University of Chicago

Core Course Syllabus

MAPH 30100 Foundations of Interpretive Theory

David Levin & Mark Miller
Autumn 2008

Required Texts

Previously Acquired

  • Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality
  • Freud, “Fräulein Elisabeth von R.” from Freud & Breuer, Studies in Hysteria (via email)
  • Freud, from Interpretation of Dreams: “The Work of Condensation;” “The Work of Displacement” (via email)
  • Sigmund Freud, The Ego and the Id
  • Jacques Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I” (via email)

Available at Seminary Co-op Bookstore

  • Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction
  • Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy
  • Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place
  • William Shakespeare, Macbeth
  • Slavoj Zizek, The Sublime Object of Ideology

Photocopy Packet, available at the MAPH Office (indicated by an X on the schedule)

Performances and Screenings

  • Baz Luhrman, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet—Screening at Opening Dinner
  • Court Theatre: SITI Company, Radio Macbeth—Tickets available by sign-up in MAPH office for November 12, 13, & 14
  • Pacifica Quartet: Ravel: Introduction et Allegro; Berg: Lyric Suite; Beethoven: String Quartet in A minor, op. 132—Tickets purchased for October 11th Performance in Mandel Hall
  • Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window—Screenings on Oct 30 and Nov 3 (see MAPH Calendar for details)

Core Schedule

Sep. 15 (M)

  • 1:00—2:20p: Baz Luhrman, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
  • 2:30—3:30p: Jeff McMahon,“Entering the Conversation”

Sep. 16 (Tu)

  • 1:00—2:20: Sigmund Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Essay 1: “The Sexual Aberrations”
  • 2:30—4:00: Preceptor Groups
  • Writing Exercise distributed (ungraded, 1 page)

Sep. 17 (W)

  • 12:00n: Writing Exercise due
  • 1:00—2:20: Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Essay 2: “Infantile Sexuality” and Essay 3: “The Transformations of Puberty”

Sep. 18 (Th)

  • 2:30–4:00: Preceptor Groups
  • 1st paper topic distributed

Sep. 19 (F)

  • 1:00–2:20: Planning your academic year

Sep. 22 (M)

  • 12:00n: 1st paper due
  • 1:00–2:20: Freud, “Fraulein Elizabeth von R.” (in Freud & Breuer, Studies on Hysteria; distributed by email); “The Work of Condensation;” “The Work of Displacement” (in Freud, Interpretation of Dreams; email)

Sep. 23 (Tu)

  • Graduate Student Orientation (no class)

Sep. 24 (W)

  • 1:00–2:20: Freud, The Ego and the Id
  • 2:30–4:00: Preceptor Groups

Sep. 25 (Th)

  • 1:00–2:20: Jacques Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I” (email)
  • 2:30–4:00: Preceptor Groups

Sep. 30 (Tu)

  • Lacan, “The Signification of the Phallus” (X)
  • 2nd paper topic distributed

Oct. 2 (Th)

  • Guest Lecture: Candace Vogler (Philosophy, U of C) Karl Marx, from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts: “Alienated Labor;” Selections from The German Ideology (both X)

Oct. 3 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Oct. 6 (M)

  • 12:00n: 2nd paper due

Oct. 7 (Tu)

  • Marx, selections from Grundrisse (X)

Oct. 9 (Th)

  • Guest Lecture: Candace Vogler (Philosophy, U of C) Marx, from Capital: “The Fetishism of the Commodity and its Secret” and “The Three Figures of the Circuit” (both X)

Oct. 10 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Oct 11 (Sat)

  • Pacifica Quartet in concert at Mandel Hall: 7:30 pm
  • Maurice Ravel: Introduction et Allegro; Alban Berg: Lyric Suite; Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in A minor, op. 132

Oct. 14 (Tu)

  • Adorno, “On the Fetish-Character in Music and the Regression of Listening” & Roland Barthes, “The Grain of the Voice” (both X)
  • 3rd paper topic distributed

Oct. 16 (Th)

  • Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place

Oct. 17 (F)

  • Jeff McMahon, “Problem and Argument in Academic Writing”
  • Preceptor Groups

Oct. 20 (M)

  • 12:00n: 3rd paper due

Oct. 21 (Tu)

  • Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy

Oct. 23 (Th)

  • Louis Althusser, “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” (X)

Oct. 19 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Oct. 28 (Tu)

  • Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction

Oct. 30 (Th)

  • Foucault, The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction
  • 4:30 BSLC 001 Hitchcock, Rear Window screening

Oct. 31 (F):

  • Preceptor Groups

Nov. 3 (M):

  • 7:00 BSLC 001 Hitchcock, Rear Window screening

Nov. 4 (Tu)

  • Guest lecture: Tom Gunning (Cinema and Media Studies, U of C) Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window

Nov. 6 (Th)

  • Hitchcock, Rear Window; Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”; Lee Edelman, “Rear Window’s Glasshole” (both X)

Nov. 7 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Nov. 11 (Tu)

  • Slavoj Zizek, from The Sublime Object of Ideology: Chapter One, “How did Marx invent the Symptom?”

Nov 12–13–14

  • (Wed-Th-Fri) Radio Macbeth at Court Theatre (sign-up in MAPH office)

Nov. 13 (Th)

  • Zizek, from The Sublime Object of Ideology, Chapter Three, “Che Vuoi?”

Nov. 14 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Nov. 18 (Tu)

  • Discussion of Radio Macbeth; W.B. Worthen, “Shakespeare’s page, Shakespeare’s stage: performance criticism” (X)
  • 4th paper topic distributed

Nov. 20 (Th)

  • NO CLASS

Nov. 21 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups

Nov. 24 (M)

  • 4th paper due.

Nov. 25 (Tu)

  • Guest Lecture, Leela Gandhi (English, U of C) on post-colonial theory (readings TBA)

Nov. 27 (Th)

  • Thanksgiving Day: no class; no Preceptor groups on Friday

Dec. 2 (Tu)

  • Lauren Berlant, “Remembering Love, Forgetting Everything Else: Now, Voyager” (X)

Dec. 4 (Th)

  • Planning and Writing the MAPH Thesis

Dec. 5 (F)

  • Preceptor Groups