Course Description:  ENG-A484 

“Sports, Literature, and Contemporary Culture”

Instructor:  Dr. Hal Bush  

Office:   Humanities 231;  phone 977-3616                    

Office Hours:  TR 1:00-3:30; or by appointment

e-mail:  <bushhk@slu.edu>

 

Course Objectives:      This course will examine depictions of sports activities, as seen in various novels and excerpts from films of the past century.   One preoccupation will be a consideration of how these works function as rhetoric and as criticism of American culture in general.  What view of capitalism is being espoused?  How do writers envision the culture and politics of violence and competition?  How are different ethnicities, races, genders and sexualities represented?  What do various writers reveal about the ways belief, religion, and morality influence the identities as athletes?  And so on.

            Meanwhile, we will think about the ethical and communal aspects of sports—the good and pure characteristics of the sports that we love and admire.  In other words, we will certainly not be focused on merely the negative and the demonic aspects of athletics—we will, for instance, need to notice that in many ways sports literature tends to repeat characteristic “myths” about the redemptive and the salvific effects of the sporting life for those who participate in it with diligence and commitment.  Finally, because of time limitations, we will consider (although somewhat sparingly) sections of films when appropriate.

            The student MUST attend regularly, read the books, hand in work on time, participate vigorously in discussions, and generally be expected to practice aspects of a college lifestyle which lead to academic and career success.

 

 Grading--REQUIREMENTS:

frequent pop quizzes on the readings                                                              20%

4-5 page report (handed in and delivered as a

10-minute talk to the class)                                                                 20%

Final Paper:   8-10 page essay  (DUE May 1)                                                20%

mid-term exam                                                                                                20%

class participation & engagement                                                                   20%

                         

Guidelines:

- Misspelled words and poor grammar will count against you to the extent that the mistakes get in the way of communication. Student writing, thus, must be on a college level.

- Major Papers and Reports must be either typed or word processed. The instructor will not accept hand-written assignments (except take-home quizzes).

- Unexcused absence (cutting) is missing class without either a written excuse or pre-arranged agreement with the instructor.  If a student expects to miss a class, she should contact the instructor beforehand to determine if it is excusable (E-mail is the best way to do this).  Missing a pop quiz due to unexcused absence can never be made up. Continual Absence (8 or more unexcused absences) will result in failure in the course.

- Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of others’ materials.  Evidence of plagiarism will result in an F on a paper and/or a report to the dean of your college.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Eliot Asinof, Eight Men Out.

W. P. Kinsella,  Shoeless Joe.

Norman Maclean,  A River Runs Through It.

Michael Schaara, For the Love of the Game.

Peter Gent, North Dallas Forty.

John McPhee,   Levels of the Game.

John Feinstein,  A Season on the Brink.

Jon Krakauer,  Into Thin Air.

Orson Scott Card,   Ender’s Game.

 

                      

Week 1---        1/14                intro & info

 

                        1/16     Defining and discussing the notions of  “Ethics” and “Culture”

 

Week 2---        1/21     A River Runs Through It –read entire story.

 

                        1/23     A River Runs Through It.

 

Week 3---        1/28     Eight Men Out  pp. 1-119.

 

                        1/30     Eight Men Out pp. 121-193.

 

Week 4---        2/4       Eight Men Out pp. 197-end.

 

                        2/6       Shoeless Joe  Parts 1 and 2.

 

Week 5---        2/11     Shoeless Joe Part 3.

           

                        2/13     Shoeless Joe Parts 4 and 5.

 

Week 6---        2/18     For the Love of the Game  pp. 3-72.

 

                        2/20     For the Love of the Game  pp. 75-end.

 

Week 7---        2/25     NO CLASS—Reading Day.

 

                        2/27     North Dallas Forty  pp. 1-137.

 

Week 8---        3/4       North Dallas Forty  pp. 138-end. 

 

                        3/6       Mid-Term Exam

 

Week 9---        3/10 -- 3/14     * * * * * Spring Break ! ! !* * * * *

 

Week 10---      3/18     A Season on the Brink pp. 1-153.

 

                        3/20     A Season on the Brink pp. 154-184.

 

Week 11---      3/25     A Season on the Brink pp. 185-end.

 

                        3/27     Levels of the Game pp. 3-23.

 

Week 12---      4/1       Levels of the Game pp. 23-108.

 

                        4/3       Levels of the Game pp. 108-end.

 

Week 13---      4/8       Ender’s Game pp. 1-119.       

 

                        4/10     Ender’s Game pp. 120-172.

 

Week 14---      4/15     Ender’s Game pp. 173-end.

 

                        4/17     Films:  Mystery Topic. . . . . .

 

Week 15---      4/22     Into Thin Air  pp. xv-xviii;  3-156.

 

                        4/24     Into Thin Air  pp. 159-203.

 

Week 16---      4/29     Into Thin Air  pp. 207-end.

 

                        5/1       Contemporary Film Day;  evaluations;  FINAL Paper DUE