Overview

This introductory course is organized in a loosely chronological way, beginning with some late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Gothic texts (including Shelley's Frankenstein) and concluding with examples of the genre in popular culture. The module explores how Gothic texts have been used to represent cultural anxieties (about gender, sexuality, religion, technology, nationality, and race), but it will also examine how the Gothic has been used to articulate political resistance. It will also pay particular attention to the Gothic as a visual form, both analysing the representation of Gothic spaces in eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature and art, and investigating the importance of the genre to the development of cinema. While the precise topics covered by the module will vary from year to year, themes will include some of the following: Terror and the Sublime; Monstrosity and Deviance; Doubles and Doppelgängers; Domesticity and ‘The Uncanny’; Psychological Gothic; Welsh Gothic; Cybergothic and the Post-human; and Gothic, Gender, and Sexuality. Students will situate texts within their historical and political contexts, covering a range of periods, and will also gain an awareness of important theories (especially Freud’s notion of the Uncanny and Kristeva's notion of the abject) that will be important to the study of literature in the rest of their degree.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Typically, work graded D- to D+ (or 40 to 49) will show many of the following qualities: •Unsure and lacking in confidence when discussing ideas •Referring to the subject in question in a superficial manner •Making an effort to provide fairly balanced answers •Some points in the argument irrelevant to the topic •Little evidence of background reading •Some uncertainty over language and syntax •Strengths and weaknesses fairly balanced; occasionally clumsy and unimaginative •In creative work: superficial •Not succeeding in mastering the requirements of the medium

-good -Typically, work graded B- to B+ (or 60 to 69) will show many of the following qualities: •Discusses ideas adeptly •Most of the arguments about a specific field are well-aired •Displays knowledge of the subject in question; the answer is relevant •Shows analytical and clear thought •Gives evidence of relevant reading •Shows accuracy in expression with mastery over language. •A few minor errors here and there. •Signs of creative thought deserve a higher position within the class •In creative work: shows signs of originality, having understood the requirements of the medium •Plans of well-balanced and full answers, despite some gaps

-excellent -Typically, work graded A- to A** (or 70 to 100) will show many of the following qualities: •Discusses ideas with confidence and precision •Demonstrates maturity and sophistication •Displays deep knowledge of the subject in question; the answer is totally relevant •Shows independent, analytical and clear thought •Gives evidence of substantial and relevant reading •Shows great accuracy in expression, displaying total mastery over all aspects of the language •Shows occasional signs of brilliance and originality of thought •In creative work: displays considerable originality •Command over medium; may have potential for publication/production

-another level-Typically, work graded C- to C+ (or 50 to 59) will show many of the following qualities: •Discusses ideas, but without much confidence •A respectable effort but not showing any unusual talent; a few flashes of originality here and there •Makes reference to the subject in question, but some important matters not mentioned •Fairly clear thought on most occasions, and the arguments relevant on the whole •Evidence of having read some works associated with the field in question •Quite accurate expression, though the points may sometimes be presented clumsily •Signs of conscientious work deserve a higher position within the class •In creative work: not having quite mastered the requirements of the medium
•Evidence of planning in the answers, but a lack of coherence at times; undisciplined and unsure at times

Learning Outcomes

• Apply selected critical theories to the study of Gothic texts and films.

• Critically analyse how the Gothic has been used to represent cultural anxieties and give ‘voice’ to, or demonise, different social groups and national interests.

• Identify and critically discuss the significance of particular thematic and formal aspects that characterise Gothic films and texts.

• Reflect on intersections between literary and cinematic texts and wider historical and contemporary social, cultural and political events.

• Select, digest and organise material and produce a consistent and coherent argument, presented in essay form, to a deadline.

• Understand how the Gothic has evolved across different literary periods, cultures, and media.