University of Chicago

Core Course Syllabus

MAPH 30100 Foundations of Interpretive Theory

Autumn 2009
David Levin & Mark Miller

Required Texts

Previously Acquired

  • Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality
  • Freud, “Fräulein Elisabeth von R.” from Freud & Breuer, Studies in Hysteria (via email)
  • Freud, from Interpretation of Dreams: “The Work of Condensation;” “The Work of Displacement” (via email)
  • Sigmund Freud, The Ego and the Id
  • Jacques Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I” (via email)

Available at Seminary Co-op Bookstore

  • Roland Barthes, The Pleasure of the Text
  • Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy
  • Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place
  • Slavoj Zizek, The Sublime Object of Ideology

Photocopy Packet, available at the MAPH Office (indicated by an X on the schedule)

Occasional other readings will be available in the ‘Course Documents’ section on Chalk

Performances and Screenings

  • Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window
  • Agnes Varda, Cleo from 5 to 7
  • Charles Ludlam: The Mystery of Irma Vep (at Court Theatre)
  • Pacifica Quartet & Dmitri Kuzov - Mendelssohn: Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12; George Crumb: Black Angels; Schubert: Quintet in C major, D. 956 (at Mandel Hall)
  • Simpsons episode, “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington”

Core Schedule

Week One

Sep. 14 (M)

  • 1:00–2:20p: Hitchcock, Rear Window
  • 2:30–3:30p: Jeff McMahon,“Entering the Conversation”

Sep. 15 (Tu)

  • 1:00–2:20: Freud, “Fraulein Elizabeth von R.” (in Freud & Breuer, Studies on Hysteria; distributed by email); “The Work of Condensation”, “The Work of Displacement” (in Freud, Interpretation of Dreams; email)

Sep. 16 (W)

  • 1:00–2:20: Sigmund Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Essay 1: “The Sexual Aberrations” Writing Exercise distributed (ungraded, 1 page)
  • 2:30–4:00: Precept Groups

Sep. 17 (Th)

  • 1:00–2:20: Planning your academic year
  • 12:00n: Writing Exercise due

Sep. 18 (F)

  • 2:30–4:00: Precept Groups
  • 1st paper topic distributed

Week Two

Sep. 21 (M)

  • 12:00n: 1st paper due
  • 1:00–2:20: Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Essay 2: “Infantile Sexuality” and Essay 3: “The Transformations of Puberty”

Sep. 22 (Tu)

  • Graduate Student Orientation (no class)

Sep. 23 (W)

  • 1:00–2:20: Freud, The Ego and the Id
  • 2:30–4:00: Precept Groups

Sep. 24 (Th)

  • 1:00–2:20: Jacques Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I” (email)
  • 2:30–4:00: Precept Groups

Autumn Quarter

Week 1:

Sep. 29 (Tu)

  • Lacan, “The Signification of the Phallus” (X)
  • 2nd paper topic distributed

Oct. 1 (Th)

  • Lacan, Selections from the Seminar, Book VII: The Ethics of Psychoanalysis on Das Ding (X)

Oct. 2 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 2:

Oct. 5 (M)

  • 12:00n: 2nd paper due

Oct. 6 (Tu)

  • Guest Lecture: Candace Vogler (Philosophy, U of C) Karl Marx, from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts: “Alienated Labor;” Selections from The German Ideology (both X)

Oct. 8 (Th)

  • Marx, selections from Grundrisse (X)

Oct. 9 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 3:

Oct. 13 (Tu)

  • Guest Lecture: Candace Vogler (Philosophy, U of C) Marx, from Capital: “The Three Figures of the Circuit” (X)
  • 3rd paper topic distributed

Oct. 15 (Th)

  • Marx, from Capital: “The Fetishism of the Commodity and its Secret” (X)

Oct. 16 (F)

  • Jeff McMahon, “Problem and Argument in Academic Writing”
  • Precept Groups

Week 4:

Oct. 19 (M)

  • 12:00n: 3rd paper due

Oct. 20 (Tu)

  • Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place

Oct. 22 (Th)

  • Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy

Oct. 23 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 5:

Oct. 27 (Tu)

  • Guest lecture: Jennifer Wild (Cinema and Media Studies, U of C) on Agnes Varda’s “Cleo from 5 to 7”; Luce Irigaray, from This Sex Which Is Not One: “The Looking Glass, From the Other Side” (available on Chalk)

Oct. 29 (Th)

  • Barthes, The Pleasure of the Text

Oct. 30 (F):

  • Precept Groups

Nov 1 (Su):

  • Pacifica Quartet & Dmitri Kuzov - Mendelssohn: Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12; George Crumb: Black Angels; Schubert: Quintet in C major, D. 956

Week 6:

Nov. 3 (Tu)

  • Adorno, “On the Fetish-Character in Music and the Regression of Listening” & other readings tba (X)

Nov. 5 (Th)

  • Louis Althusser, “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” (X)

Nov. 6 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 7:

Nov. 10 (Tu)

  • Slavoj Zizek, from The Sublime Object of Ideology: Chapter One, “How did Marx invent the Symptom?”

Nov 12–13–14 (Th-Fri-Sat)

  • Mystery of Irma Vep at Court Theatre (sign-up in MAPH office)

Nov. 12 (Th)

  • Slavoj Zizek, from Sublime Object of Ideology, Chapter Three, “Che Vuoi?”

Nov. 13 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 8:

Nov. 17 (Tu)

  • Discussion of Court Theatre production of Irma Vep; Readings: Charles Ludlam, The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful (X), and Susan Sontag, “Notes on Camp” (X)
  • 4th paper topic distributed

Nov. 19 (Th)

  • Lauren Berlant, “Theory of Infantile Citizenship” (X)
  • (NB: screening of Simpsons episode, “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington,” TBA)

Nov. 20 (F)

  • Precept Groups

Week 9:

Nov. 23 (M)

  • 4th paper due.

Nov. 24 (Tu)

  • Guest Lecture: Lauren Berlant,

Nov. 26 (Th)

  • Thanksgiving Day: no class; no Precept Groups on Friday

Week 10:

Dec 1 (Tu)

  • Core wrap-up and discussion

Dec 3 (Th)

  • Planning and Writing the MAPH Thesis

Dec. 4 (F)

  • Precept Groups