|
Women's
Bodies as Rhetorical Spaces: Writing On, From and Through the Female Body
| Instructor:
Christina Fisanick |
Office:
Ellis 359 |
| Home
Phone: 797-9927 |
Office
Phone: 593-9868 |
| E-mail:
clfisanick@aol.com |
Office
Hours: By appointment |
| The purpose
of this course is to introduce you to and in some cases, further,
your concepts of women and rhetoric. We will be examining a number
of texts this quarter that will encourage you to think critically
about the way that women's bodies are represented in popular culture
and how you feel about your own bodies and the bodies of the women
in your lives. We will begin with the assumption that the body is
a text on which, from which, and through which writing can be done.
From that assumption, you will create your own texts to add to the
rich tapestry of works that we will explore together all quarter. |
|
In addition
to the following books, you will be expected to read several online
articles that are listed in the daily syllabus on the days that
they are due.
Ensler, Eve.
The Vagina Monologues. New York: Villiard, 2000.
Foster, Patricia,
ed. Minding the Body: Women Writers on Body and Soul. New
York: Doubleday, 1994.
Winterson,
Jeanette. Written on the Body. New York: Vintage, 1994.
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| You
may miss ONE class. Each absence after the first one will result
in your grade being lowered by one third. For example, if your total
grade in this course is a B+ and you miss two classes, then your final
grade will be a B. If you miss four classes, it will be a C+. It is
essential that you come to class each time we meet. Choose your absence
wisely. Vacation is NOT an excuse for missing class. If you miss for
a medical reason, I need to see a doctor's excuse. Good attendance
should be your top priority in this course because most of your learning
will take place during class discussions. |
| Plagiarism
is becoming more commonplace on university campuses than in prior
years. It is of great concern for me as an instructor and as a writer.
If you plagiarize in this class, I will fail you for the quarter.
I do not make exceptions to this rule. If you are struggling with
your work, please come and talk to me. Submitting someone else's work
as your own might give you a passing grade (if you are lucky and I
don't discover that you have plagiarized), but you are abusing someone
else's creativity, intelligence, and hard work. If you are unsure
that what you are doing is plagiarism, please ask. |
|
You will be
assigned four writing assignments this quarter. You must complete
all assignments to pass this course.
Weekly Discussion
Board Posts (25%)--Between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. each Friday,
you must make a post to the class discussion board. No late posts
will be accepted. (The time is listed on your post.) Your posts
should concern any aspect of the class that interests you and should
be thoughtful and relevant to your classmates' posts. In other words,
you should read what other students have written before making your
post. Feel free, however, to begin a new topic at any time. This
space is not for ranting, but rather to encourage a continuation
of our classroom discussions.
Autobiography
of Your Body (25%)--For this assignment, you will write an autobiography
of your body. You will submit a three page essay in any format you
wish in which you discuss your body. Use the following questions
as prompts: Which is your favorite part of your body? Which is your
least favorite part? Why? Describe your first memory of being aware
of your body? Do you have birthmarks or scars? What do they look
like? How did you get them? How do you feel about them? Do you think
that any part of your body is taboo? Why? Use the essays in Minding
the Body to give you ideas on possible forms for your essay.
Vagina
Monologues Addendum (25%)--I refer to this assignment as
an addendum to the Vagina Monologue, because I see your essays
as an extension of this amazing text. You should think of your text
as a continuation of the work that Ensler is trying accomplish.
For many of you, this will be the first time you have written about
your vaginas and this might be a painful or uncomfortable experience.
Use that discomfort to write a good essay and to free yourself of
the taboos that our culture puts on women's genitalia. Your essay
must be at least four pages in length and may be in any style you
wish.
"Things
are Looking Up" Presentation (25%)--For your final project,
you will need to find a good example of women's bodies in popular
culture and present it to the class. You may choose a new magazine,
a new book, an actress, an advertisement, a web site, etc. as your
subject. Your presentation will focus on the good and bad points
of the example, why you think it is a good example, where we can
find it, and the examples main ideas. You will present your project
during the last week of class.
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| Daily
Syllabus (subject to change) |
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|
Monday
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Tuesday
|
Thursday
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1
|
Introduction |
MB:
"'Reading' the Body: An Introduction"; "The Story of
my Body" |
Autobiography
of Your Body Due |
|
2
|
MB:
"A Weight that Women Carry"; "Inside a Moroccan Bath";
"Life-Size" |
MB:"Mirrors";
Beauty Tips for the Dead"; "Keep Them Implanted and Ignorant" |
Vagina
Monologues--first half |
|
3
|
Vagina
Monologues--second half |
Vagina
Monologues Addendum Due |
Independence
Day! No class |
|
4
|
Written
on the Body--first half |
Written
on the Body--second half |
MB:
"Keep Them Implanted and Ignorant"; "Beauty and the
Beast"; "Fighting Natural" |
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5
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Visit http://www.about-face.org/;
http://www.geocities.com/tenorqueen/;
http://www.fair.org/extra/9707/fear-of-fat.html
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Final
Presentations |
Final
Presentations |
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