American Horror Stories

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This module focuses on real-life 'American Horror Stories': twentieth and twenty-first century popular fiction narratives explicitly or implicitly informed by some of the most disruptive and disturbing true-life events to have shaped the culture and identity of the United States. Several of the texts covered here draw upon the twin evils which lie the heart of European colonisation: the brutal subjugation of Native Americans and the profoundly dehumanising institution of slavery. We will also engage with the cultural and psychological ramifications of the Puritan legacy and the self-aggrandising doctrine of 'Manifest Destiny'. In addition, we will also discuss certain key events which have informed how the nation sees itself - these include the Columbine Massacre, the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, the 1980s 'Satanic Panic' hysteria, and several notorious true crimes. The course will require students to engage with both the primary texts listed below (which encompass fiction, film, and non-fiction), as well as the historically-based and critical context found in the secondary readings provided for each week. The primary texts to be discussed are drawn from a range of popular genres including horror, true crime, alternate history, the psychological thriller, dystopian and post-apocalyptic science fiction, and historical non-fiction.