particular singers and their voices represent for us in the late twentieth century? You might want to focus on your own age and class group when responding to this question.
   
3. Student designed topic.
   

1. Regular attendance and participation are required. Irregular attendance, which will be recorded, constitutes grounds for debarment from the final exam.

I ask all students to read and consider texts in advance of class, since class participation and discussion are central to every course for both the students and the instructor. Many Western students in my previous classes have responded to texts, lectures, and colleagues in stimulating ways that have made a tremendous impact on my professional life. I continue to make participation part of the final grade not in order to coerce reluctant individuals to speak out in a public forum, but to stress that learning is a shared and interactive process. Comments, questions, and attendance obviously contribute to the participation grade, as do all thoughtful responses to other students and to the class as a whole. To alleviate some of the anxiety for reserved people, I am offering an alternative form of participation. Those who are not inclined to speak may submit one probing, written question about the upcoming week's work or a comment about the past week's studies every Monday morning. We will take up some of these questions in class; others may form the basis for seminars or for one on one discussions in my office. I welcome such visits.

2. Each student will deliver a 5-10 minute presentation on a chosen topic or text. The point of this exercise, beyond exposing us to various points of view, is to facilitate discussion. Please be prepared to ask and answer questions afterwards. In order to ensure fairness for each presenter, I will notify the presenter at the end of ten minutes. The presenter must stop the delivery at this time. I realize this specification sounds slightly rigid, but, in past years, students have been upset by lengthy seminars, which appear to have an advantage over brief ones. Students may explore their ideas further in the written document, which must be submitted to me within a week of the presentation. Unlike the essay, the written form of the presentation need not be formal (though it should be typewritten).

Sign up for presentations in the second week of class. Please record this date on your calendar and stick with it. Everyone's schedule becomes very tight around the middle of the term, and multiple changes result in class chaos. To receive a grade, students must present on the chosen date.

3. Essays must be typewritten and conform to MLA rules of writing. In other words, the documents must be written in formal English and adhere to convention: proper margins, documentation, pagination, etc. are mandatory. If you have questions about any aspect of essay composition, please speak with me. I am happy to read introductions, or other sections of the paper, and to comment on essay outlines. Essays may be sumitted in class or placed in the dropoff box outside of UC 173. DO NOT LEAVE ESAYS UNDER MY DOOR. Your material must be identified by your name, your student number, instructor's name, and the course and section number. The department is not responsible for lost or misplaced essay, so, for your own protection, MAKE COPIES OF YOUR PAPERS before submission.

Essays submitted after the due date will have 2% per day deducted . Essays submitted within two weeks of the due date will receive a grade, but I reserve the right to abbreviate commentary. Without special permission, you may not hand in papers more than two weeks after the due date.

4. Students must pass both the term work and the final exam in order to pass the course.

• Introductory lecture: opera's origins and the rise of the prima donna
• Text: "The Grain of the Voice"

Seminars/Classes on prima donnas of students's choice