Citing Monster Theory

For your final essay, if you are creating a monster, please make sure to properly cite Monster Theory, by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen.

Here is the information:

In the parenthetical citation, simply use his last name (Cohen). You do not need to include the page numbers, since you don't have those.

For the Works Cited page, here is the info to plug in:

Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Theory. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 

Lastly, please note that the works cited page citation above is not formatted with the proper indentation (I can't do that in blogger), so make sure you indent the second line.

In-Class Essay Option Revision

If you received a C or lower on your in-class essay, you may choose the following option in order to bring your score on this assignment up one letter grade (so, if you got a D, you could bring it up to a C).

The revision is due no later than 12 pm on Dec. 6th. Please upload it to Moodle under the "Optional In-Class Essay Revision."

1) Expand the essay (typed and following standard MLA formatting) so that it equals at least 4 full pages, typed and double-spaced.

2) Revise according to my notes on your grading handout. You must meet with me to go over these. This is the most imperative aspect of your revision.

3) Incorporate evidence from the novel Frankenstein to support your argument, and cite this evidence with in-text citations.

4) Please note that I will not be commenting on these revisions, only grading them, as I already commented on the in-class essay and this assignment is already extra work for me.

Final Project Presentation Guidelines

For your final project, you will have 10-12 minutes to present your work to the class. You should not go longer or shorter than this amount of time.

You will present both your creative component and your critical component. Aim to spend about half your time presenting each, so there is something of an even breakdown.

The order in which you present your two components is up to you. You may choose to present the creative then the critical, then the critical then creative, or some mixture of the two.

Please consider how you will present your work, and practice ahead of time. Bring notecards to keep yourself on track, and time yourself to make sure you don't go over or under time.

You are welcome to use the technology in the classroom if it is appropriate. You may choose to create a Powerpoint or Prezzi in order to share your work. Anything that you put up on the screen should have proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Capitalize all sentences and check for errors. It is better to have no Powerpoint or Prezzi than a sloppy one, so take care.

If you will be screening a video, or sharing anything computer-based, make sure it is online already on a website in advance to coming to class. Do not bring a flashdrive, or email files to yourself to open. 

We do not have time between presentations, so you need to have everything on a website so that  you can simply type in the address and bring it right up.

Please note that I will be grading your presentation on the following:

How well prepared you are
Whether you stay within the 10-12 min time frame
How well you articulate your critical component
How creative your creative aide is and how well you present it

Please note that I will not be grading you on how calm or nervous you are. I don't think that's fair. You can be nervous and still get a great grade, as long as you present your work. Don't worry about taking a minute to pause or needing to re-state something. That's totally fine. However, because some people get nervous, do bring notecards and practice in advance.

Pairs Qs

1) The book I Am Legend was first published in 1954. It took place in a "future" of 1975 (which is now our past). What are some historical events of that time period that might have influenced the novel's vampires and the fears they represent? Clue: look at what was going on in the world of the novel when the humans were first turned into vampires.

2) Write down everything you know about the vampires' bodies and skills. What specific fears and fantasies might their body attributes and skills represent? (Also, please look at how the women and men are described differently).

 

3) Some say these vampires have quite a bit in common with zombies. What vampire-like aspects do they have, and what zombie-like aspects? Start brainstorming some of the cultural fears vampires might represent more generally, and then brainstorm the cultural fears zombies might represent. Consider their skills, their food, how they look (generally), their habitat, etc.

Final Project and Presentation Due Dates

Below are the dates upon which you will be presenting your final project. Please note the following instructions carefully. The day upon which you present is the day on which your entire project is due. That includes the analytical essay, the creative component, and, of course, the presentation. As with all assignments, it is due no later than the beginning of class that day.

Please note that there are no make-up presentations and you may not switch days. The only exception to this is verifiable proof of emergency (see the syllabus attendance and late work policies for a refresher of my guidelines for these situations). 

Plan ahead and do your work in advance of your due date.

Lastly, please note that BOTH sets of my classes for Tuesday/Thursdays are listed below. Make sure you are looking at the correct class section in order to see your due date!

1:30 Class

Thursday, 11/30

Samantha
Kate
Nicolette
Isabel
Angel

Tuesday, 12/5

Victoria
Marissa
Shanice
Adam
Noah

Thurs, 12/7

Naomi
Keola
Jacky
Kelsi
Olivia

3:00 Class

Thursday, 11/30

Melissa
Dianna
Mariah
Journee
Keylee

Tuesday, 12/5

Abby
MB
Julia
Lily
Danielle

Thursday, 12/7

Tatiana
Uma
Amy
Roshni
Moises

Pairs Discussion

1) Monsters are created through the imagination of humans, and reflect our fears about the world around us. For example, one of the things that inspired Butler when writing Bloodchild was the botfly, an insect that lays its eggs inside a human host body. However, her monsters (the Tlics) can also represent certain aspects of the human body that we are afraid of. What are those elements? 

2) What particular category or type of real world human relationships in particular might Butler be exploring in this story? What is the essential tension in those relationships? 

3) Why do you think Butler focuses on male pregnancy in particular for her story? What does this reversal tell us about the cultural conditions and challenges for pregnant women in our world?