Learning Objectives

 

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

Recognize the central tropes of Gothic fiction, including its settings, character types, and plot developments;

Analyze the language and imagery of novels and other genres that contribute to the Gothic tradition;

Demonstrate understanding of Gothic art as a mode of expressing anxiety about class, gender, psychology, and geopolitics;

Understand the cultural, intellectual, and artistic richness of the sites and locations the class visits;

Develop and complete a research project on Gothic literature and art.

Required Texts

Pre-Semester Reading: Illustrated History of the Victorian Period
Austen, Northanger Abbey (Oxford UP ISBN: 019953554X)
Brontë, Wuthering Heights (Oxford UP ISBN: 0199541892)
Doyle, “Lot 249” (Gutenberg.org)
Freud, “The Uncanny” (PDF)
Machen, The Great God Pan (Oxford UP ISBN: 9780198805106)
Rossetti, “Goblin Market” (Gutenberg.org)
Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Oxford UP ISBN: 0199536228)
Stoker, Dracula (Oxford UP ISBN: 9780199564095)
Wilde, Picture of Dorian Gray (Oxford UP ISBN: 0199535981)
Plus selected readings online or PDF / Photocopy

Grade Distribution

Attendance and Participation (10%). Attendance at all class meetings and scheduled class activities/trips is mandatory (except in cases of severe illness or emergency). I will subtract 3% from the final course grade for every absence. At every class meeting you must have and use appropriate material(s) for collecting textual and visual evidence. I expect attentive and courteous behavior at all times, especially when we are touring a site or listening to a speaker. Every class meeting will require active participation. Simply showing up does not constitute active participation. Active participation means taking notes, taking photos, and taking part in class discussion. After each activity on our schedule, we will generally take 15 minutes in which you will have the chance to describe a specific object or idea that has caught your eye. I expect to be able to reach you through the email address and/or telephone # you provide me.

Blogging (40% for UG; 30% for G). Much of the intellectual back and forth ofthe class will happen on our class blog. The blog includes two broad categories: “litcrit posts” and “site posts.” (See further instruction on the Posting page and its subpages on litcrit and site posts.) Undergraduate students have to respond to all litcrit and at least 10 site posts. Grad students must respond to all litcrit and at least 12 site posts. I will give extra credit for the mudlarking London Explore activity and any posts beyond the required number. Let me know if you have any ideas for additional extra credit posts.

Final Exam (25%). A final take-home exam will be due toward the end of our time abroad. Essay questions will be distributed beforehand.

Research Project (25% for UG; 35% for G). Undergraduate and graduate students must complete a research project on a specific topic within the context of our course themes, readings, and activities. Specificity is crucial for the success of this assignment. A good topic will expand our understanding of a specific allusion, trope, or reference that a casual reader might miss. Your work will reveal the larger significance of this aspect of the narrative. Most projects will probably focus on a particular aspect of a literary text, but I am open to a wide range of different possibilities. The poster must demonstrate the significance of the topic through your own explanation and interpretation. It must also present 4-5 secondary sources that deepen and broaden understanding of the topic. In addition to the poster, grad students will write a conference-length essay (8 pages) that offers a sharp thesis, extended interpretation of primary source materials, and professional consideration of 4-5 secondary sources. More information on the research project will be available on a handy sheet that does not yet exist.

Submitting Work.  All written assignments except blog posts must be submitted to me via email (at carenst@cofc.edu) as a Word doc attachment. Posters should be either a PDF or PowerPoint slide. Please name the file you are sending “yourlastname assignmentname” (e.g., Smith Final)

Plagiarism on any assignment constitutes grounds for failing the class.  If you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me.