Schedule
Mon-Wed-Fri, 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM (9/5/2007 - 12/14/2007) Location: Q--
Mon-Wed-Fri, 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM (9/17/2007 - 9/20/2007) Location: QN-N-247
Mon-Wed-Fri, 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM (9/19/2007 - 12/14/2007) Location: QN-N-247
Description
This course examines various types of suspens e literature from the 19th century to the pre sent. Students read, analyze, discuss, and ev aluate examples of the most widely-read and e nduring suspense literature forms: mystery, d etective novel, crime, and the mystery advent ure novel. Special emphasis will be placed o n developing criteria which will aid in evalu ating pipular psychological suspense fiction. Students also examine the history of suspense literature and the cultural contexts that ha ve given rise to the various suspense genres. During the semester, the following topics w ill be examined: basic narrative formulas and structures; significance of the forms; detect ives as a focus for social values; significan ce and typical themes of detective and crime fiction, and the changing nature of the genre -by race, ethnicity, gender, and nationality. Additionally, select films based on crime f iction will be seen and their similarities an d differences examined.