Monsters on the Margins: Gothic Literature Through the Ages

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

What do monsters tell us about our deepest desires? Why are fairytales both disturbing and enchanting? What do these stories reveal about the expanses of human experience? The Gothic is a genre of contradictions: entertaining and horrific, deathly and life-giving, sacred and profane. This is your chance to dive into the history of Gothic literature, from oral fairy tales through the contemporary Gothic. Within this tradition, we'll be considering how these stories use monsters to talk about marginalized identities, sexuality, and race. We'll take a look at works from the Grimms through Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu to Carmen Maria Machado. By the end of the course, you'll be able to connect Gothic themes of the past with the complexities of Gothic entertainment and media today. As a writing-intensive course, we'll pair our discussion of these texts with creative and analytical engagement through several short essays and a longer writing assignment.