Prof. Francis Tobienne, Jr.
Office: Davis 120
Office Hrs: W, 10 a.m.-11:00 a.m.; F, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
University of South Florida
140 7th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
E-mail:ftobienne@mail.usf.edu
Alternate e-mail: ftobienn@gmail.com
Instructor URL:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/coas/English/Faculty_Information/Francis_Tobienne.htm
LIT 3451 601 DAV 251 R: 2:00 p.m.-4:50 p.m.
Literature and the Occult
Course Description:
LIT 3451 Literature and the Occult:
An introduction to the occult tradition as a major ingredient in English, Continental, American,
and Multicultural literature; analysis of the origins, classifications, and areas of the various
magic arts from classical times through the present. Focuses on values/ethics, race/ethnicity and
gender; thinking and writing skills. Will not be counted toward the English major.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs):
USFSP Institutional GE Student Learning Outcomes:
LITERATURE AND WRITING
· Students will demonstrate the ability to write a well organized and well
substantiated analysis of primary literature and crucial sources in a particular discipline.
MAJOR WORKS/MAJOR ISSUES
· Students will demonstrate the knowledge of the impact of one or more of the
following on the major issues of a particular discipline: culture, environment, race,
gender, and/or values and ethics.
1. LIT 3451 Literature and the Occult 6A MW LW (3) AS ENG is approved for the liberal
arts exit requirements for undergraduates in all disciplines.
2. The student who earns a C or better—or who receives the grade Satisfactory—will earn
3 hours credit towards the Major Works or the Literature and Writing component.
3. Students may also use this course to help satisfy the Gordon Rule 6,000-word
requirement.
4. This course concurs with Article 2 of the Constitution of the Modern Language:
The object of the [course] shall be to promote study, criticism, and research in the more and less
commonly taught modern languages and their literatures and to further the common interests of
teachers of these subjects.
5. Additionally, this course serves as a means of instructing students in close reading,
deductive, inductive, and lateral reasoning; topical and thematic retention strategies, and spoken
and written response techniques.
6. Students will read a novel, two plays, and select poems and short stories from writers
who—like the biblical authors, Classical Greek and Roman writers, and Shakespeare etc.—use
occult elements as a means of expressing challenging, meaningful, and often profound
perspectives rooted in the natural world.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
1. This is a course designed for non-English majors unfamiliar with core and current
practices in the discipline of English.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:
1. The structure of this course is algorithmic and heuristic. Writers, and therefore critics
and readers, are bound by cognitive, linguistic, and narrative patterns that are biological,
traditional, and mutable. As the course progresses, students will begin to discover independently,
the subtext.
2. Students must have a computer that allows them to open and to read Microsoft Word
(files should be submitted via .doc).
3. Blackboard is used for course management, so students must also have access to the
Web.
4. Ancillary, assignment, and supplemental texts and handouts are available on
Blackboard under Course Documents. I make them available when each becomes relevant to the
current assignment. Further, I may bring in some materials myself for the class.
5. All papers must be submitted as hard copies. In some cases, I may ask you to submit
your respective papers via my USF e-mail or my gmail.com account.
6. The writing curriculum is structured on my modification to the PQRST (Preview,
Question, Read, State, Test) self-studying method, a variation of SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read,
Recite, Review). In this manner the PQRST model becomes a method for teaching writing
assignments that involve summarization, critical analysis, and responding to their sources.
Method of Evaluation (in conjunction w/ GE Assessment data):
All students must complete four papers. The student’s GPA for the course is the average of
these four grades. These are homework assignments that cumulatively will meet or exceed the
6000-word requirement of this Gordon Rule 6-A course. All papers must use Word format (.doc)
and be submitted as hard copies. Any late paper (deemed so by the professor if not handed in on
class day) will receive a –10-point penalty. No excuses here! To avoid receiving a 0 for a late
paper, a student must submit the assignment by the next class session.
Students will write two types of papers:
First and Second Assignment:
Title and Brief Description: Summary of a Source and its Critique
The summary and critique of your given source is due 28 January 2010 and is to be 3-5 pages
long. Shorter than the minimum is not acceptable, longer than the maximum by more than a page
is also not acceptable.
Part of the point of the assignment is to summarize and critique succinctly. Do not underestimate
the challenge of summarizing a source; it may seem straightforward, but it can be a challenging
ordeal.
The summary should cover both the main thesis of the source and several of the main points of
the argument. If you pick a long source (e.g. a book) then the summary portion will be more
challenging. You are welcome to use an individual chapter from a book if this helps. My lecture
summaries are examples of what you are shooting for, but in written form rather than in pointby-
point form summary.
Third and Fourth Assignment:
Title and Brief Description: Comparing Texts: Critical Analysis
Often when we evaluate information, we do so through comparisons. For instance, we compare
different products when shopping based on prices, brand names, or the reputations of the
products. Or we compare different sources we are planning to use in our research based on the
arguments presented, the evidence they incorporate, or the credibility of the author(s). In other
words, when we compare two items we are summarizing and reviewing them based on
criteria that they share in common. Thus we develop a comparison much like we do a review,
but we consider more than one item simultaneously.
Assignment: Paper Three: Comparative Critical Analysis with an initial component summary
(also known as an abstract, which usually detailed and about 250-500 words).
Moreover, paper three asks you to compare how two different texts document the same reality (i.e.
magic, occultism, witchcraft, demonology, superstition, talismans/amulets/charms, et cetera).
In this assignment you must select a topic and then find different sources that document that
topic in some way. Just as with the review, you will be focusing on the rhetorical strength of
these texts as part of the basis of your comparison. Thus, you will be evaluating how well they
document the “reality” they share in common, rather than just engaging in a debate over the topic
itself.
Grading Scale and Rubric Assessment Below:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
65-69 D
0-64 F
A (+/-)
Mechanics: A papers exhibit no significant (but perhaps one or two minor) syntactical,
grammatical, punctuation or format (i.e., citation) errors as well as correct citation style.
Analysis: A papers exhibit a sustained, consistent level of analysis appropriate to the linguistic,
rhetorical and thematic aspects of the work asked (see paper’s description); they employ
appropriate direct references (in the form of citation) to the primary work (and, in research
papers, to secondary sources); they avoid whenever possible paraphrase, summary or irrelevant
generalizations.
Essay and paragraph development are coherent and logical and explore the implications of a
clearly stated thesis. In the case of explication papers, an A paper states clearly the direction and/
or mode of analysis.
Style: A papers exhibit a mature and, ideally, graceful style, with a sense of decorum (i.e.,
appropriateness of diction and form) and contain no lapses in clarity. Sentence structure
varies and word choice is unproblematic.
—An A+ paper essentially has to be perfect.
—An A-paper may err slightly in one of these three categories.
B (+/-)
Mechanics: B papers exhibit 2-3 significant syntactical, grammatical or punctuation errors
and may not always follow the appropriate format for citation (see Purdue OWL).
Analysis: B papers exhibit a less sustained, less consistent level of analysis appropriate to
the linguistic, rhetorical and thematic aspects of the work; they may not always employ
appropriate direct references (in the form of citation) to the primary work (and, in research
papers, to secondary sources); they may descend on occasion to paraphrase, summary or
irrelevant generalization. Essay and paragraph development are generally coherent and
logical, but may show evidence of confused or faulty reasoning, disorganization or
unsubstantiated interpretation. There may not be a clear relation at all times between
paragraphs and thesis or, in the case of explication papers, between paragraphs and the
stated direction and/or mode of analysis.
Style: B papers exhibit a less mature and often wooden style, characterized by infelicitous
or imprecise phrasing, and may include occasional lapses in clarity or decorum (i.e.,
appropriateness of diction and form). Sentence structure does not vary much and word
choice may at times be problematic.
—B+ paper exhibits minor problems in only one of these three areas;
—B-paper may exhibit problems in more than one (though not all areas or to a pervasive
degree).
C (+/-)
Mechanics: C papers exhibit multiple and significant syntactical, grammatical and
punctuation errors and may not follow the appropriate format for citation.
Analysis: C papers exhibit almost no sustained or consistent level of analysis appropriate
to the linguistic, rhetorical and/or thematic aspects of the work; they may not employ
appropriate direct references (in the form of citation) to the primary work (and, in research
papers, to secondary sources); they may descend frequently to paraphrase, summary or
irrelevant generalization. Essay and paragraph development are frequently incoherent or
illogical, (i.e. show evidence of confused or faulty reasoning, lack of organization or
unsubstantiated interpretation). There may not be a clearly stated thesis or, in the case of
explication papers, a clearly stated direction and/or mode of analysis.
Style: C papers exhibit an immature and often wooden style, characterized by infelicitous or
imprecise phrasing, and may include multiple lapses in clarity and decorum (i.e.,
appropriateness of diction and form). Sentence structure is often paratactic (i.e., lacks
subordination) and word choice may often be problematic.
—A C+ paper exhibits problems to a pervasive degree in only one of these three areas;
—A C-paper may exhibit problems in all (though not all to a pervasive degree).
D (-/+)
Mechanics: D papers exhibit pervasive and significant syntactical, grammatical and
punctuation errors and do not follow the appropriate format for citation.
Analysis: D papers may lack any attempt at analysis whatsoever or may exhibit a confused
sense of the level of analysis appropriate to the linguistic, rhetorical and/or thematic aspects
of the work; they typically do not employ appropriate direct references (in the form of
citation) to the primary work (and, in research papers, to secondary sources); they may
descend pervasively to paraphrase, summary or irrelevant generalization. Essay and
paragraph development are generally incoherent or illogical (i.e., show evidence of confused
or faulty reasoning, lack of organization or unsubstantiated interpretation). There is often no
clearly stated thesis or, in the case of explication papers, a clearly stated direction and/or
mode of analysis.
Style: D papers exhibit almost no sense of style and a general lack of clarity and/or
pervasive lapses in decorum (i.e., appropriateness of diction and form). Sentence structure is
often paratactic (i.e., lacks subordination) and word choice may be pervasively problematic.
—D+ paper exhibits problems to a slightly less than pervasive degree in perhaps only
two of these areas;
—D-paper may exhibit problems in all to a more or less pervasive degree.
D (and F) papers exhibit a level of writing inappropriate for this level course work.
F
Mechanics, Analysis, Style: Like the D paper, only worse.
F papers also fail to respond to the assignment altogether.
Course Prerequisites:
Junior or Senior Standing
Recommended Prerequisite Skills:
Students should have communication and reading skills commensurate with recent Freshman
English II graduates.
Required Texts:
The Position of Magic In Selected Medieval Spanish Texts (F. Tobienne);
ISBN: 978-1-8-4718496-2
The Italian (A. Radcliffe);
ISBN: 978-0-1-4043754-6
The Monk (M. Lewis);
ISBN: 978-0-1-4043603-7
The Master and Margarita (M. Bulgakov);
ISBN: 978-0-8021-3011-2
**Texts are available at USF Barnes and Noble Books (please adhere to the ISBN
versions listed here)**
Attendance Policy:
If you miss more than two classes, I’ll subtract 10 points from your final numerical
GPA (e.g., a 95 (A) becomes an 85 (B). The reason is simple: professors never assess you on all
that they discuss in class or in assigned readings. To do so would be horrific for you. Evaluation is
a way to motivate, to inspire, and to assess each student’s progress. By being in class and learning
material that may or may not show up on a test, you potentially are learning more than we test you
on. Even the most difficult assignments are limited to an extremely small part of your education.
However, these parts add up, and a C in a class that might not have been interesting or easy for
you is nevertheless a C. Will this ruin your life? Only if you chose to allow it to.
Florida has the lowest tuition for public universities in the United States because nearly all of our
funding comes from tax dollars, and politicians in general are unwilling to vote for higher tax
revenue for universities (K-12 teachers are paid from different funding). This year the university
has had a 4% cut in funding, and an additional 6% may occur. This entails millions of dollar
worth of funding.
Although financially difficult for many of you to pay, your tuition accounts for less than 20% of
the actual costs for each class. We must respect and appreciate the tax payer’s burden, and frankly
those who ditch class are stealing from the state. If the class is filled, they are also wasting class
space that someone more studious and self-motivated needed. So be cool about this.
I do not have the time nor any obligation to repeat or to review material for any student who
does not attend a class meeting, regardless of his or her reason for not attending. Students are
responsible for acquiring any missed handouts. I also do not have time to e-mail or to fax any
handouts, and although I try to post handouts to Blackboard when I can, no faculty member is
required to use Blackboard in this manner.
Please arrive on time and leave only when the class is formally over. We will take a 15 minute
break about an hour into the course. If you feel ill, then by all means leave, but getting up to
smoke cigarettes or to answer a cell phone is disruptive to your classmates and to me. Surfing the
web during class is an abuse of the wireless system USF provides, and you will lose your wireless
privileges by doing so (if caught). The point is this: Don’t make your priorities anyone else’s
priorities. If you are worried about a family member or some event at work, then stay home with
the family member or go to work. Nothing says “I love you” better than making a sacrifice for
your family, even if that sacrifice is 10 pts. Your commitment to your family is more important
than this or any other course. (See Academic Dishonesty and Disruption of Academic Process
below)
Blackboard and myUSF:
Blackboard is a free, online program that allows USF instructors and students to interact through
the Internet. Blackboard is available at https://my.usf.edu. This Web portal will contain some
but not all of the handouts (such as copyrighted material). Make this your first choice for
retrieving grades. For those of you unfamiliar with Blackboard, your first stop should be
www.acomp.usf.edu. You can access both sites from your home computer or the computers
available at the school. Your home browser might also allow you to access other e-mail
accounts. You must access your USF e-mail account regularly. If I am ill or for any other reason
suddenly cannot make it to class, whenever possible I post an announcement to Blackboard and
then spam the class with the same announcement. This will save you an unnecessary trip to
school.
I can post announcements and send important bulk e-mail to all students registered in the course
but only to their USF e-mail accounts. I cannot access a personal e-mail account this way, and it
would be unreasonable to ask me to do so. You must have a USF ID to access myUSF and
Blackboard. I will not communicate grade results, post announcements, or announce class
cancellations in any other manner.
Please be aware that forwarding to a non-USF Email address can delay the delivery of your
Email. Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail have all delayed or blocked Email from USF domains in the
past.
USF is not responsible for any messages that may be delayed or lost when a non-USF forwarding
address is being used.
If you experience any technical problems with myUSF or Blackboard, remember the help desk
information is on your opening myUSF page. The help desk information is E-mail us at helpac@
usf.edu Or call 974-1222 in Tampa or 1-866-974-1222 statewide.
Religious Observances:
In accordance with State of Florida statutory law, I include the following policy for absences for
religious holidays:
“Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of
a major religious observance must provide notice of the day(s) to the instructor, in writing,
by the second class meeting.”
Include the following information in the notification:
Name and social security number
Name of class and date for absence
Name of religious observance
Brief description of religious activity
Signature
The absent student is responsible for the material we discuss the day that he or she is absent. The
absent student must obtain any missed handouts. The absent student must make up any missed
writing assignment by the next class meeting following the absence.
“
““Incomplete”
”” Policy:
An “I” grade indicates incomplete coursework and may be awarded to graduate and
undergraduate students. (Undergraduate rules apply to non-degree-seeking students.) It may be
awarded to an undergraduate student only when a small portion of the student’s work is
incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade. Until removed, the
“I” is not computed in the GPA for either undergraduate or graduate students. The time limit for
removing the “I” is to be set by the instructor of the course. For undergraduate students, this time
limit may not exceed two academic semesters, whether or not the student is in residence, and/or
graduation, whichever comes first. “I” grades not removed by the end of the time limit will be
changed to “IF” or “IU,” whichever is appropriate. If an instructor is willing, he or she may accept
work from a student after an I grade has changed to an IF or IU grade, and assign the student a
final grade in the course, unless the student has graduated. Whether or not the student is in
residence, any change to “IF” grades will be calculated in the cumulative GPA and, if applicable,
the student will be placed on appropriate probation or academically dismissed. Students are not
required to re-register for courses in which they are only completing previous course
requirements to change an “I” grade. However, if a student wants to audit a course for review in
order to complete course requirements, full fees must be paid.
Academic Dishonesty and Disruption of Academic Process:
Students attending USF are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of
coursework in their chosen fields of study. Each individual is expected to earn his/her degree on
the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism
on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. Disruption of the classroom
or teaching environment is also unacceptable. This cannot be tolerated in the University
community and will be punishable, according to the seriousness of the offense, in conformity
with this rule.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is defined as “literary theft” and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact
words of a published text, or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a
published text. On written papers for which the student employs information gathered from
books, articles, web sites, or oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are
not generally known to the public at large, or the form, structure, or style of a secondary source
must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Only widely
known facts and first-hand thoughts and observations original to the student do not require
citations. Citations may be made in footnotes or within the body of the text. Plagiarism also
consists of passing off as one’s own segments or the total of another person’s work.
1. Examples of proper citation (footnote format) are as follows [Footnoting/citation
styles will depend upon those used by different academic disciplines. Many disciplines in the
Natural Science areas, for example, will cite the sources within the body of the text.]
a. “Plagiarism, from a Latin word meaning ‘kidnapping,’ ranges from inept paraphrasing
to outright theft.” 1[Direct quotation] 1Harry Shaw, Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms
(McGraw-Hill, 1972), pp. 209-210.
b. As Harry Shaw states in his Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms, “Plagiarism, from a
Latin word meaning ‘kidnapping,’ ranges from inept paraphrasing to outright theft.” 1[Direct
quotation with an introductory statement citing the source.] 1(McGraw-Hill, 1972), pp. 209-210.
c. Plagiarism is literary theft. To emphasize that point, Harry Shaw states that the root of
the word comes from the Latin word meaning “kidnapping.” 1[Paraphrasing] 1Concise
Dictionary of Literary Terms (McGraw-Hill, 1972), pp. 209-210.
d. In defining plagiarism, “Strategies for Teaching with Online Tools” suggests that
visibility makes intellectual theft less probable. 1[Paraphrasing a Web site]
1http://bedfordstmartins.com/technotes/hccworkshop/plagiarism.htm
2. Examples of proper citation (in body of text):
a. Shaw (1972) states that the root of the word comes from the Latin word meaning
“kidnapping.” [Paraphrasing; complete information about source will be cited in a section at the
close of the text.]
b. Shaw (1972) was correct when he stated that “plagiarism, from a Latin word meaning
‘kidnapping,’ ranges from inept paraphrasing to outright theft.” [Quotation; complete information
about source will be cited in a section at the close of the text.]
c. Plagiarism.org suggests that a searchable database of papers might assuage what Shaw
called a “kidnapping” of intellectual content. [Paraphrasing of a Web site; the complete
information on the Web site will appear in the works cited section.]
3. The following are examples of plagiarism because sources are not cited and
appropriate quotation marks are not used:
a. Plagiarism, from a Latin word meaning “kidnapping,” ranges from inept paraphrasing
to outright theft.
b. Plagiarism comes from a Latin word meaning “kidnapping” and ranges from
paraphrasing to theft.
c. Plagiarism ranges from inept paraphrasing to outright theft.
d. Visibility online makes plagiarism much more difficult for the would-be thief.
Punishment Guidelines for Plagiarism:
The student who submitted the subject paper, lab report, etc., shall receive an “F” with a
numerical value of zero on the item submitted, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final
course grade. It is the option of the instructor to assign the student a grade of F or FF (the latter
indicating dishonesty) in the course.
Cheating:
Cheating is defined as follows: (a) the unauthorized granting or receiving of aid during the
prescribed period of a course-graded exercise: students may not consult written materials such as
notes or books, may not look at the paper of another student, nor consult orally with any other
student taking the same test; (b) asking another person to take an examination in his/her place;
(c) taking an examination for or in place of another student; (d) stealing visual concepts, such as
drawings, sketches, diagrams, musical programs and scores, graphs, maps, etc., and presenting
them as one’s own; (e) stealing, borrowing, buying, or disseminating tests, answer keys or other
examination material except as officially authorized, research papers, creative papers, speeches,
other graded assignments, etc. (f) Stealing or copying of computer programs and presenting them
as one’s own. Such stealing includes the use of another student’s program, as obtained from the
magnetic media or interactive terminals or from cards, print-out paper, etc.
Penalty Guidelines for Academic Dishonesty:
Punishments for academic dishonesty will depend on the seriousness of the offense and may
include assignment of an “F” or a numerical value of zero on the subject paper, lab report, etc., an
“F” or an “FF” grade (the latter indicating academic dishonesty) in the course, suspension or
expulsion from the University. A student who receives an “FF” grade may not use the university’s
Grade Forgiveness Policy if the course is subsequently repeated. An “FF” grade assigned to
indicate academic dishonesty is reflected only on internal records and prevents the student from
repeating the course using the Grade Forgiveness Policy. If a student who has been accused of
academic dishonesty drops the course, the student’s registration in the course will be reinstated
until the issue is resolved. Notice that a student has been dismissed for reasons of academic
dishonesty may be reflected on the student’s transcript with the formal notation: Dismissed for
Academic Dishonesty.
a. For observation of or exchanging test information with other students during the
course of a classroom test, the students who receive or give such information may receive an “F”
with a numerical value of zero on the test, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final course
grade. It is the option of the instructor to fail the student in the course.
b. For the use of any prohibited device, such as a cheat sheet, recording, calculator if
forbidden on exam, etc., during the course of a classroom test to assist the student or other
students, the student using such prohibited device may receive an “F” in the course.
c. For the use of another student, a stand-in, to take an examination for the enrolled
student, it is suggested that the enrolled student receive an “F” in the course and be suspended
from school for one year and that the stand-in, if a University student, be suspended from school
for one year.
d. For stealing, borrowing, or buying of research papers, creative works, speeches or
tests and other exam materials, or other graded assignments, or the dissemination of such
materials, or the manipulation of recorded grades in a grade book or other class records, the
student, if enrolled in the course, may receive an “F” in the course and may be expelled from the
University.
e. It is suggested that students who receive or give stolen computer programs receive an
“F” with a numerical value of zero on the program or programs, and the “F” be used to determine
the final course grade. It is the option of the instructor to fail the student in the course.
Right of intellectual properties:
Students may tape class instruction but may not sell their recordings, notes, or handouts. Still
pictures or video recording are not permitted. I am not shy, but we do have students who are in
the witness protection program, hiding from abusive family members, or who just do not want to
appear on You Tube. Posting photos, video or audio to any site but Blackboard (please contact
me first) will instigate a law suite from USF and then another one from me.
Sleeping in class:
No matter how cute you may look while asleep, there is nothing cute about falling asleep in class
anymore than there is about falling asleep behind the wheel of a car. If you fall asleep, you are
absent that day. No excuses.
Course Schedule: Dates to Remember:
14 January Paper One Guidelines (posted on Blackboard)
Handouts: “Guidelines for Quoting and
Blackboard.
Paraphrasing” posted to
28 January Paper One due (beginning of class; hard copy)
11 February Paper Two Guidelines (posted on Blackboard)
25 February Paper Two due (beginning of class; hard copy)
11 March Paper Three Guidelines (posted on Blackboard)
25 March Paper Three due (beginning of class; hard copy)
15 April Paper Four Guidelines (posted on Blackboard)
29 April Paper Four due (beginning of class; hard copy)
Unless otherwise indicated, the following works come from the Medieval, Gothic and Modern
Period(s). Rather than trying to maintain a rigid schedule, we will read the following in the order
presented and at a pace appropriate to our discussions. Please print and bring to class the works
posted to Blackboard as needed. I will remind you at the end of class what you will need for the
following week.
The Position of Magic in Selected Medieval Spanish Texts
The Monk: A Romance
The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents: A Romance
The Master and Margarita
BRING AN SASE FOR QUICKER RETURN OF PAPER AND FINAL GRADES.
To meet the needs of each class, this syllabus may require modification as the course progresses
(a credit to the dynamism that exists between professor and student(s).
Cell phones:
These disrupt the class, and class disruption can lead to dismissal, (see Course Brochure) so
please leave them at home or turn them off. Even the vibrating alert is annoying to your
classmates. Worse still is someone’s jumping up and banging the door as he or she runs outside
to take a call. Consider your priorities. If you are worried about a loved one or about missing an
important message from work, then stay home or go to work and take the responsibility for your
choices. If you have a hectic personal and professional life, neither the school nor your
classmates are obligated to accommodate your busy schedule. It is unacceptable to ask any of us
to do so. Do not impose your priorities on your class members or on me. Check text messages
during breaks only. Your priority when in class is the class itself. Multitasking has proven to be
neurologically impossible.
***Cell phones/Laptops Addendum:
Cell Phones/Other Electronic Devices: Cell phones, beepers, iPods, and other electronic
devices must be turned off during class. If you take calls or text message during class,
you may be dismissed from class. If the problem persists, you may be penalized for
Academic Disruption. (See “LLW Classroom Electronics Policy” posted under Course
Documents, Bb. On Academic Disruption, see below).
Laptops: You may only use your laptop during collaborative work in class for course
work when allowed by instructor. Laptops are to be turned off at all other times. If you
use the laptop for any inappropriate purposes—checking email, surfing the internet,
doing work for other classes, etc.—then you will be dismissed from class. If the problem
persists, you may be penalized for Academic Disruption. (See “LLW Classroom
Electronics Policy” posted under Course Documents, Bb. On Academic Disruption, see
below).
Anyone’s repeated cell phone disruptions will be treated as a Disruption of the Academic
Process: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0506/stpgsrrp.htm
For a more concise list of links:
“
““Incomplete”
”” Policy:
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0506/stpgsrrp.htm
S/U Grade System:
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0506/stpgsrrp.htm
Academic Dishonesty:
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0506/stpgsrrp.htm
Student Rights and Responsibilities:
http://www.sa.usf.edu/handbook/rights/StudentRightsResponsibilities.htm
Resources for Students with Physical Disabilities:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/saffairs/studentserv/index.htm
Personal Counseling and Career Center:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/saffairs/CCC/index.htm
Academic Tutoring:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/success/index.htm
Scheduled Breaks:
In recent years it has become more common for students to come to class late and leave early, or
to disrupt class in order to make a phone call or to smoke a cigarette outside et cetera. If you
develop an illness right before or during class, please do yourself and your classmates a favor
and go home. We have a scheduled break, so please be polite to me and to the classmates
whom you have to squeeze past. It is a common misperception that because students pay tuition,
they have the right to come and go as they please. That is not the case. Even as tuition rates
increase, no one is paying the full cost of a single course.
This is a State funded school, and student tuition pays a small portion of what is required to
maintain the campus structure, equipment, staff, and faculty. Your tuition entitles you to a space
in the course, the course material, individual examinations or assignment assessments, with a
final measurement of your success (letter grade). By enrolling you have made a contract with the
university, and we expect you to honor it.
The taxpayers want their money spent efficiently and expect each university to ensure its
graduates receive the best education its limited resources can provide. If you have to leave early
because of a serious personal obligation, please tell me before class starts. At the very least I am
assured that you are not suddenly and dramatically taken ill and might require immediate
professional aid. Likewise, if you left because you felt unwell, please contact me when you are
feeling better so I know how you doing. I am concerned about you and want to help when I can.
Academic Calendar:
August 2009 – December 2009
January 11 Classes Begin
April 30 Classes End
January 15
5:00 PM
DROP/ADD/FEE LIABILITY DEADLINE
(Full Refund of Fees/No Grades)
January 18 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
March 8-13 Spring Break
March 20 WITHDRAWL DEADLINE (no refund/ “W” grade assigned)
May 1-7 Final Exam Week
May 9 Commencement (tentative)
A complete Academic Calendar—USF-St Petersburg for 2010 can be found here:
http://www.registrar.usf.edu/forms/91011Cal2009-12-02_12_39_20.pdf
***This syllabus is subject to change***
Contact Information Fall 2009
Office Hours:
R, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.; F, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., or by appointment (w./24hr notice)
(Feel free to stop in any other time my door is open.)
Office:
DAV 120
Mail Point:
DAV 258
Phone:
(727) USF (873) – 4559. E-mail is the most efficient way to communicate with me. If you
must call, leave name, number, course title, and reason you need me to call you. It’s best if
you give your phone number twice, once at the beginning and again at the end. Please say it
slowly so I can write it down. Also, simply saying, “Call me” leaves me nothing to leave on
your answering machine. I can return calls during office hours only and have time to return
your call only once. Please inform your family or co-workers that you are expecting a call
that is important to you.
E-mail: ftobienne@mail.usf.edu
Please identify yourself by telling me what class you are in. I will check e-mail at least once
during weekdays and my alternate e-mail around the same time).
Your responsibility to complete all course assignments on time means that you will have to
visit my office during office hours to pick up graded materials. I have too many obligations
and responsibilities to offer you the option to proceed at your own pace. You might find the
trip inconvenient, but weigh the benefits of stopping by rather than turning in a late
assignment or not participating in class. Keep in mind that what might seem like a
reasonable request to make of me becomes unreasonable when you consider I typically have
100 – 120+ students each semester. Not every professor teaches the same number of courses
or has the same enrollment.
Weekly Readings/Discussion Schedule: 14 January 2010-30 April 2010:
The Subject of Magic: Spain as THE locus of University “
““Arts”
”” & Occult Learning
Week 1:
Reading: familiarize yourself with the syllabus (we will go over it in class) and the books; begin
reading for next week
14 January: Introductions, Syllabus Review
Week 2:
Reading: Tobienne (T), Introduction and Chapter One;
21 January: Images of Evil: Film, Literature and Select Bibliography: Who were the main
practitioners of magic? Was gender an issue? Also, as a brief reminder, we will address the
following inquiries during our in-class Discussion/Diagnostic on: What is Literature? What is the
Occult? What—if any—are the similarities between magic and religion? Are there differences?
Week 3:
Reading: T, Introduction and Chapter Two;
28 January: Medieval Magic & its Residual, Present-day Characterization: Is magic myth-
based? Is it real?
Spain, the Monk & the Devil: the Ambitions of Fiction/Faction
Week 4:
Reading: T, Introduction and Chapter Three; Lewis (L), Introduction and Volume I (11-81)
4 February: Superstition and the Making of the Monk: Are monks truly pious without the
combative presence of demons (internal and external)? Are women to blame?
Week 5:
Reading: L, Volume I continued (82-112) and Volume II (115-192)
11 February: Female Sexuality, Witchcraft and Battling Demons: Are there fears of pollution,
sexuality and demonology?
Week 6:
Reading: Volume II continued (193-239) and Volume III (243-322)
18 February: the Devil’s in the details: the Power of the Curse, of the Devil, and of Sin: What
are the aims behind the use of such magic like curses, prayers and physical objects of meaning?
Week 7:
Reading: Volume III continued (323-377); Radcliffe (R), Introduction (vii-xxxiii) and Prologue
(5-8)
25 February: Re-reading the Malleus Maleficarum, or “The Witches’ Hammer” and Mimesis:
Was there such a thing as a manual to decipher witches? Heretics?
Radcliffe’
’’s “
““Improvements”
””: Literary Explanations of the Occult
Week 8:
Reading: R, Volume I (9-126)
4 March: The Occult in Gothic Literature: What exactly was the Inquisition? Do they still exist
today?
Week 9: NO CLASSES (Spring Break; YOU are still responsible for the readings!!!)
Reading: R, Volume I continued (127-149) and Volume II (153-249)
11 March: Looking for Witches, Heretics: What makes a witch, a heretic exactly? What makes a
heretic, a witch?
Week 10:
Reading: R, Volume II continued (250-297) and Volume III (301-375)
18 March: Cultures of Darkness: Night Travels in the Histories of Transgression: Is the night
evil? Is the day good?
Week 11:
Reading: R, Volume III continued (376-478); Bulgakov (B), Translator’s Introduction
25 March: Ritual and Learned “Arts”: Why all the mystery? Is there an origin to Satan?
Comediae Sathanas: Intelligence of the Occult Re-visited
Week 12:
Reading: B, Chapter 1 thru 8;
1 April: Good and Evil NOT Good versus Evil: Is there a difference?
Week 13:
Reading: B, Chapter 9 thru 16;
8 April: Satire & the Literary Form: Does serious literature get to tell lies? Is fiction truth-telling
through lies?
Week 14:
Reading: B, Chapter 17 thru 24;
15 April: Skepticism & Belief: Binding Words: Does it matter how I say it, rather than what it is
that I am saying?
Week 15:
Reading: B, Chapter 25 thru 32 and Epilogue;
22 April: Occult Enjoyment & the Pleasure of the Text: Where shall wisdom be found? Is it
occult? Is it in the literary?
Week 16: Finals Week
Reading: Conferences w./ Prof. Tobienne
29: Turn in Final Comparative Paper
Formal Paper Guidelines (will be posted to Blackboard):
Paper One thru Three (Four will be an extension paper assignment)
Formal Paper Due Dates:
Paper One Due: 28 January 2010
Paper Two Due: 25 February 2010
Paper Three Due: 25 March 2010
Paper Four Due: 29 April