American Studies 428P, Winter 2017

Power, Paranoia, and Politics in Postwar Film and Popular Culture

Instructor: Dr. Robert Chester Office: 2331 Tawes Hall

Email: rchester@umd.edu

Course Description

Through a critical examination of film and other forms of popular culture – including propaganda art, TV

shows, and popular magazines – produced in the post-World War II era, this course explores such issues

as political paranoia over communist infiltration of American life, fear of the atomic bomb and nuclear

devastation, and the contentious politics of policing race, gender, and sexuality in a pivotal period of

American cultural history. Over the three-week winter semester, students will complete various readings

and screenings online, take part in online discussions with their peers and their instructor, write two short

analytical papers in response to questions from the instructor, and compose a final paper of 8-10 pages.

NOTE: this course does not require students to be online at a particular time, only that each

assignment is completed and submitted by 5PM on the day that assignment is due.

Course Goals

The course aims to guide students to do the following:

- Explore the political and ideological work of popular culture and cinema in American history by

examining and interpreting a selection of feature films representing issues in postwar American

society.

- Critically engage with film and culture in order to better understand historical and contemporary

elements of American popular and political culture.

- Understand and explore concepts of gender, race and representation in changing historical

contexts. Provisional

- Improve historical knowledge and enhance skills in critical thinking and visual analysis.

- Hone and improve skills in writing through a series of discussions, short written assignments, and

longer essays.

Required Texts

Tom Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture: Cold War America and the Disillusioning of a

Generation Revised Edition. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2007

All other readings are available through ELMS (Canvas) in the Modules section of the course space.

Films and other visual sources assigned for viewing will also be available via Canvas Online Media

Reserves (also in Modules) unless otherwise stated.

Assessment

Grades will be calculated from a possible 200 points.

1) Six discussion posts (10 points each, 60 points total)

2) Two short essays of 3-4 pages (20 points each, 40 points total)

3) A “mid-term” examination (50 pts)

4) A final essay of 8-10 pages (50 pts)

Grading for each assignment

- A = Demonstrates outstanding mastery of content and application of concepts in completing the

assigned work. Written work is clear and free from grammatical and typographical errors, and

exhibits original insight and ideas.

- B = Demonstrates good understanding of content and concepts in completing the assigned work,

but does not meet the same standards of writing and originality as ‘A’ work.

- C= Demonstrates acceptable familiarity and understanding of the assignment. ‘C’ grades

represent an average level of attainment.

- D= Demonstrates only sketchy grasp of concepts and course content.

- F= Does not demonstrate understanding or application of course material and concepts. Fails to

address the assignment in a coherent manner.

Numerical Breakdown of Grades 98-100% = A+; 92-97% = A; 90-91% = A-; 88-89% = B+; 82-87% = B; 80-81% = B-; 78-79% = C+; 72-

77% = C; 70-71% = C-; 68-69% = D+; 62-67% = D; 60-61% = D-; 59% or below = F

I will provide details as each assignment approaches, and we will spend some time in class discussing the

ins and outs of each particular essay or examination. The following schedule is our outline, though I

reserve the right to make some changes as we go.

Week 1: Atomic Power and Postwar Paranoia Tues, 1/3

Watch: The Atomic Café (1982)

Read: Robert K. Chester, “World War II in American Culture, 1945-Present,” in Schmid,

Violence in American Popular Culture Vol. 1 (New York: Praeger, 2016), pages 79-85.

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And Tom Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture: Postwar America and the Disillusioning of a

Generation, revised ed. (Amherst: UMass Press, 2007), pages 1-53

Weds, 1/4

Read: Lewis Mumford, “Gentlemen: You Are Mad!” Saturday Review of Literature, March 2,

1946.

And “The 36-Hour War,” Life, November 19, 1945

And Engelhardt, End of Victory Culture, pages 54-65.

And Lane Fenrich, “Mass Death in Miniature: How Americans Became Victims of the Bomb,” in

Marc Hein and Laura Selden, eds., Living With the Bomb: American and Japanese Cultural

Conflicts in the Nuclear Age (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1997), 122-133.

Watch: The Twilight Zone, Season 3, Episode 3, “The Shelter,” (1961).

DUE: Discussion Response 1

Thurs 1/5

Watch: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Read: Paul Haspel, “Future Shock on the National Mall: Washington, DC, as

Disputed Ideological Space in Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still,” Journal of Popular

Film and Television, 34:2 (2006): 63-71

DUE: Discussion Response 2

Fri 1/6

DUE: Short Paper 1 on The Day the Earth Stood Still

Week 2: Communism, Racism and (More) Postwar Paranoia Mon, 1/9

Read: Robert K. Chester, “World War II in American Culture, 1945-Present,” in Schmid,

Violence in American Popular Culture Vol. 1 (New York: Praeger, 2016), pages 85-89.

And John A. Noakes, “Racializing Subversion: The FBI and the Depiction of Race in Early Cold

War Movies,” Ethnic and Racial Studies Vol. 26, No. 4 (July 2003): 728-749.

Watch: The Red Menace (1949)

Tues, 1/10

Read: Selections from comic books and magazines

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And: Stephen J. Whitfield, The Culture of the Cold War, 2nd edition (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins,

1996), pages 27-52; 127-152.

And Engelhardt, End of Victory Culture, pages 69-113

Watch: Red Nightmare (Army Propaganda Film, 1962)

DUE: Discussion Response 3

Weds, 1/11

Watch: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Read: Jennifer L. Jenkins, “‘Lovelier the Second Time Around’: Divorce, Desire, and Gothic

Domesticity in Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” Journal of Popular Culture 45.3 (2012): 478-

496.

And: Katrina Mann, “‘You’re Next!’ Postwar Hegemony Besieged in Invasion of the Body

Snatchers,” Cinema Journal, Vol 44, No 1 (Fall 2004), 48-69

DUE: Discussion Response 4

Thurs, 1/12

DUE: “Mid-Term” Examination (to be written at home and submitted by 5PM)

Week 3: The Power of Protest:

Undermining Cold War Paranoia in the 1960s Mon, 1/16

Read: Robert K. Chester, “World War II in American Culture, 1945-Present,” in Schmid,

Violence in American Popular Culture Vol. 1 (New York: Praeger, 2016), pages 89-92.

And Engelhardt, End of Victory Culture, pages 114-171.

Tues, 1/17

Watch: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Read: Tony Jackson, “The Manchurian Candidate and the Gender of the Cold War,”

Literature/Film Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 1 (2000): 34-40.

And Susan L. Carruthers, “The Manchurian Candidate and the Cold War Brainwashing Scare,”

Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, Vol. 18, No. 1 (1998): 75-94.

DUE: Discussion Response 5

Weds 1/18

Watch: Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Provisional

Read: James I. Deutsch, “‘No communist could dream of a more effective

anti-American film’”: Dr. Strangelove and its red reviewers, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and

Television, 36:1 (2016): 40-52.

DUE: Discussion Response 6

Thurs, 1/19

DUE: Short Paper 2 on Strangelove and The Manchurian Candidate

Mon, 1/23

DUE: Final Paper of 8-10 pages

Papers and format I will distribute information on the specifics of each paper as we go along. However, there are some matters of

format that apply to each of them. All papers should be double-spaced, written in 12 point font, and include page

numbers and a title. All papers must include a works cited page, and must be formatted to the conventions of a

recognized academic citation style.

Late Work Written work that is late without good reason will be penalized at the rate of 5 points a day (weekends count as one

day). Extensions on assignment deadlines can, in extenuating circumstances, be agreed with me before the due

date.

Additional Notes Students with disabilities should contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss any

accommodation for this course. Students with scheduling conflicts due to university activities, or with religious or

cultural dates to observe, should also speak with the instructor.

Academic Integrity The University has approved a Code of Academic Integrity which prohibits students from cheating on exams,

plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers,

submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. The plagiarism policy specifies that all quotations taken

from other authors, including from the Internet, must be indicated by quotation marks and referenced. Paraphrasing

must be referenced as well. The following University of Maryland Honor Pledge can be handwritten and signed on

the front page of all papers, projects or other academic assignments submitted for evaluation in this course: "I

pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination."

Potential instances of academic dishonesty will be referred to the UMCP Student Honor Council. Penalties for

cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can be severe. All members of the University

Community share the responsibility to challenge and make known acts of apparent academic dishonesty. Please

familiarize yourself with university policies and your rights as a student as laid out here:

http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html

All the best for a productive and successful winter semester,

Dr. Chester

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