Fall 2007 Courses

English 125-02: Studies in Literature - The Gothic (Çelikkol)

M/W/F 2:20-3:20pm, Old Main 001

Frightening stories set in enclosed settings such as haunted castles or dilapidated slaughterhouses, which are perhaps most familiar to us today from contemporary horror movies, comprise the Gothic. In this course, we will first examine the birth of this genre in eighteenth-century England, then move through its development in the nineteenth century, and finally explore its contemporary revisions in novels, films, and videogames. In each Gothic narrative, what is the source of terror? To address this question, we will explore historical developments and ideological issues such as colonial imperialism and patriarchal power. As we will see, behind literary ghosts and monsters loom anxieties about historical changes in gender roles, class structures, and national and ethic identities. The reading list includes Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and Angela Carter’s short stories. We will also view and analyze films such as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Walter Salles’s Dark Water. Requirements include three five-page formal papers and a formal presentation.

Fall 2007 Course Listings