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Literary Trials
260.228 Literary Trials: Justice in Black and White
Time: TTh 10:30-11:50 Instructor: Dr. Hollis Robbins
Place: 16 LH Office: Centre Street, #33
hrobbins@jhu.edu
I. Course Objectives:
Historical and fictional works depicting legal trials have been a part of the Western literary heritage for thousands of years. In this course we will read two foundational literary trials: the trial of Socrates and Sophocles’ Antigone, then focus for the balance of the semester on American literary trials in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will pay particular attention to the questions of race and the nature of law aboard ship.
II. Course Requirements:
Attendance/Class participation
1 Oral Presentation (10 minutes minimum), 1 response (5 minutes minimum)
Midterm exam
Two analytical papers (4-6 pages, 6-8 pages)
Attendance for this class is critical. Much of what you will learn in this course will be the result of class exercises and discussion. Discussion and debate are crucial to the learning process. You are expected not only to attend but also to participate. Three absences (excused or not) will begin to push your final grade downward. You will be required to read and be prepared to discuss all of the assignments. The schedule below indicates the date by which particular works should be read and the amount of reading to be done each day to stay current with class discussion. Bring the text to class each week. I do not accept late papers unless there is a compelling reason for missing the deadline.
Grade: Your grade will be calculated as follows:
Class Participation: includes attendance, presentations, possible quizzes, contributions to class discussion: 20%
Presentation: 20%.
Two papers: Midterm paper (20%), final paper (30%) Total: 50%.
Midterm Exam: 10%
III. Required Texts:
The Trials of Socrates
Sophocles, Antigone
Herman Melville Billy Budd and Benito Cereno
Richard Wright, Native Son
Marl Twain, Puddn’head Wilson
William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust
Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial
Handouts (including Aristotle’s Poetics)
IV. Schedule and Reading
Week 1 Basics of Trial: Formal Procedures
T Jan 15 Who gets to speak? Who has a role?
Th Jan 17 Aristotle’s Poetics
Week 2 Socrates
T Jan 22 Plato and Xenophon (Julia presenting)
Th Jan 24 Aristophanes The Clouds (from Trials of Socrates)
Week 3 Antigone
T Jan 29 Discuss play (Phil presenting)
Th Jan 31 Class debate (Kaitlin, Dortotea presenting)
Week 4 Amistad
T Feb 5 Presentation: Overview, Cinque, Gedney & Meade, Montes & Ruiz, Holabird, Judson, Baldwin, Adams
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMISTD.HTM
Th Feb 7 More presentation & Film
Week 5 Amistad
T Feb 12 Film
Th Feb 14 Film
Week 6 No Classes – Auditions
Week 7 Benito Cereno
T Feb 26 Discuss text (Miles presenting)
Th Feb 28 Class debate (Jennie presenting)
Week 8 Billy Budd
T Mar 4 Discuss text (Paolo presenting)
Th Mar 6 Class debate (Frederick presenting)
F Mar 7: 1st Paper Due
Week 9 Puddn’head Wilson
T Mar 11 Discuss text (Hannah presenting)
Th Mar 13 Class debate (Julia, Tatiana presenting)
Week 10 No Class: Spring Break!
Week 11 Intruder in the Dust
T Mar 25 Discuss text (Nick presenting)
Th Mar 27 Class debate (Ryan presenting)
Week 12 Intruder
T Apr 1 Film: Intruder
Th Apr 3 Midterm. Discuss 2nd Paper (Due May 2)
Week 13 Native Son
M Apr 8 Read: to first murder (Max presenting)
W Apr 10 Read: to second murder (Rachel presenting)
Week 14 Native Son
T Apr 15 Discuss text
Th Apr 17 Class debate
Week 15 Caine Mutiny
T Apr 22 Discuss trial (Jacob presenting)
Th Apr 24 Class debate
Week 16 Wrap-up
T April 29
Th May 1
F May 2 2nd Paper Due
Time: TTh 10:30-11:50 Instructor: Dr. Hollis Robbins
Place: 16 LH Office: Centre Street, #33
hrobbins@jhu.edu
I. Course Objectives:
Historical and fictional works depicting legal trials have been a part of the Western literary heritage for thousands of years. In this course we will read two foundational literary trials: the trial of Socrates and Sophocles’ Antigone, then focus for the balance of the semester on American literary trials in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will pay particular attention to the questions of race and the nature of law aboard ship.
II. Course Requirements:
Attendance/Class participation
1 Oral Presentation (10 minutes minimum), 1 response (5 minutes minimum)
Midterm exam
Two analytical papers (4-6 pages, 6-8 pages)
Attendance for this class is critical. Much of what you will learn in this course will be the result of class exercises and discussion. Discussion and debate are crucial to the learning process. You are expected not only to attend but also to participate. Three absences (excused or not) will begin to push your final grade downward. You will be required to read and be prepared to discuss all of the assignments. The schedule below indicates the date by which particular works should be read and the amount of reading to be done each day to stay current with class discussion. Bring the text to class each week. I do not accept late papers unless there is a compelling reason for missing the deadline.
Grade: Your grade will be calculated as follows:
Class Participation: includes attendance, presentations, possible quizzes, contributions to class discussion: 20%
Presentation: 20%.
Two papers: Midterm paper (20%), final paper (30%) Total: 50%.
Midterm Exam: 10%
III. Required Texts:
The Trials of Socrates
Sophocles, Antigone
Herman Melville Billy Budd and Benito Cereno
Richard Wright, Native Son
Marl Twain, Puddn’head Wilson
William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust
Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial
Handouts (including Aristotle’s Poetics)
IV. Schedule and Reading
Week 1 Basics of Trial: Formal Procedures
T Jan 15 Who gets to speak? Who has a role?
Th Jan 17 Aristotle’s Poetics
Week 2 Socrates
T Jan 22 Plato and Xenophon (Julia presenting)
Th Jan 24 Aristophanes The Clouds (from Trials of Socrates)
Week 3 Antigone
T Jan 29 Discuss play (Phil presenting)
Th Jan 31 Class debate (Kaitlin, Dortotea presenting)
Week 4 Amistad
T Feb 5 Presentation: Overview, Cinque, Gedney & Meade, Montes & Ruiz, Holabird, Judson, Baldwin, Adams
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMISTD.HTM
Th Feb 7 More presentation & Film
Week 5 Amistad
T Feb 12 Film
Th Feb 14 Film
Week 6 No Classes – Auditions
Week 7 Benito Cereno
T Feb 26 Discuss text (Miles presenting)
Th Feb 28 Class debate (Jennie presenting)
Week 8 Billy Budd
T Mar 4 Discuss text (Paolo presenting)
Th Mar 6 Class debate (Frederick presenting)
F Mar 7: 1st Paper Due
Week 9 Puddn’head Wilson
T Mar 11 Discuss text (Hannah presenting)
Th Mar 13 Class debate (Julia, Tatiana presenting)
Week 10 No Class: Spring Break!
Week 11 Intruder in the Dust
T Mar 25 Discuss text (Nick presenting)
Th Mar 27 Class debate (Ryan presenting)
Week 12 Intruder
T Apr 1 Film: Intruder
Th Apr 3 Midterm. Discuss 2nd Paper (Due May 2)
Week 13 Native Son
M Apr 8 Read: to first murder (Max presenting)
W Apr 10 Read: to second murder (Rachel presenting)
Week 14 Native Son
T Apr 15 Discuss text
Th Apr 17 Class debate
Week 15 Caine Mutiny
T Apr 22 Discuss trial (Jacob presenting)
Th Apr 24 Class debate
Week 16 Wrap-up
T April 29
Th May 1
F May 2 2nd Paper Due
