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My Thoughts on Our Future

nk0825's picture

 I believe that the constructed syllabus for the next few weeks is intriguing in its form as well as its content. Personally, I am interested in utilizing some of Wai Chee’s suggestions because they were simply SO different! I have never read Dante’s Inferno, yet I have heard a lot about it—and no description I have heard has ever sounded like Wai Chee’s classification of it as an early “science fiction.” I think reading this piece of literature with an eye towards its science fiction characteristics could prove to be extremely interesting and helpful towards our search of what genre exactly is. I am also interested in pursuing Wai Chee’s other recommendation The Man in the High Castle because as a more recent look at science fiction it would allow us to see how time and audience influence a certain genre.

On another note, I completely see Anne’s difficulty with understanding how watching episodes of House would fit in with the rest of the syllabus. However, the latest episode in the sixth season  (“Private Lives”) deals with an addicted blogger who has become so attached to her audience that she does things in order to please and entertain her readers. This addiction comes into play when she makes a medical decision based on the audience’s opinion. When I saw this episode I couldn’t help but think of how interesting it was to watch as a student who has recently studied blogs. The episode faces many of the same questions we asked ourselves about the relationship between bloggers and their audiences during the first few weeks of the semester, and I feel like watching this towards the end of the class would bring our discussion of material full-circle.

Comments

TPB1988's picture

I am very excited to read

I am very excited to read Dante's Inferno as well as A Man in a High Castle. I don't know if they are actually that good but the way Wai Chee described them made them sound excellent. I also want to read Dante's Inferno because I just feel that it is a part of our culture. I feel like I am on the outside of an inside joke by not reading Dante's Inferno. I agree with Shayna S about Persepolis as well. It seems to be a part of pop culture and I want to know why everyone says it is so good. I think watching the movie versus reading the graphic novel is a very different experience but I guess it is a good in between for those who do not want to read the graphic novel (although I REALLY want to). I just feel like the movie will not be have the same effect and will somehow ruin the original like some of the Alice adaptations had very little of the actual Alice. Maybe I am just being paranoid. I would love to see Stardust because if there is a definition for fantasy I think Stardust fulfills all the requirements. House also sounds like a really fun idea and a good way to end the class (good job finding that episode nk0825).

Shayna S's picture

Interesting Suggestions

That episode of House sounds like a great idea! I really like, as you pointed out, how it brings us back to the beginning of the semester. For the syllabus, I would actually really enjoy looking at Persepolis as either a graphic novel or a movie (as an alternative for those of us who do not want to read another graphic novel) and selected 1001 Nights stories. I also agree with you on following Wai Chee Dimock's suggestions. I'm not sure about any other House episodes. Perhaps there is another movie or book we could focus on?

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