Ghosts and monsters fill the pages of popular books and appear on our TV and movie screens. This course surveys the history of such creations and asks what we can learn from them. We will begin by exploring the origins of the Gothic genre.听We鈥檒l also familiarize ourselves with theories about听the appeal or function of writing that confronts the horrific, the terrifying, or the overwhelming.
Readings include key works by authors like Walpole, Hoffmann, and Shelley.听We鈥檒l look at听modern America with听Stephen King鈥檚听Carrie.听As we go, we鈥檒l ask: How do literary听works reflect cultural anxieties? How have writers explained fear and evil? Why do some genres have low status? Popular films (Rosemary鈥檚 Baby, Scream) serve as examples to help us practice interpretive skills.
Both sections taught by Paul Neimann.听
Additional Information:Arts Sci Core Curr: Literature and the Arts
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Departmental Category: General Literature and Language
听