The main course objectives are to introduce students to the major formal elements and the historical development of the Gothic, and to foster students’ critical awareness of a range of narrative techniques peculiar to the genre as well as their relationship to the variety of media in which Gothic elements are to be found.
Upon the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the origins and development of the genre,
2. Interpret important concepts, debates and deconstructions relating to the Gothic in a variety of media across major time periods,
3. Analyze a variety of Gothic texts from diverse critical literary perspectives,
4. Compare how Gothic writers and filmmakers use various aesthetic elements to effect various responses in audiences, taking into account historical production and reception contexts.