Alexander College:

ENGL 223 Spring 2023 Outline and Syllabus

Course Information

Course Number and Credits:

ENGL223 Novels Into Film

Course Description:
English 223 is designed to help students analyze, understand, and appreciate works of
literature and their film adaptations. Students will deepen their knowledge of the elements of
fiction—plot, theme, character, setting, symbolism, point-of-view, style—and, in addition, learn
the elements of film—plot, theme, character, setting, symbolism, cinematography, lighting,
acting, sound, directing, etc. Students will apply these elements to enhance enjoyment and
understanding of both literature and film. Students will read/view and compare and contrast
short stories and their film adaptations. The course will focus on the basics of the adaptation
theory, which will enable to bring together the media of literary work and film. 

Class Time:
Day & Time: Tue – Thu, 2:30 – 4:20 PM
Mode:
In-Person/On Campus, Burnaby, room #246

Technology Requirements: For all courses, it is mandatory to have a laptop computer with a
webcam, microphone, and reliable internet connection.
Essays cannot be written properly on a cell phone. There are also more technical issues with
phones, including incompatibility with some of our systems.
More details may be found here: https://alexandercollege.ca/programs-and-courses/online-
learning/#3

Prerequisite Courses:
ENGL 100 and 101 (or 102 or 103 or equivalent)

Mandatory Attendance--> Attendance in this course is not only necessary for success but
also MANDATORY. 70% attendance is required to remain in good standing. Attendance
below 70% may seriously compromise your performance and grade in the course to the point
where the instructor may refuse to accept your submission and grade your work. If by the end
of the course your attendance is below 70%, you will NOT be permitted to write the final exam

1
and will fail the course. Please note that late arrivals and early departures may count as
absences.
Course Topics:

 Literary Analysis
 Rhetorical Analysis
 Elements/Components of Fiction
 Literary Devices
 Figurative Language
 Close-Reading of Text
 Cinematography
 Film Theory/Studies
 Movie Tropes
 Film Analysis/Film Analysis Essay

Prerequisite Knowledge Required:

 Academic Discourse
 Critical Analysis Essay
 Comparative Analysis/Essay
 Oral Presentation
 Library Research
 Active Reading
 Argument
 Thesis Statement
 Evidential Support
 MLA Citation Style

Required Primary Sources (Stories):

 Arthur Clarke, The Sentinel
 Brian Aldis, Super-Toys Last All Summer Long
 James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
 Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
 Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
 Steven Millhauser, Eisenheim the Illusionist

(All these primary sources are available for download as PDFs. See COURSE
READINGS: PRIMARY SOURCES in Modules.)
Required Primary Sources (Filmography):
 Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
 Steven Spielberg, A. I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
 Ben Stiller, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
 Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow (1999)
 David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

2
  Neil Burger, The Illusionist (2006)

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide you with free films. You will need to pay
for the movies using a combination of Netflix, Amazon Prime, youtube, and other
subscription platforms; you may look for copies of these popular films in DVD
rental places as well as the Vancouver Public Library. You will save money on
textbooks by not having to pay for them but to see all the movies assigned in the
course will cost approximately $35. 

Suggested Readings & Other Materials (Secondary Sources):

 Hayward, Susan, Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (PDF available for download;
see COURSE READINGS: SELECTED SECONDARY SOURCES in Modules)
 Understanding Film Theory: An Essential Guide --> 
https://nofilmschool.com/Film-theory-basic-terms
 Various other articles, essays, and links will be also posted in lecture notes and
modules throughout the course. You will also contribute to the list of additional
scholarly materials by conducting library research.

Instructor Information:

Instructor: Tomasz Michalak

E-Mail: Canvas Messaging System ONLY. All email communication must be conducted on
Canvas. Please refrain from using my alexander college or gmail addresses. These are not
reliable means of communicating and I may not respond to those emails.
Office Hours: Mon and Wed, 9:00 –10:00 AM and/or by appointment

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes:

--> Develop and improve reading comprehension by reading and discussing novels, novellas,
and stories actively, critically, and independently.
--> Develop and improve visual literacy by viewing and discussing films actively, critically, and
independently.
--> Learn/review the elements of fiction, including plot, theme, genre, character, symbolism,
style, setting, point-of-view, through lectures, close reading of novels/novellas/stories, writing
assignments, small-group discussions and projects. Apply this knowledge in a variety of
writing assignments to enhance enjoyment and understanding.
--> Learn/review the elements of film and filmmaking, including plot, theme, genre, character,
setting, symbolism, cinematography, acting, directing, through lectures, sequence-by-
sequence analysis, writing assignments, small-group discussions and projects. Apply this
knowledge in a variety of writing assignments to enhance enjoyment and understanding.

3
--> Develop and improve critical thinking and analytical ability through close reading/viewing
of novels/novellas/stories and films, small-group discussions and projects, writing
assignments.
--> Develop and improve written and oral expression, through writing assignments and oral
presentations.
--> Develop and improve ability to assess the relevance of novels/novellas/stories and films
studied to students’ own life and times, through writing assignments, small-group discussions
and projects.
--> Develop and improve ability to compare and contrast plot, form, aesthetics, character, of a
novel/novella/story with same elements in its film adaptation, through lectures, writing
assignments, small-group discussion and projects, mid-term and final exams.
--> Develop and improve ability to conduct library research, and to consult and incorporate in
essay writing and oral presentations relevant secondary sources of literary and film analysis.
--> Develop and improve ability to close read secondary sources; to build own argument and
analysis by drawing on insights and examples drawn from scholarly works.

Basics of the Adaptation Theory

 Focus on “what’s different” in the narratives (i.e., what does the film have that the
book does not, and vice versa?), but realize that this is only a discussion starter—
push students out of their comfort zones into more sophisticated conversations;
 Examine the critical receptions of each narrative—how was the book received?
How was the film received? What does this say about the effectiveness of the
adaptation?
 Identify and reflect upon the choices that the “adapter” made in order to create the
film—were these choices financially driven by the film’s budget? Were they driven
by the length of the book, causing either radical omission if the book is long or
creative addition if the book is short?  Were they driven by national and world
political climates?  These are but a few choices to consider; and
 Wrestle with key adaptation issues such as fidelity (i.e., the “faithfulness of the
adaption”) and the different degrees of translation, such as faithful vs. radical (i.e.,
the adaptation bears very little resemblance to the original source material).

Course Modules:
Module 1: Course Introduction; Adaptation Theory, Film Analysis; Review of Literary
Studies/Analysis

Module 2: Case Study #1  The Sentinel/2001: A Space Odyssey

Module 3: Case Study #2  Super-Toys/A.I. Artificial Intelligence

4
Module 4: Case Study #3  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Module 5: Case Study #4  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Sleepy Hollow

Module 6: Case Study #5  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Module 7: Case Study #6  The Illusionist

Module 8: Course Review; Final Exam

Responses & Feedback:

Discussion Boards:
 This function is currently not being used.

Assignment Feedback:
 Grades and feedback on assignments will be received within 7-10 days from
submitting.
 Rubrics and/or written feedback will be provided.

Assessment & Grading:

Grade Posting:
You will see grades posted in the Canvas Gradebook on a regular weekly basis.

Canvas Gradebook vs. MyAC final grades:

All grades posted in the Gradebook are for the assignments, tests, etc. you earn during the
term. Final grade calculation is based on your cumulative grades for those assessments and
your final exam mark. Canvas Gradebook totals are unofficial grades provided to you for
information purposes. The final grade posted on MyAC is the official grade for transcript and
course prerequisite purposes.

Assessment Scale:
Assessment Item Value
2 x In-Class Oral Presentations 15
2 x Take-Home Essays 30
Class Participation 5
Midterm Examination 20
Final Examination 30

5
Grading Scale:
Letter Grade Percentage Performance
A+ 90-100%
A 85-89% Outstanding Achievement
A- 80-84%
B+ 76-79%
B 72-75% Above Average Achievement
B- 68-71%
C+ 64-67%
C 60-63% Average/Satisfactory Achievement
C- 55-59%
D 50-54% Marginal Pass
F 0-49% Failure of the course

Course Schedule
Tue, May 2 --> Course Introduction: Course Topics, Objectives, Assignments and Grading,
Course Materials
Thu, May 4 --> Adaptation Theory; Film Studies and Film Analysis; Review of Literary
Studies/Literary Analysis

Tue, May 9 --> Case Study #1  The Sentinel/2001: A Space Odyssey

Thu, May 11 --> Case Study #1  The Sentinel/2001: A Space Odyssey

Tue, May 16 --> Case Study #2  Super-Toys Last All Summer Long/AI Artificial Intelligence

Tue, May 23 --> Case Study #3  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Thu, May 25 --> Case Study #3  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Take-Home Essay #1 due Sun, May 28, 11:59 PM

Tue, May 30 --> In-Class Oral Presentation #1

Thu, Jun 1 --> Midterm Exam

6
            
Tue, Jun 6 --> Case Study #4  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Sleepy Hollow
Thu, Jun 8 --> Case Study #4  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Sleepy Hollow

Tue, Jun 13 --> Case Study #4  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Sleepy Hollow         
Thu, Jun 15 --> Case Study #5  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button/Benjamin Button

Tue, Jun 20 --> Case Study #5  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button/Benjamin Button
Thu, Jun 22 --> Case Study #5  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button/Benjamin Button
Take-Home Essay #2, due Sun, Jun 25 at 11:59 PM (Canvas)

Tue, Jun 27 --> In-Class Oral Presentation #2

 
Participation:
Class Participation is defined as active participation in all class activities and discussions in
the form of comments sent as chats and verbal comments in response to questions and
various lecture materials.

In general, students are expected to complete 2 hours of homework (including the reading of
textbooks, preparation for quizzes and exams, completion of labs, assignments, and
exercises) for every 1 hour of recorded lecture material.

Regular Check-ins:
Students are expected to log in into their courses and be working through assignments on a
regular basis. Do not put things off to just before the due date and try to complete everything
just before the deadline – that is a recipe for failure.

Use of Tutors:
No use of outside tutors is permitted, unless approved by your instructor. This includes
online services that offer grammar and plagiarism checking – many of these services tend to
“over tutor” students and that can lead to an Academic Alert. Use of outside tutors, without the
consent of your instructor will result in an Academic Alert.
The Writing & Learning Centre specialists are the only authorised tutors for all AC courses –
their services are available online. https://alexandercollege.ca/student-success/writing-and-
learning-centre/

7
Intellectual Property and Copyright
Any materials produced specifically for courses at Alexander College are considered the
property of the College and/or the instructors who create them. It is unlawful to copy, share, or
otherwise distribute these materials without permission from the College administration or
your instructor.

Please be advised, North American copyright laws are more stringent than in many other
jurisdictions. If you are using photocopiers to copy published works, Canadian Copyright laws
forbid photocopying any more than 10% of any published source. You may not share
photocopies or distribute them to anyone else without the permission of the author(s).

Late Assignments:
The student is responsible for completing all assignments for their courses according to the
deadlines set by their instructors. All assignments must be submitted in the submission box
for the assignment on Canvas. Assignments must be submitted in the format requested.
Detailed instructions are provided and must be observed. Late assignments and/or emailed
assignments will not be accepted.

MLA Citation Workshop:

All assignments submitted in the course must follow the MLA format.

8
 Alexander College Honour Code

We, the students of Alexander College, are an academic community dedicated to

behaving in a manner that commands the respect and trust of our Instructors, peers,
and college as a whole. As a member of this community, I pledge on my honour, to
act with the highest level of honesty, integrity, and dignity. I promise to uphold the
community of trust, of which I am an important member. By signing this contract, I
agree not to violate the Honour Code in my studies at Alexander College. I will:

1) Be honest in my academic career.

2) Create a positive learning environment for myself and all others in my academic
community.
3) Be responsible for my own actions.
4) Respect the rights, feelings, and personal or academic property of others.
5) Grow in the understanding of other cultures, perspectives, and beliefs.
6) Display and uphold academic honesty by:

a. Completing my assignments within the guidelines set by the Instructor

b. Properly citing all of my research and resources
c. Using the Internet for appropriate research or study
d. Participating in the virtual classrooms in a respectful way to both my
instructor and my fellow students.
e. Only using materials authorized by my Instructor during an exam
f. Collaborating in approved study groups
g. Presenting only true and official marks or grades
h. Submitting true and correct official documents
i. Always telling the truth
j. Respecting the rights of others
k. Showing respect to others with my words and actions
l. Valuing all classes, meetings, student activities, and social events (either
on or off campus)

7) Follow all of the Alexander College school policies and rules.

8) Help others in my academic community to uphold the Honour Code.

I have received, read, and understood the information contained within my course
outline including the policy plagiarism and academic integrity.

_______________________ _______________________
Student Name (printed) Student Number

_______________________ _______________________
Student Signature Date