The Gothic

Catalog description

The course will investigate the origins and development of Gothic literature from its invention during the eighteenth century to its postmodern forms. We will consider conventional figures (monsters, distressed heroines, moldering castles), common themes (fear, horror, the supernatural, the irrational, the transgressive), and the cultural work they do. Readings include Walpole, Lewis, Radcliffe, Shelley, James, and King.