Obsession Document

Purpose

The obsession document has two main purposes: it provides a structure in which you build your written engagement with Ulysses in a steady, structured way; and it provides a starting point for your explorations of the text in conversation with your group and the class as a whole. To support those goals, the assignment emphasizes steady, small, low-stakes assignment with a great deal of freedom. The assignments are graded purely on whether they are complete and submitted in time for use in class conversation.

Full Obsession Document Entries

The most substantial of these assignments are full Obsession Document entries. For these, your task is to chose two quotations from the reading. If the reading contains more than one episode or chapter, choose the quotations from different ones. Enter the quotations in your obsession document (with citations of episode and line numbers), then write at least 250 words describing your interest in the quotations--which could take the form of ideas, questions, expressions of confusion or curiosity, or something else--and how they might connect to each other. You can choose the form of your writing, as long as a reader can follow your thinking and your post connects to your obsession.

Quotations-Only Posts

For these assignments, just do the first step of the full entries: choose two quotations from the reading. If the reading contains more than one episode or chapter, choose the quotations from different ones. Enter the quotations in your obsession document (with citations of episode and line numbers). That's all the assignment requires; if you want to record any thoughts for yourself about your reasons for choosing the quotations, you are welcome to, but only the quotations and citations are necessary.

Other Obsession Document Assignments

Other assignments for the Obsession Document are described on the syllabus itself.