Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep 1939. NY: Vintage/Random House, 1992.
Print. ISBN 9780394758275. Hammett, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. 1930.
English 463 / Advanced Studies in a Literary Topic: Crime Fiction [Prof. Renée Pigeon, CSU San Bernardino, Department of English] Course Description: This course will explore American hard-boiled crime fiction of the 1930s and 1940s. We’ll read novels by James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Dorothy B. Hughes, and Ross Macdonald and scholarship about these novels and related ideas. We’ll consider formal and cultural aspects of the novels; issues related to popular fiction and adaptation, especially film; and pay particular attention to the California setting of the five novels. No prior reading of crime or detective fiction required. Required Texts Cain, James M. Double Indemnity. 1936. NY: Vintage/Random House, 1992. Print. ISBN 9780679723226 Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep 1939. NY: Vintage/Random House, 1992. Print. ISBN 9780394758275 Hammett, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. 1930. NY: Vintage/Random House, 1992. Print. ISBN 0679722645 Hughes, Dorothy B., In A Lonely Place. 1947. NY: The Feminist Press, 2003. Print. ISBN 9781558614550 Macdonald, Ross. The Drowning Pool. 1950. NY: Vintage/Random House, 1996. Print. ISBN 9780679768067 Additional required readings will be available on Blackboard (http://blackboard.csusb.edu). Course requirements (500 points possible): 1 summary/critique of a scholarly article or alternative paper, 75 points (15%) 1 midterm examination , 75 points (15%) 1 essay, 150 points (30%) 1 final examination, 100 points (20%) Engaged participation in class and online; short responses to readings; quizzes, 100 points (20%) Conversion of points to letter grades: at the end of the quarter, your course grade will be based upon the percentage of 500 points you have earned during the quarter. Letter grades will correspond as follows to your percentage: 100-94 A 93-90 A89-87 B+
86-84 B 83-80 B79-77 C+
76-74 C 73-70 C69-67 D+
66-64 D 63-60 D59-0 F
Please be sure to review the university, department, and course policies following the course calendar. All assignments are tentative and subject to change as needed during the quarter.
Services to Students with Disabilities: If you are in need of an accommodation for a disability in order to participate in this class, please contact Services to Students with Disabilities at UH-183, (909)537-5238.
Course Calendar of Readings: Assigned readings should be completed before class on the day
listed; Print and bring copies of articles to class unless told otherwise (BB = Blackboard) Week 1 T 05 Introduction to class Th 07 Cain, Double Indemnity, chs. 1-7
Week 2 T 12 Cain, Double Indemnity, ch. 8-14 Th 14 Cain, Double Indemnity (Film screening) Read: Dussere, “Out of the Past…” (BB) Week 3 T 19 Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, chs. 1-8 Th 21 Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, chs. 9-15
Week 4 T 26 Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, ch. 16-20 Read: Shulman, “Dashiell Hammett’s Social Vision” (BB) Th 28 Chandler, The Big Sleep, Chs. 1-13
Week 5 T 03 Chandler, The Big Sleep, chs. 14-23 Th 05 Chandler, The Big Sleep, chs. 24-32 Read: Abbott, “’Nothing You Can’t Fix: Screening Marlowes’s Masculinity” (BB)
Week 6 T 10 Midterm exam, bring bluebooks Th 12 Hughes, In a Lonely Place, chs. 1-3; film excerpt (The Best Years of Our Lives) Read: Starr, “Homecoming” (BB) Week 7 T 17 Hughes, In a Lonely Place, chs. 4-5
Summary/critique or alternative assignment due
Th 19 Hughes, In a Lonely Place, chs. 6-7; film excerpt Read: Telotte, “The Displaced Voice of In a Lonely Place” (BB)
Week 8 T 24 Hughes, In a Lonely Place Read: Hogeland, “Afterword” (p. 226-249) and Breu, “Radical Noir . . . “ (BB) Th 26 Essay proposal discussion and peer review Week 9 T 31 Macdonald, The Drowning Pool Th 02 Macdonald, The Drowning Pool
Week 10 T 07 Macdonald, The Drowning Pool Th 09 Review, catch up, etc.; Essays due Finals Week T 14 Final exam, bring bluebooks [course policies follow here]
