ENG1001: Books on Books, Films on Films

Abstract

“Interpreting the Creative” (INTC) courses within the Yeshiva College core curriculum provide students with foundational tools for appreciating, understanding, and interpreting works from various domains of the creative arts—literary, visual, musical, theatrical and other performing arts... What do literature and film tell us about themselves and each other? What are the elemental forms and structures of literary and filmic narrative? What approaches might one use for the analysis of literature and film? How is reading a novel or short story different from “reading” a film? By addressing these questions, this course will help students to develop a deeper understanding of how narrative literature and film work and how they’re related (or aren’t)... The course will begin by considering the relationship between truth and fiction, and some ideas about what “art” is and does. We’ll examine the roles of readers, film viewers, authors, directors, and critics. We’ll explore the forms and structures of literary and cinematic storytelling, and how these elements come together to produce meaning. Finally, we’ll briefly survey various approaches used by scholars and critics to analyze literature and film. COURSE GOALS: The principal goal of this course is for you to become a more knowledgeable, insightful, and accomplished reader and interpreter of literature and film. More specifically, you’ll learn... - key conceptions of what art (including literature and film) is and does, including how it shapes our perception and understanding of ourselves and the world; - the essential elements of narrative form; - the different types of film shots, camera movements, editing techniques, sound and lighting, and special effects; - how the visual elements of the cinematic mise-en-scène and montage work together to create meaning and affect our emotions; - some ideas about the creative process and the roles of authors and directors; - what the audiences of literature and film actually do when they read or watch; - some of the current interpretive approaches used by scholars and critics; and - how to think and write critically about literature and film.