Dr. Carol R. Ueland

Office: Brothers College 208

Off. Phone: 408-3507

Email: Cueland@drew.edu

Fall 2010 Office Hours: M, Tu, Th and Fri 1-2 (no Wed)

Or by appointment via e-mail

College Seminar Section 023

                                      Lolita and American Culture

College Seminar Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the College Seminar, students will be able to:

• Enter into and participate in a scholarly conversation both orally and in writing;
• Comprehend, evaluate and analyze materials and texts [written, aural, visual numeric] as well as think synthetically and creatively about them;
• Evaluate and explain the appropriate use of different kinds of information from a variety of academic and non-academic sources
• Goals for the Lolita seminar:

--Explore a variety of ways of discussing the relationship of art to ‘reality’ that Nabokov’s novel challenges us to think about.

--Compare narrative structures and characterization in fiction and other media

--Analyze various approaches to the novel from diverse critical prisms

--Trace some of the novel’s resonances in the works of other readers, writers, composers and artists.

1. 1.       Grading Policy
   The College Seminar is a collective exploration of a topic.  Its success depends on the thorough preparation and participation of each of its members.  Missing class means depriving yourself of the insights you will gain through discussion and depriving others in the room of your contributions.  Therefore students are expected to be present at each meeting of the seminar and prepared to participate fully in the conversation.  The College Seminar will be graded as follows:

Attendance and Participation  50% 
Students will not be penalized for absences covered by a Drew Policy (Religious Observance, Athletics, Serious Illness, Death in the Family) (e.g. Athletes are allowed a maximum of two absences, i.e. x/24 rather than x/26). However, it is possible for a student to miss so many classes that they cannot be considered to have taken the class and will not earn credit for it.
Participation will be evaluated on the basis of a rubric.

Course Assignments  50%
      Writing to learn exercises are not counted if you are not in class; missed in-class writing assignments or oral presentations or activities cannot be made up.
       NOTE:  No extra credit will be offered in this class.

1. Academic Accommodations
   Should you require academic accommodations, you must file a request with the Office of Educational Affairs (BC 114, extension 3327). It is your responsibility to self-identify with the Office of Educational Affairs and to provide me with the appropriate documentation from that office at least one week prior to any request for specific course accommodations.  There are no retroactive accommodations.

1. 3.       Academic Integrity
   All work in the College Seminar must adhere to the College Standards on Academic Integrity. You must do your own work. You must cite sources appropriately in all papers and presentations. You must acknowledge the contribution of other students to your work. Any student who is in violation of this policy will be referred to the Dean’s Office for further action. The policy can be found at:
   http://depts.drew.edu/cladean/drewonly/Academic%20Integrity%20Booklet2.htm. 

1. 4.       DoNUt and Library Training.  This seminar is designed with the assumption that you will have completed both the orientation to the Drew Computing environment (DoNUT) and the orientation to basic use of the Drew Library, both of which are a part of the Common Hour, within the first four weeks of the semester.

Books for the Course:

Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, any edition but you should buy the one in the Drew Bookstore unless you already own one.

A course packet [hereafter CP} of other materials which should be purchased by the end of the first week of classes.

Daily Course Schedule: Please note that this is an outline of the course only.  Other materials and details of assignments will be found on the Moodle website for the course.  Check the Moodle site the day before a class---updates will be posted there and override this syllabus.  

WEEK 1

Mon. Aug. 30: Course Introduction.  What is a Lolita?  Who is a Lolita?  Can you think of examples?  Can you judge a book by its cover?

Reading for Fri.: Standards of Academic Integrity booklet at the website above.  

Fri. Sept. 3: Who was Vladimir Nabokov? Powerpoint presentation and overview of his biography.

WEEK 2

Mon. Sept. 6: Labor Day, no class.

Watch the BBC documentary on Nabokov: it will be shown on Drew TV, Channel on

            Mon. at 10 pm

            Wed.  at 8 pm

            Thurs. at 9 pm

Fri. Sept. 10: Discussion of Speak, Memory excerpts

WEEK 3

Mon. Sept. 13: Discussion of Nabokov’s early short fiction, “Cloud, Castle, Lake” and “The Return of Chorb” in CP.

Fri. Sept. 17: Nabokov and his language games: Lolita Foreword and Chapters 1-10.

WEEK 4

Mon. Sept. 20:            Discussion of Lolita Chapters 11-13 and Wylie article on Moodle

Fri. Sept. 24: Discussion of Chapters 14-22

WEEK 5

Mon. Sept. 27: Finish Part I of Lolita (through Chapter 33)

Fri. Oct. 1  Discussion of Lolita, Part II, Chapters 1-15

WEEK 6

Mon. Oct 4: Discussion of Lolita, Chapters 16-25

Fri. Oct 8: Finish discussing text of novel, Lolita,_Chapters 26-36 and the author’s after word, “On a Book Entitled _Lolita”

WEEK 7

Mon. Oct. 12:  “Who was Dolores Haze?” article by Julian Connelly

Fri. Oct. 15: Investigating Lolita’s legacy: an introduction to resources by Jennifer Heise, Library faculty

WEEK 8

Mon. Oct. 18 is really Wed. Oct. 18 Due to Reading Days so class meets on Wed. this week. Did Nabokov plagiarize himself? Lolita vs. The Enchanter

Fri. Oct. 22:  Discussion of Nabokov and film; Kubrick’s film of Lolita.  

             Watch Stanley Kubrick’s film Lolita (152 mins. ) on Drew TV Channel 82 on Mon. Oct. 18 at 9:30 or Thurs. Oct. 21 at 6pm  There are also VHS copies on course reserve in the library of both Lolita films

WEEK 9

Mon. Oct. 25:  Finish Kubrick discussion.

We will schedule a showing of the second Lolita film, by Adrian Lyne, in a dorm lounge this week.

Fri. Oct. 29: Discussion of Adrian Lyne’s film of Lolita

WEEK 10

Mon. Nov. 1: Discussion of Adrian Lyne’s film of Lolita

Fri. Nov. 5: Discussion of Adrian Lyne’s film of Lolita

WEEK 11

Mon. Nov. 8: Discussion of presentation topics and resources

Fri. Nov. 12:  student presentations

WEEK 12

Mon. Nov. 15: student presentations

Fri. Nov. 19: student presentations

WEEK 13

Mon. Nov. 22 student presentations

Fri. Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Break, no class

WEEK 14

Mon. Nov. 29: student presentations

Fri. Dec. 3: student presentations

WEEK 15

Mon. Dec. 6: Writing Nabokovian!  In class writing assignment---bring your computer to class.