LENG-319: FICTION AND FILM (FALL 2015)

Instructor: Peter Gardner

Office Phone: (617)747-8186

PhoneMail: (617)747-8186
E-Mail: pgardner@berklee.edu

Office: 302, 7 Haviland

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Fridays 12-12:50

and by appointment

Mailbox: 264

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on film adaptations of novels and short stories, paying special attention to
similarities and differences in narrative technique. Students view various types of film
adaptations and consider reasons for changes from the works of fiction. The course emphasizes
the challenges in adapting a work of literature to the screen, the limits and possibilities of both
art forms, and the techniques writers and filmmakers use to express their ideas. In addition to
discussing works of fiction, film adaptations, and the roles of film director, screenwriter, and film
scorer, students will have the opportunity to work on their own cinematic adaptation of a short
story, including writing original music for the screen. Such authors as George Orwell, Ayn Rand,
Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Cormack McCarthy, and Vladimir Nabokov will be considered,
as well as such film directors as Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, David Fincher,
Christopher Nolan, Claire Denis, Franois Truffaut, and Akira Kurosawa.
After reading the literary works and viewing the films, we will analyze such narrative elements
and processes as plot, setting, dialogue, characterization, point of view, tone, style, imagery
theme, myth, allegory, and symbolism. We will consider different types of film adaptations
(literal, loose, intermediate) and reasons for changes from the original (e.g., media, aesthetic,
commercial, political). We will also discuss such basic film techniques as shots, framing,
transitions, and pacing.
Following are some of the major questions we will attempt to answer during the semester:

What do literature and film have in common as narrative media and artistic expressions?
How are they unique?
What are the general problems in adapting a work of literature to the screen?

What choices does a film director make in adapting a literary work, and what are the
consequences of these choices?
What is meant by an adaptation being faithful to the sprit of the original, and how can it
violate the intent of the literary work?

To what extent is it possible to translate verbal styles into visual images?

What is the figurative (metaphorical) potential of literature and film?
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What is the potential of the written word vs. visual/aural image to evoke thoughts,
feelings and sensations, reveal states of consciousness (such as dreams, memories, and
imagination), and communicate abstract ideas?
In what ways can a film create structural, stylistic, and thematic analogies to the
original?
How do literature and film function as mirrors of cultural, social, and political
change?

COURSE OBJECTIVES (LEARNING OUTCOMES)

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students should be able to:

Read works of literature and view films with greater understanding and appreciation.
Evaluate literary works and films according to stated criteria.
Analyze the creative, structural, and aesthetic elements and processes of literature and
film as narrative art forms.
Understand the ways in which literature and film can be used to recreate experience and
illuminate ideas and social issues.
Write with greater effectiveness (explore ways to generate, select, and arrange ideas; find
modes for expressing them; and evaluate and revise what has been written).

COURSE MATERIALS: (1) Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, (2) Brokeback

Mountain: Story to Screenplay by Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, and Diana Ossana, and (3)
Two other novels to be determined. All of the books are available at the Berklee Bookstore.

COURSEWORK AND OUT-OF-CLASS PREPARATION: Students are expected

to come to class having read the required materials and to take an active part in class discussions.
In order to maintain satisfactory standing in this course, approximately 6 hours per week of outof-class preparation are recommended. (All course assignments will be posted on
ol.berklee.edu.)

ATTENDANCE POLICY: You are expected to attend class faithfully and on time (classes
start on the hour and finish at ten before the hour). Late attendance will be considered an
absence. You will not receive credit for the course if you have more than 4 hours of
absences. Missing a Tuesday (when we meet from 10:00-11:50) counts as two hours of
absence. If your fifth hour of absence occurs before the "W" deadline (Friday, November 8th),
the instructor may recommend that you withdraw from the course. If your sixth absence occurs
after this deadline, a course grade of "F" will result. Please talk to me if you anticipate any
problems with attendance.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments are due on the designated dates. Late assignments
will be lowered one full grade for each day late.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

You may withdraw from this class by completing a Student-Initiated Withdrawal from a Class
form at the Office of the Registrar. The withdrawal form must be submitted to the Office of the
Registrar by Friday, November 6th. If you submit the withdrawal form by the deadline, you will
receive a grade of W for the class. Withdrawing from a class cannot be done after the deadline.
The instructor will not withdraw you from the class for any reason (including absence) or submit
the form for you. It is your responsibility to withdraw from the course.
If you withdraw from this class, you continue to be nancially responsible for the class and are
not eligible for a tuition refund or replacement course. Please be aware that withdrawing from a
class may affect scholarship, nancial aid, and/or international student visa status. If you receive
nancial aid or veterans benets, your eligibility for aid may be reduced by withdrawing. If you
are an international student, you may jeopardize your F-1 visa status.
In case of doubt about your status and options, ask the instructor, department chair and/or the
Counseling & Advising Center.

POLICY ON TEXTING AND LAPTOP USE IN CLASS

Use of smartphones, laptops, and texting is not allowed in class. Texting, checking e-mail, using
Facebook, etc., while others are talking is, of course, disrespectful and distracting. Please keep
these electronic devices out of the classroom.

FINAL GRADE DETERMINATION: Your final grade will be determined by

considering the following components at the indicated weights:

Attendance and class participation/attitude:

Project #1 (personal film adaptation of short story):
Response Journal (Minimum 2 typed pages per week):
Final Essay and Oral Presentation (8-10 page analysis
of a novel and film adaptation of your own choice):

25%
25%
25%
25%

GENERAL GRADING CRITERIA:

A Exceptional work; far beyond what is simply "required;" demonstrates superior
control of course material; participates enthusiastically in classroom discussions.
B Good; demonstrates a solid grasp of the material and participates consistently in
classroom discussions.
C Average; demonstrates adequate comprehension of course material and participates
sporadically in classroom discussions; work that is enough to "get by."
D Below average; understanding of material and participation in class are poor, but
"passable."
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F Not passing; careless approach to course requirements and deadlines; little or no effort
applied to essays and class discussions; poor attendance.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Berklee College of Music insists on academic honesty. Unless the assignment explicitly is a group
project, all of the work in this class must be your own. The source of all information in any written
assignment must be cited properly, whether it is a quotation, paraphrase, summary, idea, concept,
statistic, picture, or anything else you get from any source other than your own immediate knowledge
including the Internet. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, including
parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books and articles at the end of an essay
is not sufficient. Plagiarismnot giving proper credit to a source and thereby passing off someone
elses material or idea as your ownis a type of intellectual theft and deceit and cannot be tolerated in
an academic setting. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment or course and
possibly dismissal from the College. It is your responsibility to be aware of and abide by the rules
governing plagiarism, fraud, and cheating found in the Policy Handbook for Students (see below). If you
have any questions about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, please speak with me or a reference
librarian. Websites that discuss types of plagiarism and how it can be avoided through evaluation and
proper documentation of sources include:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/index.html
www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Documentation.html
http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

Policy Handbook for Students 2015-2016:

Honesty in Academic Work and in Scholarly and Professional Practice
Berklee College of Music values integrity within the classroom, across all areas of scholarly
and professional practice, and in the use of information technology resources. Consequently,
members of the Berklee community are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and
practice throughout the many aspects of their life and study at the college.
Students who have evidenced academic dishonesty may be made subject to disciplinary
procedures including but not limited to: receiving a warning; receiving a lowered or failing grade
for the project, exam, or other class or homework; receiving a lowered or failing grade for the
course; dismissal from the major; suspension or permanent dismissal from the college.
PLAGIARISM AND HONOR CODE
An honor code (pledge) will be handed out in class for you to sign. This will ensure that you
understand different forms of plagiarism, how to avoid it, and the serious consequences if you
commit this offense.
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SUPPORT SERVICES
(1) English Language Tutoring Program: This program provides assistance to native and
nonnative English-speaking students with all aspects of the language: writing, reading,
speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary development. The tutors are trained
Berklee students, and they meet with students needing additional help with their English
and coursework one hour per week for the whole semester. Peter Gardner is the
coordinator of the program (pgardner@berklee.edu), and he can be contacted with any
questions.
(2) Center for Writing and English as a Second Language: The Center (located in room
110 at 7 Haviland Street) provides writing assistance to all Berklee students, staff, and
faculty, on an as-needed basis. The tutors are English professors and graduate students
who offer help with all academic and creative writing, including essays and written
assignments for all classes, ESL-related writing, creative assignments, resums and
applications for internships, graduate school, grants, and scholarship programs. Beth
Platow is Acting Coordinator of the Writing Center (bplatow@berklee.edu), and he can
be contacted with any questions. To sign up online for a session with a writing tutor, go to
berklee.net/wc.

DISCLOSURE OF DISABILITY
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have
emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the
building must be evacuated, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester.

PRIVACY
In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, students must
authorize contact between faculty members and their parents/guardians. You will be notified via
e-mail and asked to reply in that format or in writing to grant this authorization if your
parent/guardian contacts me.

MISCELLANEOUS: Journal entries and other projects should be typed (doublespaced and
12-point font)). You will be given a large number of handouts throughout the semester. Please
date each one and keep them ordered in a binder since we will frequently be referring to them.
Students are expected to check their Berklee e-mail and ol.berklee.edu account frequently
throughout the semester for course assignments, announcements, and other information.
Students can access the list of materials on reserve for this course via the Class Reserves
website on the library webpage at
https://learningresources.berklee.edu/reserves or by general keyword searching LENG-319
via Stan Getz Library's online catalog at http://catalog.berklee.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?
term=&index=.GW&profile=main.
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COURSE OUTLINE
1. Week of September 7
1. Introduction.
2. Read articles on ol.berklee.edu (Journal entry)

2. Week of September 14 (Read Slaughterhouse-Five)

1. Read the story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce (on
ol.berklee.edu) (Film in class: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, director:
Robert Enrico, 1962). (Journal entry)
2. Discussion of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (story and film).

3. Week of September 21 (Start working on Project #1)

1. Discussion of novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. (Journal entry)
2. (Journal entry)

4. Week of September 28
1. Discussion of the film Slaughterhouse-Five (director: George Roy Hill, 1972).
(Journal entry)
2. Discussion of novel and film. (Journal entry)

5. Week of October 5
1. Work on project #1.
2. PROJECT #1 DUE (personal film adaptation of short story).

6. Week of October 12 (Read second novel to be announced)

1. Columbus Day: NO CLASS (Tuesday follows a Monday schedule).
2. Classroom Activity.

7. Week of October 19
1. Discussion of second novel (Journal entry)
2. (Journal entry)

8. Week of October 26 (MIDTERM EXAM WEEK)

1. Discussion of film adaptation of second novel. (Journal entry)
2. (Journal entry)

9. Week of November 2 (Read Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay;

also start reading novel for final project)
1. Discussion of story Brokeback Mountain (Journal entry)
2. Discussion of screenplay and essays in book (Journal entry) (Last day to request a
Withdrawal)

10. Week of November 9 (Read Novel #3)

1. Discussion of film Brokeback Mountain (director: Ang Lee, 2005). (Journal entry)
2. (Journal entry)

11. Week of November 16

1. Discussion of novel #3 (Journal entry)
2. Discussion of novel #3 (Journal entry)

12. Week of November 23

1. Discussion of film adaptation novel #3 (Journal entry)
2. NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

13. Week of November 30

1. Discussion of film adaptation of novel #3.
2. FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.

14. Week of December 7

1. FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
2. (TURN IN FINAL JOURNAL).

15. Week of December 14 (FINAL EXAM WEEK)

1. FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS (TURN IN FINAL PROJECT)
2. NO CLASS