The Vietnam War, Literature, and the Teaching of Literature (26:352:537)  Fall 2007

Professor H. Bruce Franklin                       Office: Hill 515
Phone: 973-353-5279 ext. 515                  E-mail: hbf@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Office Hours: MON: 1:00-2:20; WED 2:30-4:00; and by appointment.
Home Page: http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~hbf

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Vietnam and America, edited by Marvin Gettleman, Jane Franklin, Marilyn Young, and H. Bruce Franklin. Grove Press, 1995. (Abbreviated as V&A.) Note: Do not use any earlier edition of this book because it will not contain all the assigned material.

Graham Greene, The Quiet American. Penguin paperback.

W. D. Ehrhart, Passing Time. Univ. of Mass. Press paperback.

Joe Haldeman, The Forever War. Avon paperback.

Tim O'Brien, In the Lake of the Woods. Penguin paperback.

(Any edition of these books by Greene, Ehrhart, and O'Brien is o.k., but page references in class discussion will be to these particular editions.)

The Vietnam War in American Stories, Songs, and Poems, edited by H. Bruce Franklin. Bedford paperback. (Abbreviated as ASSP.)

Assigned readings must be completed by the indicated date:

September 5:  Organization, description, and methodology of the seminar.
Video: "The Roots of a War."

September 12 In V&A: pp. xiii-xv; 3-8; 15-28; 31-40; 46-48; 50-62; 65-105; 113-129. Poems of Ho Chi Minh (to be distributed). Graham Greene, The Quiet American (1955).

September 19 V&A: "The Revolution Against Diem" (pp. 133-136; 156-160; 165-201; 205-236); The Americanization of the War" (pp. 239-274). In ASSP: pp. 1-69 (INTRODUCTION; FICTION; Inside the War; Michael Paul McCusker, "The Old Man"; Larry Rottmann, "Thi Bong Dzu"; David Huddle, "The Interrogation of the Prisoner Bung by Mister Hawkins and Sergeant Tree"; George Davis, "Ben"; Tom Mayer, "Kafka for President"; Tim O'Brien, "The Man I Killed.")

September 26 V&A: "The Movement Against the War" (pp. 295-335). In ASSP: Ward Just, "The Congressman Who Loved Flaubert"; Mary Hazzard, from Idle and Disorderly Persons; Wayne Karlin, "Moratorium"; Introduction to Poems (pp. 221-24); poems by W. D. Ehrhart; Larry Rottmann, "What Kind of War?"; Horace Coleman, "OK Corral East/Brothers in the Nam." (Poetry assignments in ASSP refer to all the poems by the designated author unless specific poems are listed.)
Movie: "Only the Beginning" (1971)

October 3 W. D. Ehrhart, Passing Time (1986).
Movie: Hearts and Minds (1974; Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature).

October 10 In ASSP: poems by Jan Barry, Richard M. Mishler, Stan Platke, Philip Appleman, Dale Ritterbusch, "Search and Destroy"; Larry Rottmann, "APO 96225," "For Cissy Shellabarger, R.N. Wherever You Are"; poems by Lady Borton; Sharon Grant; Penny Kettlewell; Basil T. Paquet; Yusef Komunyakaa; Frank A. Cross, Jr.; W. D. Ehrhart; Bruce Weigl; June Jordan; Denise Levertov; Pedro Pietri; Luis Omar Salinas. In ASSP: Songs (pp. 205-220).

October 17 V&A: "The Decisive Year, 1968" (pp. 339-409); "What Happened at My Lai?" (pp. 410-424). In ASSP: The Vietnam War and American Science Fiction; Kate Wilhelm, "The Village"; Lewis Shiner, "The War at Home"; poems by Steve Hassett.

October 24 V&A: pp. 427-437; 451-470. Joe Haldeman, The Forever War (1974; 1997. Note that this novel was originally published the same year as the release of Hearts and Minds).

October 31 V&A: pp. 471-522 [Note: Compare the NLF's Ten Points (pp. 430-433) with the Paris Peace Accords (471-487).] In ASSP: Aftermaths (introduction); Ronald Anthony Cross, "The Heavenly Blue Answer"; Stephanie Vaughn, "Kid MacArthur"; Wayne Karlin, "The Last VC"; poems by John Balaban; Marilyn M. McMahon; Ron Carter; Joan A. Furey; Janice Mirikitani; Linda Van Devanter; Dale Ritterbusch, "At the Crash Site of a B-52: January 1994"; Larry Rottmann, "The Bones of an American M.I.A. Speak to the Members of the Joint Casualty Resolution Team"; "Thanks, Guys."

November 14 Tim O'Brien, In the Lake of the Woods (1994).

November 28 Presentations by members of the seminar.

December 5 Presentations by members of the seminar.

December 12 Presentations by members of the seminar.

December 12 Final day for submission of original essay (minimum length 3,500 words). Extensions without penalty will be granted only for medical or other emergencies.

The essay must be an original work relating to one or more of the issues or works explored in the seminar. It should have something significant to communicate, and it should be worth its readers' time. Please note that after November 14, there is no assigned reading. This allows three weeks to spend on your essay, which is your only major project for the course. Your aim should be to produce a work of potentially publishable quality in both form and content.

The physical appearance of your work should be attractive and professional looking. The print should be very black and pleasant to read. Citations and format should follow the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or The Chicago Manual of Style.

Presentations by Members of the Seminar

During the last three meetings, each member of the seminar will lead a discussion relevant to his or her essay. One week before your presentation, you should supply all other members of the seminar with written materials to read in preparation. These materials might be anything from notes and problems to a rough draft (or even the finished essay). The easiest way to provide these materials is by e-mail. When leading this discussion, you will be entirely in charge of the seminar. You may use the time to pose problems you have encountered in developing your essay, to explore the subject of your essay more deeply, to present a brief version of your essay, or whatever you think most valuable. Everybody needs to prepare for each discussion by studying the appropriate materials before that seminar meets.

Tests and Responsibility to Complete the Readings on Time

The success of the seminar depends on each member reading each assigned text, on a level to be expected of a graduate student, on time. Because in the past it became apparent that the best intentions in this regard were not adequate, there may be brief tests on the readings the date they are due. There will be no midterm or final examination.