Thursday, January 28, 2016

Week 4 Journal Prompts (Feb. 1-5)

This week you may either respond to one of the traditional journal prompts (included below) or write an outline for your Essay 1.

Respond to Armstrong: How does Armstrong characterize the soulmate? How does his definition differ from some of the other texts we've read in this class?

OR

Take one of the ideas Fludernik talk about, apply it to to one of the films we've watched.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Week 3 Journal Prompts (Jan. 25-31)

Using either The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Notebook brainstorm a definition of the soulmate. What are the soulmate's defining features according to the text you've chosen? Which of these features seems to be most integral to the concept?

OR

Consider how Hegel or Plato subverts or extends the argument made by one of our films (ETSSM or The Notebook). How does their definition of love/the soulmate mesh with the film's? In what ways does it differ? What do you think is the most compelling difference or similarity?

These journal entries will totally help with your Essay 1

Monday, January 18, 2016

Week 2 Journal Prompts (Jan 18-25)

Week 2:

Brainstorm for your Short Paper 1: Choose one film tool to trace through Paperman. Explain how this film tool is working towards the text’s larger message.

OR


Respond to Hegel: How does Hegel define love? What are some ways his definition meshes with yours? Where are some points of departure? How does his definition extend or complicate Plato’s?  


Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Plato's "Symposium"



Wilhoit’s Critical Reading Questions:

Who is the author? What possible biases might have influenced his work?

What are your beliefs about the issues addressed in Symposium? How open are you to opposing views on this topic?

What audience is Plato trying to reach? Who would be attracted to his writing? Who would be alienated by it? How does your understanding of audience influence your reading of Symposium?

What’s Plato’s purpose? What’s his thesis? How successful is he at reaching his goals?

How is Symposium organized? What gets stressed as a result of this organization?

How do you feel about the issues addressed in Symposium? What is convincing? What is unclear? What ideas contradict your understanding of the topic? What ideas here are new to you? Which do you accept or reject? Why do you think that is?



Discussion Questions Symposium:

How does Plato choose to set up his argument (pg 14)? What effect does this have for you as a reader?

Aristophanes’ speech is where we get our conception of the soulmate: what are the main points of the story he tells?

What is the problem the gods encounter after the initial split? What does Zeus do to remedy this problem (19)?

For Plato there is a clear hierarchy of sexual relationships/pairings, what is the hierarchy? What do you find most striking or interesting about this hierarchy?

What does Plato value male/male attraction? By extension what is it that love values (pg 20)?

How does Plato describe the sensation of falling in love? What it is then that love or desire, according to Plato really is?

In what ways do you see Plato’s conception of the soulmate informing the modern conception of the soulmate? In what ways do you feel the modern conception of the soulmate differs from Plato’s?

What premises about love does Socrates object to? Why does he object to them (21-23)?

What, according to Socrates’ speech, does love desire most? Why does he claim that love desires this (24)?

Socrates takes a pretty broad definition of pregnancy. What are his primary definitions of pregnancy? Within these various definitions, which is the best?

What is the process, according to Socrates, of falling in love? How does this differ from the definition Aristophanes provides? How are they similar? Which explanation do you find most compelling? Why? 

Monday, January 11, 2016

Week 1 Journal Prompts (Jan. 10 - Jan. 16)

Week 1:

Do you believe in the Soulmate? Why or Why not? What do you most hope this course will illuminate about this trope?

OR


Write a short response to Plato’s Symposium. What struck you about his conception of the soulmate? Of love more generally? What are some of the ways his definition informs our modern understanding of these concepts? What are some ways modern (or popular) conceptions of the soulmate differ from his view?

Searching "soulmate" in Google images returns the above.

Welcome to W170!

Hello All!

Welcome to W170: Representations of the Soulmate in Popular Culture! In this course we will investigate the cultural hold of the soulmate narrative and the assumptions embedded within in. As part of our investigation into these narratives, you will be asked to respond to a series of weekly prompts in your journals. I will posting those weekly prompts to this page.

In addition, I will also be posting various discussion questions for our readings to this page. These questions will act as a jumping-off point for our class discussions; as such, you will want to keep them in mind during your reading of our course materials.

Looking forward to working with you all this semester!

Ms. Maffetone

Img. from Philip Tseng's "Taste Buds"