Things That Go Bump In the Night: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Supernatural

Catalog description

This course explores the deeper meanings of supernatural creatures in works of film and literature from the perspectives of history, science, philosophy, literature and film. The course addresses the question of why certain supernatural creatures (e.g., vampires, zombies, werewolves, ghosts, the demonically possessed, Frankenstein's monster and extraterrestrial creatures) have featured so prominently in human thought, human fears and works of literature and film from antiquity to the present day. In doing so, the course addresses the historical context in which such beliefs have arisen and how they have changed. Students are encouraged to apply interpretive skills to an analysis of supernatural creatures with which they are familiar and to draw connections between the monsters of the 21st century and societal changes and hidden conflicts in the contemporary world.