LIT 4934 Fall 2018 Edwards

This course explores theories of media and narrative. Our case studies are drawn from television, popular music, film, and digital media. Focusing on contemporary media in the era of convergence culture, in which old and new media interact in ever more complex ways, we will investigate how theories of narrative from literary studies and media studies can help illuminate key narrative developments. Throughout, we will link strategies of narrative and visual analysis, using methodologies such as word and image studies, W.J.T. Mitchell's Picture Theory, and Barthes and semiotics. We will attend to what Julie D'Acci terms the four linked spheres of media meaning, i.e. production, text, audience reception, and socio-historical context. One key trend of particular interest to us is "multi-platform" or "transmedia storytelling," or stories that cross multiple media forms in a coordinated way. This media trend places a renewed importance on storytelling. As we examine innovative storytelling techniques in each medium, we will also discuss how media narratives can give us access to what Raymond Williams called the "structure of feeling," or the lived experience of the beliefs of a particular group at a particular socio-historical moment. We will also discuss Henry Jenkins's theories of "spreadable media" and new trends in media convergence. Assignments include Canvas discussion posts, a midterm exam, two shorter essays, and the longer final essay.