XIDS 2100 –Arts and Ideas:
Special Topics
The
Holocaust: Resistance and Response
State
University of West Georgia
MWF,
Summer 2002
WebCT
Dramatic literature has a natural
home in language arts, but plays about the Holocaust invite curricular
partnerships with history, sociology, social studies,
psychology, fine arts, science, comparative religion, and
technology.
Janet
Rubin, Voices: Plays for Studying the Holocaust
Instructors: Shelly Elman and Dr. Rick Voyles
Shelly Elman
Office
Hours: By Appointment
Phone:
770-836-4792 (Office and Messages)
E-mail:
relman@westga.edu
Dr. Rick Voyles
Office: Thomas B. Murphy Holocaust Teacher Training
and
Resource
Center
Ingram 2nd
Floor
Office Hours:
By Appointment
Office Phone:
770-838-3281
E-mail: rvoyles@sos.state.ga.us
This course
will probe the question of what it means to resist and respond to the Holocaust. Through the diverse media, theater, music,
film, art, literature, politics, and history, we will examine how various
communities and individuals live in the shadows and memories of the Holocaust.
XIDS refers to the cross- and interdisciplinary nature of
courses with this prefix. XIDS courses can be taught by a team or by a single
professor. Their purpose is to offer, through special topics, an integrative
learning experience that results in a new and enhanced perspective.
This course will meet primarily online. Please note that
there are live class meetings scheduled. If, for any reason, students wish to
meet live, we will take an online vote and if the majority requests it, we will
meet for the next class session. Live class sessions will take place either
Monday, Wednesday, or Friday 12:00—1:45 in TLC 1200.
Because much of the online discussions will show
accountability for readings, lecture material, and video, it is important that
you participate in the online discussions. Online discussion will be reflected
in the overall grade for each student.
Primary Texts
The Survivor
by Terrence Des Pres
Night by Elie
Wiesel
Kindertransport by Diane Samuels
The
Resistible Rise of Arturo Uriby Bertolt Brecht
Angel in the
Night by Joanna Kraus
A Shayna
Maidel by Barbara Lebow
Bright Room
Called Day by Tony Kushner
I Never Saw
Another Butterfly (Anthology of Children's Poems
and Art from
Terezin)
Maus I &
II by Art Spiegelman
Videos
(on reserve in the library)
Triumph of
the Will
The Longest
Hate
Rumkowski and
the Jews of Lodz (optional)
Courage to
Care
Obedience
1. Through theatre, art, literature, and video
students will examine an overview of Holocaust history.
2. Through theatre, art, and literature
students will understand prominent Holocaust studies issues.
3. Using theatre and art students will identify
various victims of Nazi policies and practices.
4. Through theatre, video, art, and literature
students will examine the limits, challenges, and
choices
around life in the ghettos.
5. Through theatre, art, literature, and a
survivor students will identify the limits,
challenges, and choices around life in the camps.
6. Students will generate a personal response
to the Holocaust use an expressive genre of their choice.
The Holocaust: Resistance & Response
supports Core Area C1 Learning Outcomes:
To develop the ability to
recognize and identify achievements in literary, fine, and performing arts
(analysis
of contemporary and classic films, fine art, music, theatre, and poetry)
To develop the ability to
apply, understand and appreciate the application of aesthetic criteria to
"real world"
circumstances (how a piece of
art, theatre, music, or literature can reflect the time period in which the
piece was written; how the art can be used as a metaphor for its time).
Grading
Grading Scale:
90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79
C 60-69 D
59-0 F
Assignments
Four Response Papers
(2-4 pgs.) 40%.
Students
will be required to attend outside events related to the issues discussed in
this class, including a live performance of either a concert or a play, as well
as view a video, art, and watch outside films. All papers must have correct
grammar,
spelling, etc
To get an
"A" your response paper must include the following elements:
1. YOU must be in the paper.
You
have been trained your entire academic career to present, critique, analysis
ideas and issues. This paper
moves away
from ideas and issues to focus on you (not just your ideas either).
You
may find this process difficult and your resistance strong.
2. Your response should include the impact of
the course materials.
3. Your response should include any impact of
class discussions and chats.
A response paper is due the next class period following
the end of a module. There are four
modules in this course; therefore four response papers will be due. The fourth and final response paper is due
the week of finals.
In writing your response paper consider the following:
synopsis
of it.
introduction, body, and
conclusion. Looking at a work of art (fine art includes painting, sculpture,
etc.; theatre, music, film) and not only reacting to it, but also reflecting on
how one came to this reaction.
you don't like it.
a film
without knowing that much about film.
lazy. Use
your mind. Think about how and why something affects you.
Final Project 40%.
Create Your
Response to the Holocaust. You may
choose any genre for your response.
ART: Print, Photography, Sculpture,
Painting, Etc.
WRITING:
Research Paper -- 15-20 pages,
double-spaced, with correct footnote and
bibliography formatting.
Poetry -- You must decide early in the
course
and turn in work over the period of
the
course. A minimum number of poems
will be required.
Fiction -- Short story, narrative, play, etc.
MUSIC: (see professor)
MULTIMEDIA:
Video, Web page, etc.
ETC.
Your response can be a group
project. A group grade and an individual
grade will be assigned. Each group
member will grade the other member in the group. Groups cannot be larger than five without special permission. The
instructors must approve all projects.
A project proposal will be due (date to be assigned) stating your 1)
Message, and your 2) Medium.
All projects
require a presentation to the class. If a research paper is done, then a brief
two minute presentation to the class
will include:
Your thesis; Why you picked it; What you learned (e.g. conclusion); and
what impact this project had on you.
Project grading will consist of three categories:
How well
did you communicate your message to the class via your chosen medium, i.e. did
we get it?
How
creative was your response? What risks
did you take?
What do you
say? Is your message relevant?
As is stated in the syllabus and in the Course
Information section this course in WebCT, the Final project is a presentation
of your response to the Holocaust based on the content of this course. What
follows is an explanation of what we expect both in your proposal and in the
final project.
All proposals will include an explanation of the type of
medium in which you choose to communicate (painting, sculpture, theatre, music,
poetry, etc.), and the message you want to send to your audience.
Medium
Choose a
style within that medium. That is, if you choose to write a short play, will it
be in the style of The Resistible
Rise of
Arturo Uri, or will it be in the style of A Shayna Maidel or Kindertransport? If you choose to paint a
picture,
will it be in the style of DaVinci or will it be in the style of Hirschberger?
Message
Make
sure your work has a clear message. Your work should have a strong point of
view; this is where the
audience
can see you reflected in the work.
Please Note: If you
decide to do poetry as your final project, there is a minimum of five pieces of
poetry due upon
the project presentation. We
will not grade poetry on how many lines were written; however, students should
be aware that a poetry submission of one or two five line poems is
unacceptable.
Oral Presentations
work of art or poetry
organized manner
written it should be read, if a
painting is done it should be
shone
time
limit
presentation should occur followed
by a discussion
afterward that covers the message
and ideas behind the
work
questions or make comments about
the work and
presentation the audience just
experienced. Discussion
after the presentation will not be
included in the time limit.
Class participation
and attendance 20%.
Syllabus
I.
Propaganda: In this section we will
look at the role propaganda played in spreading Nazi
ideology and forming national pride.
June 10 First Day of Class:
Introduction (Live)
Video: Triumph of the Will
Films of Leni Riefenstahl’
Read: Online Articles, "The Institute for
Propaganda Analysis"
Read: Lecture I-1 and Answer
Discussion Qts. I-1
12 Nazi Ideology
Read Play: Bright Room Called Day
Read Lecture I-2 and Answer
Discussion Qts. I-2
14 Jewish Life and Culture Before the Holocaust
Video: Camera of My Family (optional)
influence human behavior. We
will consider the human propensity for
obedience, as well as historic
Christian attitudes toward Jews in
order to
better understand public compliance to Nazism.
17 Nazi Rise to Power
Read Play: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Answer Discussion Qts. II-1
Response Paper #1 Due
19 Obedience
Watch Video Clip: Obedience
Answer Discussion Qts. II-2
21 Kindertransport
Read Play: Kindertransport
Answer Discussion Qts. II-3
24 Christian Antisemitism (Live Class)
Video: The Longest Hate
Lecture
III. Results:
Through various genres, we will consider the result of Nazism by looking at
life in
the ghettos, the death camps, life in hiding, as well as at examples of
resistance.
26 Life in the Ghetto
Optional Video: Chaim Rumkowski,
and
the Jews of Lodz
Read Rumkowski Speech #1 and #2
(online)
Read
Rumkowski article and the "Give
Me
Your Children" Speech (online)
View painting and read material on
Rumkowski (online)
Read Lecture III-1 and Answer
Discussion Qts. III-1
Response Paper #2 Due
28 Shayna Maidel
Read Play: Shayna Maidel
Answer Discussion Qts. III-2
Read: “The Survivor” (pp 1-80)
Answer Discussion Qts. III-3
3 Night
Read: “Night” (all)
5
Bearing Witness
Read: “The Survivor” (pp 80-174)
8 Guest Speaker: A
Holocaust Survivor (Live Class)
Project Proposals Due
10 Children's Poetry
Read: “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”
(all)
Answer Discussion Qts. III-4
12 Rescuers
Watch Video: Courage to Care (30
minutes)
Answer Discussion Qt. III-5
IV.
Responses: In this section we
will look at responses to the Holocaust.
We will look at varying genres as response,
considering both medium and message for each
genre. This will also be the time to consider your own
response to the Holocaust. You will have to pick a medium and a message
for either an individual or a group response (no more that five people in a
group).
15 Angel in the Night
Answer Discussion Qts. IV-1
Response Paper #3 Due
17 “The Table”
Read “The Table” (This will be handed
out
in class)
Answer Discussion Qt. IV-2
19 & 22 Maus I & II
Read: “Maus I” and “Maus II”
Answer Discussion Qt. IV-3
24 Open Day (TBA)
Work on your projects
26 & 29 Student Presentations (Live Classes) Mandatory
Attendance
August 1 Finals Week: Student Presentations (Live Class: if necessary)
Response Paper #4 Due