ENG 4815-01 Spring 2024

This course for the EWM track investigates concepts of textuality, which refers to how "texts" make meaning by being understood in context. We will test out key scholarly ideas by discussing some vibrant films as case studies. Our reading includes scholarship on textuality as well as on film. As we explore different ideas about what counts as a "text" and where the meaning of a text resides, we will assess debates about the relationship between the text and vital contexts. These contexts include the socio-historical context, audience reception, and the "paratext," which refers to associated material surrounding the text but that is separate from the text itself. In addition to scholarly debates about how to define "text" and "textuality," we will study concepts of paratextuality, intertextuality, adaptation, interactive textuality, and remediation. We will consider, for example, films that have been adapted from literature and how to unpack the meanings of different kinds of texts. We will ponder what contexts can influence our reading of these texts, ranging from associated material like a film trailer to fan reactions to larger discourses like the cultural expectations of different mediums and genres. Assignments include frequent Canvas discussion posts, two shorter essays, and the longer final essay. In a final project involving both theory and practice, students will get the chance to produce their own multimedia text and to analyze how their own work engages issues of textuality.