The Gothic Novel
(Complete Item Description)
- Abstract:
What makes a novel Gothic? In this course, the student will explore various definitions as he or she reads a number of novels (and screens several films). The student will supplement these studies with critical literature on the Gothic genre, critiquing and adapting their approaches and theories as the student sees fit. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: provide a general description of the Gothic novel, with specific examples of literary themes, conventions, and tropes from the novels we have read; participate in the critical discourse that surrounds the issue of whether it is better to classify Gothic novels in terms of literary themes or historical context; explain how the Gothic novel both extends and breaks from the traditions of earlier genres; explain the historical development of the novel out of a specific political, social, and economic context; explain the themes of Gothic novels as reflections of prominent social, political, and economic concerns contemporaneous with their development; discuss the significance of the Gothic spaces in novels such as The Castle of Otranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho and explain the psychological implications of the representation of these spaces; critically discuss the theme of otherness in the Gothic novel, with attention to both the historical significance of the other, and the supernatural representation of the monster figure; identify themes of sexuality, gender, and feminism in Gothic novels as part of the novels' creation of psychological terror; explain how themes of sexuality, gender, and feminism in the Gothic novel comment on and respond to Victorian morality and notions of family; define the key terms associated with the Gothic novel and cite examples of these terms from texts read in the course; distinguish between terror and horror in the context of Gothic literary studies and cite examples of each. (English Literature 403)
- Subject:
- Humanities
- Grade Level:
- Post-secondary
- Collection:
- Saylor Foundation